Binaural Bin·au"ral adjective [ Prefix bin- + aural .] Of or pertaining to, or used by, both ears.

Binbashi Bin·bash"i noun [ Turk., prop., chief of a thousand; bin thousand + bash head.] (Mil.) A major in the Turkish army.

Bind Bind transitive verb [ imperfect Bound ; past participle Bound , formerly Bounden ; present participle & verbal noun Binding .] [ Anglo-Saxon bindan , perfect tense band , bundon , past participle bunden ; akin to D. & German binden , Danish binde , Swedish & Icelandic binda , Goth. bindan , Sanskrit bandh (for bhandh ) to bind, confer Greek ... (for ... ) cable, and Latin offendix . √90.] 1. To tie, or confine with a cord, band, ligature, chain, etc.; to fetter; to make fast; as, to bind grain in bundles; to bind a prisoner. 2. To confine, restrain, or hold by physical force or influence of any kind; as, attraction binds the planets to the sun; frost binds the earth, or the streams.

He bindeth the floods from overflowing.
Job xxviii. 11.

Whom Satan hath bound , lo, these eighteen years.
Luke xiii. 16.

3. To cover, as with a bandage; to bandage or dress; -- sometimes with up ; as, to bind up a wound. 4. To make fast ( a thing) about or upon something, as by tying; to encircle with something; as, to bind a belt about one; to bind a compress upon a part. 5. To prevent or restrain from customary or natural action; as, certain drugs bind the bowels. 6. To protect or strengthen by a band or binding, as the edge of a carpet or garment. 7. To sew or fasten together, and inclose in a cover; as, to bind a book. 8. Fig.: To oblige, restrain, or hold, by authority, law, duty, promise, vow, affection, or other moral tie; as, to bind the conscience; to bind by kindness; bound by affection; commerce binds nations to each other.

Who made our laws to bind us, not himself.
Milton.

9. (Law) (a) To bring (any one) under definite legal obligations; esp. under the obligation of a bond or covenant. Abbott. (b) To place under legal obligation to serve; to indenture; as, to bind an apprentice; -- sometimes with out ; as, bound out to service. To bind over , to put under bonds to do something, as to appear at court, to keep the peace, etc. -- To bind to , to contract; as, to bind one's self to a wife. -- To bind up in , to cause to be wholly engrossed with; to absorb in. Syn. -- To fetter; tie; fasten; restrain; restrict; oblige.

Bind Bind intransitive verb 1. To tie; to confine by any ligature.

They that reap must sheaf and bind .
Shak.

2. To contract; to grow hard or stiff; to cohere or stick together in a mass; as, clay binds by heat. Mortimer. 3. To be restrained from motion, or from customary or natural action, as by friction. 4. To exert a binding or restraining influence. Locke.

Bind Bind noun 1. That which binds or ties. 2. Any twining or climbing plant or stem, esp. a hop vine; a bine. 3. (Metal.) Indurated clay, when much mixed with the oxide of iron. Kirwan. 4. (Mus.) A ligature or tie for grouping notes.

Binder Bind"er noun 1. One who binds; as, a binder of sheaves; one whose trade is to bind; as, a binder of books. 2. Anything that binds, as a fillet, cord, rope, or band; a bandage; -- esp. the principal piece of timber intended to bind together any building.

Bindery Bind"er·y noun A place where books, or other articles, are bound; a bookbinder's establishment.

Bindheimite Bind"heim·ite noun [ From Bindheim , a German who analyzed it.] (Min.) An amorphous antimonate of lead, produced from the alteration of other ores, as from jamesonite.

Binding Bind"ing adjective That binds; obligatory. Binding beam (Architecture) , the main timber in double flooring. -- Binding joist (Architecture) , the secondary timber in double-framed flooring. Syn. -- Obligatory; restraining; restrictive; stringent; astringent; costive; styptic.

Binding Bind"ing noun 1. The act or process of one who, or that which, binds. 2. Anything that binds; a bandage; the cover of a book, or the cover with the sewing, etc.; something that secures the edge of cloth from raveling. 3. plural (Nautical) The transoms, knees, beams, keelson, and other chief timbers used for connecting and strengthening the parts of a vessel.

Binding post Bind"ing post` (Electricity) A metallic post attached to electrical apparatus for convenience in making connections.

Binding screw Bind"ing screw` A set screw used to bind parts together, esp. one for making a connection in an electrical circuit.

Bindingly Bind"ing·ly adverb So as to bind.

Bindingness Bind"ing·ness noun The condition or property of being binding; obligatory quality. Coleridge.

Bindweed Bind"weed` noun (Botany) A plant of the genus Convolvulus ; as, greater bindweed ( C. Sepium ); lesser bindweed ( C. arvensis ); the white, the blue, the Syrian, bindweed . The black bryony, or Tamus , is called black bindweed , and the Smilax aspera , rough bindweed .

The fragile bindweed bells and bryony rings.
Tennyson.

Bine Bine noun [ Bind , confer Woodbine .] The winding or twining stem of a hop vine or other climbing plant.

Binervate Bi·nerv"ate adjective [ Latin bis twice + nervus sinew, nerve.] 1. (Botany) Two- nerved; -- applied to leaves which have two longitudinal ribs or nerves. 2. (Zoology) Having only two nerves, as the wings of some insects.

Bing Bing noun [ Confer Icelandic bingr , Swedish binge , German beige , beuge . Confer Prov. English bink bench, and bench coal the uppermost stratum of coal.] A heap or pile; as, a bing of wood. "Potato bings ." Burns. "A bing of corn." Surrey. [ Obsolete or Dial. Eng. & Scot.]

Biniodide Bin·i"o·dide noun Same as Diiodide .

Bink Bink noun A bench. [ North of Eng. & Scot.]

Binnacle Bin"na·cle noun [ For bittacle , corrupted (perh. by influence of bin ) from Portuguese bitacola binnacle, from Latin habitaculum dwelling place, from habitare to dwell. See Habit , and confer Bittacle .] (Nautical) A case or box placed near the helmsman, containing the compass of a ship, and a light to show it at night. Totten.

Binny Bin"ny noun (Zoology) A large species of barbel ( Barbus bynni ), found in the Nile, and much esteemed for food.

Binocle Bin"o·cle noun [ French binocle ; Latin bini two at a time + oculus eye.] (Opt.) A dioptric telescope, fitted with two tubes joining, so as to enable a person to view an object with both eyes at once; a double-barreled field glass or an opera glass.

Binocular Bin·oc"u·lar adjective [ Confer French binoculaire . See Binocle .] 1. Having two eyes. "Most animals are binocular ." Derham. 2. Pertaining to both eyes; employing both eyes at once; as, binocular vision. 3. Adapted to the use of both eyes; as, a binocular microscope or telescope. Brewster.

Binocular Bin·oc"u·lar noun A binocular glass, whether opera glass, telescope, or microscope.

Binocularly Bin·oc"u·lar·ly adverb In a binocular manner.

Binoculate Bin·oc"u·late adjective Having two eyes.

Binomial Bi·no"mi·al noun [ Latin bis twice + nomen name: confer French binome , Late Latin binomius (or from bi- + Greek ... distribution ?). Confer Monomial .] (Alg.) An expression consisting of two terms connected by the sign plus (+) or minus (-); as, a + b , or 7 - 3 .

Binomial Bi·no"mi·al adjective 1. Consisting of two terms; pertaining to binomials; as, a binomial root. 2. (Nat. Hist.) Having two names; -- used of the system by which every animal and plant receives two names, the one indicating the genus, the other the species, to which it belongs. Binomial theorem (Alg.) , the theorem which expresses the law of formation of any power of a binomial.

Binominal Bi·nom"i·nal adjective [ See Binomial .] Of or pertaining to two names; binomial.

Binominous Bi·nom"i·nous adjective Binominal. [ Obsolete]

Binotonous Bi·not"o·nous adjective [ Latin bini two at a time + tonus , from Greek ... , tone.] Consisting of two notes; as, a binotonous cry.

Binous Bi"nous adjective Same as Binate .

Binoxalate Bin·ox"a·late noun [ Prefix bin- + oxalate .] (Chemistry) A salt having two equivalents of oxalic acid to one of the base; an acid oxalate.

Binoxide Bin·ox"ide noun [ Prefix bin- + oxide .] (Chemistry) Same as Dioxide .

Binturong Bin"tu·rong noun (Zoology) A small Asiatic civet of the genus Arctilis .

Binuclear, Binucleate Bi·nu"cle·ar, Bi·nu"cle·ate adjective [ Prefix bi- + nuclear , nucleate .] (Biol.) Having two nuclei; as, binucleate cells.

Binucleolate Bi·nu"cle·o·late adjective [ Prefix bi- + nucleolus .] (Biol.) Having two nucleoli.

Bioblast Bi"o·blast noun [ Greek ... life + -blast .] (Biol.) Same as Bioplast .

Biocellate Bi·oc"el·late adjective [ Latin bis twice + ocellatus . See Ocellated .] (Zoology) Having two ocelli (eyelike spots); -- said of a wing, etc.

Biochemistry Bi`o·chem"is·try noun [ Greek ... life + English chemistry .] (Biol.) The chemistry of living organisms; the chemistry of the processes incidental to, and characteristic of, life.

Biodynamic, Biodynamical Bi`o·dy·nam"ic, Bi`o·dy·nam"ic·al adjective (Biol.) Of or pertaining to biodynamics, or the doctrine of vital forces or energy.

Biodynamics Bi`o·dy·nam"ics noun [ Greek ... life + English dynamics .] (Biol.) The doctrine of vital forces or energy.

Biodynamics Bi`o·dy·nam"ics noun The branch of biology which treats of the active vital phenomena of organisms; -- opposed to biostatics .

Biogen Bi"o·gen noun [ Greek ... life + -gen .] (Biol.) Bioplasm.

Biogenesis, Biogeny Bi`o·gen"e·sis, Bi·og"e·ny noun [ Greek ... life + ... , ... , birth.] (Biol.) (a) A doctrine that the genesis or production of living organisms can take place only through the agency of living germs or parents; -- opposed to abiogenesis . (b) Life development generally.

Biogenetic Bi`o·ge·net"ic adjective (Biol.) Pertaining to biogenesis.

Biogenist Bi·og"e·nist noun A believer in the theory of biogenesis.

Biogeography Bi`o·ge·og"ra·phy noun [ Greek bi`os life + English geography .] The branch of biology which deals with the geographical distribution of animals and plants. It includes both zoögeography and phytogeography. - - Bi`o*ge`o*graph"ic adjective -- Bi`o*ge`o*graph"ic*al*ly adverb

Biognosis Bi`og·no"sis noun [ Greek ... life + ... investigation.] (Biol.) The investigation of life.