Boule Bou"le noun [ Greek ....] 1. (Gr. Antiq.) A legislative council of elders or chiefs; a senate. The boule of Homeric times was an aristocratic body of princes and leaders, merely advisory to the king. The Athenian boule of Solon's time was an elective senate of 400, acting as a check on the popular ecclesia , for which it examined and prepared bills for discussion. It later increased to 500, chosen by lot, and extended its functions to embrace certain matters of administration and oversight.

2. Legislature of modern Greece. See Legislature .

Boule, Boulework Boule, Boule"work` noun Same as Buhl , Buhlwork .

Boulevard Bou"le·vard` noun [ French boulevard , boulevart , from German bollwerk . See Bulwark .]

1. Originally, a bulwark or rampart of fortification or fortified town.

2. A public walk or street occupying the site of demolished fortifications. Hence: A broad avenue in or around a city.

Boulevardier Boule`var`dier" noun [ French] A frequenter of a city boulevard, esp. in Paris. F. Harrison.

Bouleversement Boule`verse`ment" noun [ French, from bouleverser to overthrow.] Complete overthrow; disorder; a turning upside down.

Boult Boult (bōlt) noun Corrupted form Bolt .

Boultel, Boultin Boul"tel, Boul"tin noun (Architecture) (a) A molding, the convexity of which is one fourth of a circle, being a member just below the abacus in the Tuscan and Roman Doric capital; a torus; an ovolo. (b) One of the shafts of a clustered column. [ Written also bowtel , boltel , boultell , etc.]

Boulter Boul"ter noun [ Etymol. uncertain.] A long, stout fishing line to which many hooks are attached.

Boun Boun adjective [ See Bound ready.] Ready; prepared; destined; tending. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Boun Boun transitive verb To make or get ready. Sir W. Scott.

Bounce Bounce intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Bounced ; present participle & verbal noun Bouncing ] [ Middle English bunsen ; confer Dutch bonzen to strike, bounce, bons blow, LG. bunsen to knock; all probably of imitative origin.]

1. To strike or thump, so as to rebound, or to make a sudden noise; a knock loudly.

Another bounces as hard as he can knock.
Swift.

Against his bosom bounced his heaving heart.
Dryden.

2. To leap or spring suddenly or unceremoniously; to bound; as, she bounced into the room.

Out bounced the mastiff.
Swift.

Bounced off his arm+chair.
Thackeray.

3. To boast; to talk big; to bluster. [ Obsolete]

Bounce Bounce transitive verb 1. To drive against anything suddenly and violently; to bump; to thump. Swift.

2. To cause to bound or rebound; sometimes, to toss.

3. To eject violently, as from a room; to discharge unceremoniously, as from employment. [ Collog. U. S.]

4. To bully; to scold. [ Collog.] J. Fletcher.

Bounce Bounce noun

1. A sudden leap or bound; a rebound.

2. A heavy, sudden, and often noisy, blow or thump.

The bounce burst open the door.
Dryden.

3. An explosion, or the noise of one. [ Obsolete]

4. Bluster; brag; untruthful boasting; audacious exaggeration; an impudent lie; a bouncer. Johnson. De Quincey....

5. (Zoology) A dogfish of Europe ( Scyllium catulus ).

Bounce Bounce adverb With a sudden leap; suddenly.

This impudent puppy comes bounce in upon me.
Bickerstaff.

Bouncer Boun"cer noun 1. One who bounces; a large, heavy person who makes much noise in moving.

2. A boaster; a bully. [ Collog.] Johnson.

3. A bold lie; also, a liar. [ Collog.] Marryat.

4. Something big; a good stout example of the kind.

The stone must be a bouncer .
De Quincey.

Bouncing Boun"cing adjective 1. Stout; plump and healthy; lusty; buxom.

Many tall and bouncing young ladies.
Thackeray.

2. Excessive; big. "A bouncing reckoning." B. & Fl.

Bouncing Bet (Botany) , the common soapwort ( Saponaria officinalis ). Harper's Mag.

Bouncingly Boun"cing·ly adverb With a bounce.

Bound Bound noun [ Middle English bounde , bunne , Old French bonne , bonde , bodne , French borne , from Late Latin bodina , bodena , bonna ; probably of Celtic origin; confer Arm. bonn boundary, limit, and boden , bod , a tuft or cluster of trees, by which a boundary or limit could be marked. Confer Bourne .] The external or limiting line, either real or imaginary, of any object or space; that which limits or restrains, or within which something is limited or restrained; limit; confine; extent; boundary.

He hath compassed the waters with bounds .
Job xxvi. 10.

On earth's remotest bounds .
Campbell.

And mete the bounds of hate and love.
Tennyson.

To keep within bounds , not to exceed or pass beyond assigned limits; to act with propriety or discretion .

Syn. -- See Boundary .

Bound Bound transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Bounded ; present participle & verbal noun Bounding .]

1. To limit; to terminate; to fix the furthest point of extension of; -- said of natural or of moral objects; to lie along, or form, a boundary of; to inclose; to circumscribe; to restrain; to confine.

Where full measure only bounds excess.
Milton.

Phlegethon . . .
Whose fiery flood the burning empire bounds .
Dryden.

2. To name the boundaries of; as, to bound France.

Bound Bound intransitive verb [ French bondir to leap, Old French bondir , bundir , to leap, resound, from Latin bombitare to buzz, hum, from bombus a humming, buzzing. See Bomb .]

1. To move with a sudden spring or leap, or with a succession of springs or leaps; as the beast bounded from his den; the herd bounded across the plain.

Before his lord the ready spaniel bounds .
Pope.

And the waves bound beneath me as a steed
That knows his rider.
Byron.

2. To rebound, as an elastic ball.

Bound Bound transitive verb 1. To make to bound or leap; as, to bound a horse. [ R.] Shak.

2. To cause to rebound; to throw so that it will rebound; as, to bound a ball on the floor. [ Collog.]

Bound Bound noun 1. A leap; an elastic spring; a jump.

A bound of graceful hardihood.
Wordsworth.

2. Rebound; as, the bound of a ball. Johnson.

3. (Dancing) Spring from one foot to the other.

Bound Bound imperfect & past participle of Bind .

Bound Bound past participle & adjective 1. Restrained by a hand, rope, chain, fetters, or the like.

2. Inclosed in a binding or cover; as, a bound volume.

3. Under legal or moral restraint or obligation.

4. Constrained or compelled; destined; certain; -- followed by the infinitive; as, he is bound to succeed; he is bound to fail.

5. Resolved; as, I am bound to do it. [ Collog. U. S.]

6. Constipated; costive.

» Used also in composition; as, ice bound , wind bound , hide bound , etc.

Bound bailiff (Eng. Law) , a sheriff's officer who serves writs, makes arrests, etc. The sheriff being answerable for the bailiff's misdemeanors, the bailiff is usually under bond for the faithful discharge of his trust. -- Bound up in , entirely devoted to; inseparable from .

Bound Bound adjective [ Past p. of Middle English bounen to prepare, from boun ready, prepared, from Icelandic būinn , past participle of būa to dwell, prepare; akin to English boor and bower . See Bond , adjective , and confer Busk , v. ] Ready or intending to go; on the way toward; going; -- with to or for , or with an adverb of motion; as, a ship is bound to Cadiz, or for Cadiz. "The mariner bound homeward." Cowper.

Boundary Bound"a·ry noun ; plural Boundaries [ From Bound a limit; confer Late Latin bonnarium piece of land with fixed limits.] That which indicates or fixes a limit or extent, or marks a bound, as of a territory; a bounding or separating line; a real or imaginary limit.

But still his native country lies
Beyond the boundaries of the skies.
N. Cotton.

That bright and tranquil stream, the boundary of Louth and Meath.
Macaulay.

Sensation and reflection are the boundaries of our thoughts.
Locke.

Syn. -- Limit; bound; border; term; termination; barrier; verge; confines; precinct. Bound , Boundary . Boundary , in its original and strictest sense, is a visible object or mark indicating a limit. Bound is the limit itself. But in ordinary usage the two words are made interchangeable.

Bounden Bound"en p. p & adjective [ Old. past participle of bind .]

1. Bound; fastened by bonds. [ Obsolete]

2. Under obligation; bound by some favor rendered; obliged; beholden.

This holy word, that teacheth us truly our bounden duty toward our Lord God in every point.
Ridley.

3. Made obligatory; imposed as a duty; binding.

I am much bounden to your majesty.
Shak.

Bounder Bound"er (bound"ẽr) noun One who, or that which, limits; a boundary. Sir T. Herbert.

Bounding Bound"ing adjective Moving with a bound or bounds.

The bounding pulse, the languid limb.
Montgomery.

Boundless Bound"less adjective Without bounds or confines; illimitable; vast; unlimited. "The boundless sky." Bryant. "The boundless ocean." Dryden. " Boundless rapacity." " Boundless prospect of gain." Macaulay.

Syn. -- Unlimited; unconfined; immeasurable; illimitable; infinite.

-- Bound"less*ly , adverb -- Bound"less*ness , noun

Bounteous Boun"te·ous adjective [ Middle English bountevous , from bounte bounty.] Liberal in charity; disposed to give freely; generously liberal; munificent; beneficent; free in bestowing gifts; as, bounteous production.

But O, thou bounteous Giver of all good.
Cowper.

-- Boun"te*ous*ly , adverb -- Boun"te*ous*ness , noun

Bountiful Boun"ti·ful adjective

1. Free in giving; liberal in bestowing gifts and favors.

God, the bountiful Author of our being.
Locke.

2. Plentiful; abundant; as, a bountiful supply of food.

Syn. -- Liberal; munificent; generous; bounteous.

-- Boun"ti*ful*ly , adverb -- Boun"ti*ful*ness , noun

Bountihead, Bountyhood Boun"ti·head, Boun"ty·hood noun Goodness; generosity. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

Bounty Boun"ty noun ; plural Bounties [ Middle English bounte goodness, kindness, French bonté , from Latin bonitas , from bonus good, for older duonus ; confer Sanskrit duvas honor, respect.]

1. Goodness, kindness; virtue; worth. [ Obsolete]

Nature set in her at once beauty with bounty .
Gower.

2. Liberality in bestowing gifts or favors; gracious or liberal giving; generosity; munificence.

My bounty is as boundless as the sea.
Shak.

3. That which is given generously or liberally. "Thy morning bounties ." Cowper.

4. A premium offered or given to induce men to enlist into the public service; or to encourage any branch of industry, as husbandry or manufactures.

Bounty jumper , one who, during the latter part of the Civil War, enlisted in the United States service, and deserted as soon as possible after receiving the bounty. [ Collog.] -- Queen Anne's bounty (Eng. Hist.) , a provision made in Queen Anne's reign for augmenting poor clerical livings.

Syn. -- Munificence; generosity; beneficence.

Bouquet Bou·quet" noun [ French bouquet bunch, bunch of flowers, trees, feathers, for bousquet , bosquet , thicket, a little wood, dim. of Late Latin boscus . See Bush thicket, and confer Bosket , Busket .]

1. A nosegay; a bunch of flowers.

2. A perfume; an aroma; as, the bouquet of wine.

Bouquetin Bou`que·tin" noun [ French] (Zoology) The ibex.

Bour Bour noun [ See Bower a chamber.] A chamber or a cottage. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Bourbon Bour"bon noun [ From the castle and seigniory of Bourbon in central France.]

1. A member of a family which has occupied several European thrones, and whose descendants still claim the throne of France.

2. A politician who is behind the age; a ruler or politician who neither forgets nor learns anything; an obstinate conservative.

Bourbon whisky Bour"bon whis"ky See under Whisky .

Bourbonism Bour"bon·ism noun The principles of those adhering to the house of Bourbon; obstinate conservatism.

Bourbonist Bour"bon·ist noun One who adheres to the house of Bourbon; a legitimist.

Bourd Bourd noun [ French bourde fib, lie, Old French borde , bourde , jest, joke.] A jest. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Bourd Bourd intransitive verb To jest. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Bourder Bourd"er noun A jester. [ Obsolete]

Bourdon Bour"don noun [ French, from Latin burdo mule, esp. one used for carrying litters. Confer Spanish muleta a young she mule; also, crutch, prop.] A pilgrim's staff.

Bourdon Bour"don` noun [ French See Burden a refrain.] (Mus.) (a) A drone bass, as in a bagpipe, or a hurdy-gurdy. See Burden (of a song.) (b) A kind of organ stop.

Bourgeois Bour·geois" noun [ From a French type founder named Bourgeois , or from French bourgeois of the middle class; hence applied to an intermediate size of type between brevier and long primer: confer German bourgeois , borgis . Confer Burgess .] (Print.) A size of type between long primer and brevier. See Type .

» This line is printed in bourgeois type.

Bourgeois Bour·geois" noun [ French, from bourg town; of German origin. See Burgess .] A man of middle rank in society; one of the shopkeeping class. [ France.]

adjective Characteristic of the middle class, as in France.

Bourgeoisie Bour·geoi·sie" noun [ French] The French middle class, particularly such as are concerned in, or dependent on, trade.

Bourgeon Bour"geon intransitive verb [ Middle English burjoun a bud, burjounen to bud, French bourgeon a bud, bourgeonner to bud; confer Old High German burjan to raise.] To sprout; to put forth buds; to shoot forth, as a branch.

Gayly to bourgeon and broadly to grow.
Sir W. Scott.

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