‖n. [ The native name. ] The Manila-hemp plant (Musa textilis); also, its fiber. See Manila hemp under Manila. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ LL. abacinatus, p. p. of abacinare; ab off + bacinus a basin. ] To blind by a red-hot metal plate held before the eyes. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of abacinating. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Gr. 'abaki`skos, dim of 'a`bax. See Abacus. ] (Arch.) One of the tiles or squares of a tessellated pavement; an abaculus. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL abacista, fr. abacus. ] One who uses an abacus in casting accounts; a calculator. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ Pref. a- + back; AS. on bæc at, on, or toward the back. See Back. ] 1. Toward the back or rear; backward. “Therewith aback she started.” Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Behind; in the rear. Knolles. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Naut.) Backward against the mast; -- said of the sails when pressed by the wind. Totten. [ 1913 Webster ]

To be taken aback. (a) To be driven backward against the mast; -- said of the sails, also of the ship when the sails are thus driven. (b) To be suddenly checked, baffled, or discomfited. Dickens. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An abacus. [ Obs. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. ab + E. actinal. ] (Zool.) Pertaining to the surface or end opposite to the mouth in a radiate animal; -- opposed to actinal. “The aboral or abactinal area.” L. Agassiz. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Stealing cattle on a large scale. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L., fr. abigere to drive away; ab + agere to drive. ] (Law) One who steals and drives away cattle or beasts by herds or droves. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Abaculi [ L., dim. of abacus. ] (Arch.) A small tile of glass, marble, or other substance, of various colors, used in making ornamental patterns in mosaic pavements. Fairholt. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; E. pl. Abacuses ; L. pl. Abaci [ L. abacus, abax, Gr. 'a`bax ] 1. A table or tray strewn with sand, anciently used for drawing, calculating, etc. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A calculating table or frame; an instrument for performing arithmetical calculations by balls sliding on wires, or counters in grooves, the lowest line representing units, the second line, tens, etc. It is still employed in China. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Arch.) (a) The uppermost member or division of the capital of a column, immediately under the architrave. See Column. (b) A tablet, panel, or compartment in ornamented or mosaic work. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A board, tray, or table, divided into perforated compartments, for holding cups, bottles, or the like; a kind of cupboard, buffet, or sideboard. [ 1913 Webster ]

Abacus harmonicus (Mus.), an ancient diagram showing the structure and disposition of the keys of an instrument. Crabb. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Abbacies [ L. abbatia, fr. abbas, abbatis, abbot. See Abbey. ] The dignity, estate, or jurisdiction of an abbot. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. On horseback. [ 1913 Webster ]

Two suspicious fellows ahorseback. Smollet. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) A name applied to several large fishes of the Mackerel family (Scombridae), esp. Thunnus alalunga (formerly Orcynus alalonga); it is a type of tuna or tunny. The name has been also applied to a larger related species, Thunnus thynnus (formerly Orcynus thynnus), common in the Mediterranean and Atlantic, which is called in New England the horse mackerel. [ formerly spelled albicore. ] [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

n. [ L. amylum starch + NL. bacterium. See Bacterium. ] (Biol.) A microörganism (Bacillus amylobacter) which develops in vegetable tissue during putrefaction. Sternberg. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L., fr. Gr. 'anti` + &unr_;. See Bacchius. ] (Pros.) A foot of three syllables, the first two long, and the last short (#). [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Med.) (a) killing or inhibiting the growth of bacteria; -- applied also to serum for protection against bacterial diseases. (b) Opposed to the bacterial theory of disease. [ archaic ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

n. (Med.) a chemical substance which kills or inhibits the growth of bacteria. [ PJC ]

, n. (Microbiol.) A group of single-celled microorganisms including the methanogens and some halophiles and thermoacidophiles, recognized in the 1970's by C. R. Woese and his colleagues as being a distinct group on the basis of RNA sequences, cell walls, and coenzymes differing from those of other microbes. It is believed to be an ancient form of living organism that evolved separately from the eubacteria and blue-green algae. It is classified as a separate kingdom by some taxonomists. See also The Archaebacteria. [ PJC ]

‖n. [ L. asarum + bacca a berry. See Asarone. ] (Bot.) An acrid herbaceous plant (Asarum Europæum), the leaves and roots of which are emetic and cathartic. It is principally used in cephalic snuffs. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. See Back a vat. ] 1. A broad, flat-bottomed ferryboat, usually worked by a rope. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A vat or cistern. See 1st Back. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. an indehiscent fruit derived from a single ovary having one or many seeds within a fleshy wall or pericarp: e. g. grape; tomato; cranberry.
Syn. -- simple fruit [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ NL. baccalaureatus, fr. LL. baccalaureus a bachelor of arts, fr. baccalarius, but as if fr. L. bacca lauri bayberry, from the practice of the bachelor's wearing a garland of bayberries. See Bachelor. ] 1. The degree of bachelor of arts (B.A. or A.B.), the first or lowest academical degree conferred by universities and colleges. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A baccalaureate sermon. [ U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to a bachelor of arts. [ 1913 Webster ]

Baccalaureate sermon, in some American colleges, a sermon delivered as a farewell discourse to a graduating class. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖ } n. [ F. ] A French game of cards, played by a banker and punters. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. baccatus, fr. L. bacca berry. ] (Bot.) Pulpy throughout, like a berry; -- said of fruits. Gray. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Having many berries. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Set or adorned with pearls. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. Bacchanalis. See Bacchanalia. ] 1. Relating to Bacchus or his festival. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Engaged in drunken revels; drunken and riotous or noisy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A devotee of Bacchus; one who indulges in drunken revels; one who is noisy and riotous when intoxicated; a carouser. “Tipsy bacchanals.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. pl. The festival of Bacchus; the bacchanalia. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Drunken revelry; an orgy. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A song or a dance in honor of Bacchus. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ L. Bacchanal a place devoted to Bacchus; in the pl. Bacchanalia a feast of Bacchus, fr. Bacchus the god of wine, Gr. Ba`kchos. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Myth.) A feast or an orgy in honor of Bacchus. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence: A drunken feast; drunken revels; an orgy. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to the festival of Bacchus; relating to or given to reveling and drunkenness. [ 1913 Webster ]

Even bacchanalian madness has its charms. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A bacchanal; a drunken reveler. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The practice of bacchanalians; bacchanals; drunken revelry. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. E. Bacchants, L. Bacchantes. [ L. bacchans, -antis, p. pr. of bacchari to celebrate the festival of Bacchus. ] 1. A priest of Bacchus. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A bacchanal; a reveler. Croly. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Bacchanalian; fond of drunken revelry; wine-loving; reveling; carousing. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; L. pl. Bacchantes. 1. A priestess of Bacchus. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A female bacchanal. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Bacchanalian. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ , a. [ L. Bacchicus, Gr. Bakchiko`s. ] Of or relating to Bacchus; hence, jovial, or riotous, with intoxication; riotously drunken; -- used of revelrous gatherings.
Syn. -- bacchanalian, bacchanal, bibulous, carousing, drunken(prenominal), orgiastic, riotous [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n.; pl. Bacchii [ L. Bacchius pes, Gr. "o Bakchei^os (sc. poy`s foot).] (Pros.) A metrical foot composed of a short syllable and two long ones; according to some, two long and a short. [1913 Webster]

n. [ L., fr. Gr. Ba`kchos. ] (Myth.) The god of wine, son of Jupiter and Semele. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. baccifer; bacca berry + ferre to bear. ] Producing berries. “ Bacciferous trees.” Ray. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. bacca berry + -form. ] Having the form of a berry. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. bacca berry + vorare to devour. ] (Zool.) Eating, or subsisting on, berries; as, baccivorous birds. [ 1913 Webster ]

n., a., & v. See Base. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. bacheler young man, F. bachelier (cf. Pr. bacalar, Sp. bachiller, Pg. bacharel, It. baccalare), LL. baccalarius the tenant of a kind of farm called baccalaria, a soldier not old or rich enough to lead his retainers into battle with a banner, a person of an inferior academical degree aspiring to a doctorate. In the latter sense, it was afterward changed to baccalaureus. See Baccalaureate, n. ] 1. A man of any age who has not been married. [ 1913 Webster ]

As merry and mellow an old bachelor as ever followed a hound. W. Irving. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An unmarried woman. [ Obs. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A person who has taken the first or lowest degree in the liberal arts, or in some branch of science, at a college or university; as, a bachelor of arts. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A knight who had no standard of his own, but fought under the standard of another in the field; often, a young knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. In the companies of London tradesmen, one not yet admitted to wear the livery; a junior member. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Zool.) A kind of bass, an edible fresh-water fish (Pomoxys annularis) of the southern United States. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a knight of the lowest order; he was permitted to display only a pennon.
Syn. -- knight bachelor, bachelor [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The state of bachelorhood; the whole body of bachelors. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state or condition of being a bachelor; bachelorship. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Bachelorhood; also, a manner or peculiarity belonging to bachelors. W. Irving. [ 1913 Webster ]