n. Same as Afrit. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Arab. 'ifrīt. ] (Moham. Myth.) A powerful evil jinnee, demon, or monstrous giant. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Zool.) A bark beetle that makes and feeds on ambrosia{ 4 }. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

(Zool.) A small beetle of many species (family Scolytidæ), which in the larval state bores under or in the bark of trees, often doing great damage. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. bete, from L. beta. ] 1. (Bot.) A biennial plant of the genus Beta, which produces an edible root the first year and seed the second year. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The root of plants of the genus Beta, different species and varieties of which are used for the table, for feeding stock, or in making sugar. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ There are many varieties of the common beet (Beta vulgaris). The Old “white beet”, cultivated for its edible leafstalks, is a distinct species (Beta Cicla). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Ludwig van Beethoven, a renowned German composer, born 1770, died 1827.
Syn. -- van Beethoven. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. the music of Beethoven. He enjoyed Beethoven most of all. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. of or pertaining to Ludwig van Beethoven. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ OE. betel, AS. bītl, b&unr_;tl, mallet, hammer, fr. beátan to beat. See Beat, v. t. ] 1. A heavy mallet, used to drive wedges, beat pavements, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A machine in which fabrics are subjected to a hammering process while passing over rollers, as in cotton mills; -- called also beetling machine. Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Beetled p. pr. & vb. n. Beetling. ] 1. To beat with a heavy mallet. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To finish by subjecting to a hammering process in a beetle or beetling machine; as, to beetle cotton goods. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. bityl, bittle, AS. bītel, fr. bītan to bite. See Bite, v. t. ] Any insect of the order Coleoptera, having four wings, the outer pair being stiff cases for covering the others when they are folded up. See Coleoptera. [ 1913 Webster ]

Beetle mite (Zool.), one of many species of mites, of the family Oribatidæ, parasitic on beetles. --
Black beetle, the common large black cockroach (Blatta orientalis). [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ See Beetlebrowed. ] To extend over and beyond the base or support; to overhang; to jut. [ 1913 Webster ]

To the dreadful summit of the cliff
That beetles o'er his base into the sea. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Each beetling rampart, and each tower sublime. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

An overhanging brow. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ OE. bitelbrowed; cf. OE. bitel, adj., sharp, projecting, n., a beetle. See Beetle an insect. ] Having prominent, overhanging brows; hence, lowering or sullen. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The earlier meaning was, “Having bushy or overhanging eyebrows.” [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Beetle a mallet + head. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A stupid fellow; a blockhead. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) The black-bellied plover, or bullhead (Squatarola helvetica). See Plover. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Dull; stupid. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The handle of a beetle. [ 1913 Webster ]

Same as Beetrave. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. betterave; bette beet + rave radish. ] The common beet (Beta vulgaris). [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bemet p. pr. & vb. n. Bemeeting. ] To meet. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Our very loving sister, well bemet. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } v. t. [ AS. bētan to mend. See Better. ] 1. To mend; to repair. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To renew or enkindle (a fire). [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ or } n. (Zool.) A weevil or curculio of various species, as the corn weevil. See Curculio. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Sweet and then bitter or bitter and then sweet; esp. sweet with a bitter after taste; hence (Fig.), pleasant but painful. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Anything which is bittersweet. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A kind of apple so called. Gower. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Bot.) (a) A climbing shrub, with oval coral-red berries (Solanum dulcamara); woody nightshade. The whole plant is poisonous, and has a taste at first sweetish and then bitter. The branches are the officinal dulcamara. (b) An American woody climber (Celastrus scandens), whose yellow capsules open late in autumn, and disclose the red aril which covers the seeds; -- also called Roxbury waxwork. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. (Ethn.) A tribe of North American Indians formerly inhabiting the country from the upper Missouri River to the Saskatchewan, but now much reduced in numbers. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A separate, private, or obscure street; an out of the way or cross street. [ 1913 Webster ]

He seeks by-streets, and saves the expensive coach. Gay. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Hind. chītā. ] (Zool.) A species of leopard (Cynælurus jubatus) tamed and used for hunting in India. The woolly cheetah of South Africa is Cynælurus laneus. It runs very fast in short spurts while hunting. [ Written also chetah. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

(Zool.) See Elater. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Zool.) A yellowish beetle (Doryphora decemlineata), with ten longitudinal, black, dorsal stripes. It has migrated eastwards from its original habitat in Colorado, and is very destructive to the potato plant; -- called also potato beetle and potato bug. See Potato beetle. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To salute mutually. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Eng. Law) A court of record held once a year, in a particular hundred, lordship, or manor, before the steward of the leet. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Decree. ] (Scots Law) The final judgment of the Court of Session, or of an inferior court, by which the question at issue is decided. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Compar. Discreeter superl. Discreetest. ] [ F. discret, L. discretus separated (whence the meaning reserved, prudent), p. p. of discernere. See Discern, and cf. Discrete. ] 1. Possessed of discernment, especially in avoiding error or evil, and in the adaptation of means to ends; prudent; sagacious; judicious; not rash or heedless; cautious. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is the discreet man, not the witty, nor the learned, nor the brave, who guides the conversation, and gives measures to society. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

Satire 's my weapon, but I 'm too discreet
To run amuck, and tilt at all I meet. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

The sea is silent, the sea is discreet. Longfellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Differing; distinct. [ Obs. ] Spenser.

-- Dis*creet"ly, adv. -- Dis*creet"ness, n.

v. t. To deprive of sweetness. [ R. ] Bp. Richardson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) See 1st Dor. [ 1913 Webster ]

obs. imp. of Eat. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Afrit. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. See Foot. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Feat, n. ] Fact; performance. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Destitute of feet; as, feetless birds. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Zool.) A very brilliantly luminous beetle (Pyrophorus noctilucus), one of the elaters, found in Central and South America; -- called also cucujo. The name is also applied to other species. See Firefly. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) A small beetle of the family Halticidæ, of many species. They have strong posterior legs and leap like fleas. The turnip flea-beetle (Phyllotreta vittata) and that of the grapevine (Graptodera chalybea) are common injurious species. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. flete, fleote, AS. fleót ship, fr. fleótan to float, swim. See Fleet, v. i. and cf. Float. ] A number of vessels in company, especially war vessels; also, the collective naval force of a country, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Fleet captain, the senior aid of the admiral of a fleet, when a captain. Ham. Nav. Encyc. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Compar. Fleeter superl. Fleetest. ] [ Cf. Icel. fljōtr quick. See Fleet, v. i. ] 1. Swift in motion; moving with velocity; light and quick in going from place to place; nimble. [ 1913 Webster ]

In mail their horses clad, yet fleet and strong. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Light; superficially thin; not penetrating deep, as soil. [ Prov. Eng. ] Mortimer. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To pass over rapidly; to skin the surface of; as, a ship that fleets the gulf. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To hasten over; to cause to pass away lighty, or in mirth and joy. [ 1913 Webster ]

Many young gentlemen flock to him, and fleet the time carelessly. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Naut.) (a) To draw apart the blocks of; -- said of a tackle. Totten.

(b) To cause to slip down the barrel of a capstan or windlass, as a rope or chain. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Naut.) To move or change in position; used only in special phrases; as, of fleet aft the crew.

We got the long “stick” . . . down and “fleeted” aft, where it was secured. F. T. Bullen. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ AS. fleót a place where vessels float, bay, river; akin to D. vliet rill, brook, G. fliess. See Fleet, v. i. ] 1. A flood; a creek or inlet; a bay or estuary; a river; -- obsolete, except as a place name, -- as Fleet Street in London. [ 1913 Webster ]

Together wove we nets to entrap the fish
In floods and sedgy fleets. Matthewes. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A former prison in London, which originally stood near a stream, the Fleet (now filled up). [ 1913 Webster ]

Fleet parson, a clergyman of low character, in, or in the vicinity of, the Fleet prison, who was ready to unite persons in marriage (called Fleet marriage) at any hour, without public notice, witnesses, or consent of parents. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ AS. flēt cream, fr. fleótan to float. See Fleet, v. i. ] To take the cream from; to skim. [ Prov. Eng. ] Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. fleeted; p. pr. & vb. n. fleeting. ] [ OE. fleten, fleoten, to swim, AS. fleótan to swim, float; akin to D. vlieten to flow, OS. fliotan, OHG. fliozzan, G. fliessen, Icel. fljōta to float, flow, Sw. flyta, D. flyde, L. pluere to rain, Gr. plei^n to sail, swim, float, Skr. plu to swim, sail. √84. Cf. Fleet, n. & a., Float, Pluvial, Flow. ] 1. To sail; to float. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

And in frail wood on Adrian Gulf doth fleet. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To fly swiftly; to pass over quickly; to hasten; to flit as a light substance. [ 1913 Webster ]

All the unaccomplished works of Nature's hand, . . .
Dissolved on earth, fleet hither. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Naut.) To slip on the whelps or the barrel of a capstan or windlass; -- said of a cable or hawser. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Naut.) To move or change in position; -- said of persons; as, the crew fleeted aft. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. Fleeted or skimmed milk. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Fleeten face, a face of the color of fleeten, i. e., blanched; hence, a coward. “You know where you are, you fleeten face.” Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Swift of foot. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Passing swiftly away; not durable; transient; transitory; as, the fleeting hours or moments.

Syn. -- Evanescent; ephemeral. See Transient. [ 1913 Webster ]