n. [ OE. ancle, anclow, AS. ancleow; akin to Icel. ökkla, ökli, Dan. and Sw. ankel, D. enklaauw, enkel, G. enkel, and perh. OHG. encha, ancha thigh, shin: cf. Skr. anga limb, anguri finger. Cf. Haunch. ] The joint which connects the foot with the leg; the tarsus. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ankle bone, the bone of the ankle; the astragalus. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having ankles; -- used in composition; as, well-ankled. Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. An ornament or a fetter for the ankle; an ankle ring. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. pl. see anklets. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. pl. 1. socks that reach just above the ankle.
Syn. -- anklet, bobbysock, bobbysocks [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n. [ G., enlightenment. ] A philosophic movement of the 18th century characterized by a lively questioning of authority, keen interest in matters of politics and general culture, and an emphasis on empirical method in science. It received its impetus from the unsystematic but vigorous skepticism of Pierre Bayle, the physical doctrines of Newton, and the epistemological theories of Locke, in the preceding century. Its chief center was in France, where it gave rise to the skepticism of Voltaire , the naturalism of Rousseau, the sensationalism of Condillac, and the publication of the “Encyclopedia” by D'Alembert and Diderot. In Germany, Lessing, Mendelssohn, and Herder were representative thinkers, while the political doctrines of the leaders of the American Revolution and the speculations of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine represented the movement in America. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

adv. 1. In an unlucky (left-handed) or perverse manner. [ Obs. ] Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Awkwardly. [ Obs. ] Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Back, adv. + lash. ] 1. (Mech.) The distance through which one part of connected machinery, as a wheel, piston, or screw, can be moved without moving the connected parts, resulting from looseness in fitting or from wear; also, the jarring or reflex motion caused in badly fitting machinery by irregularities in velocity or a reverse of motion. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A strong and sudden reverse movement in a moving part of a machine. [ PJC ]

3. A strong popular reaction serving to counter the effect of an action; -- used especially of adverse reactions to social or political developments. [ PJC ]

a. Without a back. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Back, a. + log. ] 1. A large stick of wood, forming the back of a fire on the hearth. Contrasted to forestick. [ U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

There was first a backlog, from fifteen to four and twenty inches in diameter and five feet long, imbedded in the ashes. S. G. Goodrich. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An accumulation (of tasks or of materials) that were not performed or processed at the normal time and require attention; as, unexpected demand led to a large backlog of unfilled orders; politically motivated delays led to a large backlog of unconfirmed judicial appointments. [ PJC ]

n. 1. line across a billiard table behind which the cue balls are placed at the start of a game.
Syn. -- baulk line, string line. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ OE. ban, bon, bone + stickle prickle, sting. See Bone, n., Stickleback. ] (Zool.) A small fish, the three-spined stickleback. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Destitute of bark. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bespeckled p. pr. & vb. n. Bespeckling. ] To mark with speckles or spots. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Besprinkled p. pr. & vb. n. Besprinkling ] To sprinkle over; to scatter over. [ 1913 Webster ]

The bed besprinkles, and bedews the ground. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who, or that which, besprinkles. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of sprinkling anything; a sprinkling over. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. bi- + weekly. ] Occurring or appearing once every two weeks; fortnightly. -- n. A publication issued every two weeks. -- Bi"week"ly, adv. [ 1913 Webster ]

, v. t. To coat or to polish with black lead (graphite). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A notorious gambler. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A disease among calves and sheep, characterized by a settling of gelatinous matter in the legs, and sometimes in the neck. [ Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To put in a black list as deserving of suspicion, censure, or punishment; esp. to put in a list of persons stigmatized as insolvent or untrustworthy, -- as tradesmen and employers do for mutual protection; as, to blacklist a workman who has been discharged. See Black list, under Black, a. [ 1913 Webster ]

If you blacklist us, we will boycott you. John Swinton. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a black manner; darkly, in color; gloomily; threateningly; atrociously. “Deeds so blackly grim and horrid.” Feltham. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. 1. In a blank manner; without expression; vacuously; as, to stare blankly. G. Eliot. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Directly; flatly; point blank. De Quincey. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Like a block; stupid. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Bookland. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ AS. bōcland; bōc book + land land. ] (O. Eng. Law) Charter land held by deed under certain rents and free services, which differed in nothing from free socage lands. This species of tenure has given rise to the modern freeholds. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Without books; unlearned. Shenstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A little book. T. Arnold. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) a minute wingless psocopterous insect (Liposcelis divinatorius) injurious to books and papers.
Syn. -- book louse, deathwatch. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adv. In a brainsick manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Brick + lay. ] One whose occupation is to build with bricks. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bricklayer's itch. See under Itch. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The art of building with bricks, or of uniting them by cement or mortar into various forms; the act or occupation of laying bricks. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ OE. brekil, brokel, bruchel, fr. AS. brecan, E. break. Cf. Brittle. ] Brittle; easily broken. [ Obs. or Prov. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

As stubborn steel excels the brickle glass. Turbervile. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Brittleness. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a brisk manner; nimbly. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A small brook. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) A plant (Veronica Beccabunga), with flowers, usually blue, in axillary racemes. The American species is Veronica Americana. [ Formerly written broklempe or broklympe. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A red pimple. [ R. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. bocle buckle, boss of a shield, OF. bocle, F. boucle, boss of a shield, ring, fr. L. buccula a little cheek or mouth, dim. of bucca cheek; this boss or knob resembling a cheek. ] 1. A device, usually of metal, consisting of a frame with one more movable tongues or catches, used for fastening things together, as parts of dress or harness, by means of a strap passing through the frame and pierced by the tongue. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A distortion bulge, bend, or kink, as in a saw blade or a plate of sheet metal. Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A curl of hair, esp. a kind of crisp curl formerly worn; also, the state of being curled. [ 1913 Webster ]

Earlocks in tight buckles on each side of a lantern face. W. Irving. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lets his wig lie in buckle for a whole half year. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A contorted expression, as of the face. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

'Gainst nature armed by gravity,
His features too in buckle see. Churchill. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Buckled p. pr. & vb. n. Buckling. ] [ OE. boclen, F. boucler. See Buckle, n. ] 1. To fasten or confine with a buckle or buckles; as, to buckle a harness. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To bend; to cause to kink, or to become distorted. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To prepare for action; to apply with vigor and earnestness; -- formerly, generally used reflexively, but by mid 20th century, usually used with down; -- as, the programmers buckled down and worked late hours to finish the project in time for the promised delivery date. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

Cartwright buckled himself to the employment. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To join in marriage. [ Scot. ] Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To bend permanently; to become distorted; to bow; to curl; to kink. [ 1913 Webster ]

Buckled with the heat of the fire like parchment. Pepys. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To bend out of a true vertical plane, as a wall. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To yield; to give way; to cease opposing. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The Dutch, as high as they seem, do begin to buckle. Pepys. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To enter upon some labor or contest; to join in close fight; to struggle; to contend. [ 1913 Webster ]

The bishop was as able and ready to buckle with the Lord Protector as he was with him. Latimer. [ 1913 Webster ]

In single combat thou shalt buckle with me. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

To buckle to, to bend to; to engage with zeal. [ 1913 Webster ]

To make our sturdy humor buckle thereto. Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

Before buckling to my winter's work. J. D. Forbes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. bocler, OF. bocler, F. bouclier, a shield with a boss, from OF. bocle, boucle, boss. See Buckle, n. ] 1. A kind of shield, of various shapes and sizes, worn on one of the arms (usually the left) for protecting the front of the body. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In the sword and buckler play of the Middle Ages in England, the buckler was a small shield, used, not to cover the body, but to stop or parry blows. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) (a) One of the large, bony, external plates found on many ganoid fishes. (b) The anterior segment of the shell of trilobites. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Naut.) A block of wood or plate of iron made to fit a hawse hole, or the circular opening in a half-port, to prevent water from entering when the vessel pitches. [ 1913 Webster ]

Blind buckler (Naut.), a solid buckler. --
Buckler mustard (Bot.), a genus of plants (Biscutella) with small bright yellow flowers. The seed vessel on bursting resembles two bucklers or shields. --
Buckler thorn, a plant with seed vessels shaped like a buckler. See Christ's thorn. --
Riding buckler (Naut.), a buckler with a hole for the passage of a cable. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To shield; to defend. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Can Oxford, that did ever fence the right,
Now buckler falsehood with a pedigree? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having a head like a buckler. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Wavy; curling, as hair. Latham. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) A stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Cackled p. pr. & vb. n. Cackling ] [ OE. cakelen; cf. LG. kakeln, D. kakelen, G. gackeln, gackern; all of imitative origin. Cf. Gagle, Cake to cackle. ] 1. To make a sharp, broken noise or cry, as a hen or goose does. [ 1913 Webster ]

When every goose is cackling. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To laugh with a broken noise, like the cackling of a hen or a goose; to giggle. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To talk in a silly manner; to prattle. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The sharp broken noise made by a goose or by a hen that has laid an egg. [ 1913 Webster ]

By her cackle saved the state. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Idle talk; silly prattle. [ 1913 Webster ]

There is a buzz and cackle all around regarding the sermon. Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A fowl that cackles. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who prattles, or tells tales; a tattler. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The broken noise of a goose or a hen. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Ciclatoun. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Gilded leather. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]