n. [ F. ambulance, hôpital ambulant, fr. L. ambulare to walk. See Amble. ] (Mil.) (a) A field hospital, so organized as to follow an army in its movements, and intended to succor the wounded as soon as possible. Often used adjectively; as, an ambulance wagon; ambulance stretcher; ambulance corps. (b) An ambulance wagon or cart for conveying the wounded from the field, or to a hospital. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 a genus of North American deciduous trees or shrubs.
Syn. -- genus Amelanchier. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. Capability of appeal. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. assemblance. ] 1. Resemblance; likeness; appearance. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Care I for the . . . stature, bulk, and big assemblance of a man? Give me the spirit. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An assembling; assemblage. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

To weete [ know ] the cause of their assemblance. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. avalanche, fr. avaler to descend, to let down, from aval down, downward; &unr_; (L. ad) + val, L. vallis, valley. See Valley. ] 1. A large mass or body of snow and ice sliding swiftly down a mountain side, or falling down a precipice. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A fall of earth, rocks, etc., similar to that of an avalanche of snow or ice. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A sudden, great, or irresistible descent or influx of anything. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. balaunce, F. balance, fr. L. bilanx, bilancis, having two scales; bis twice (akin to E. two) + lanx plate, scale. ] 1. An apparatus for weighing. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In its simplest form, a balance consists of a beam or lever supported exactly in the middle, having two scales or basins of equal weight suspended from its extremities. Another form is that of the Roman balance, our steelyard, consisting of a lever or beam, suspended near one of its extremities, on the longer arm of which a counterpoise slides. The name is also given to other forms of apparatus for weighing bodies, as to the combinations of levers making up platform scales; and even to devices for weighing by the elasticity of a spring. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Act of weighing mentally; comparison; estimate. [ 1913 Webster ]

A fair balance of the advantages on either side. Atterbury. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Equipoise between the weights in opposite scales. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The state of being in equipoise; equilibrium; even adjustment; steadiness. [ 1913 Webster ]

And hung a bottle on each side
To make his balance true. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

The order and balance of the country were destroyed. Buckle. [ 1913 Webster ]

English workmen completely lose their balance. J. S. Mill. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. An equality between the sums total of the two sides of an account; as, to bring one's accounts to a balance; -- also, the excess on either side; as, the balance of an account. “A balance at the banker's.” Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

I still think the balance of probabilities leans towards the account given in the text. J. Peile. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Horol.) A balance wheel, as of a watch, or clock. See Balance wheel (in the Vocabulary). [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Astron.) (a) The constellation Libra. (b) The seventh sign in the Zodiac, called Libra, which the sun enters at the equinox in September. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. A movement in dancing. See Balance, v. t., 8. [ 1913 Webster ]

Balance electrometer, a kind of balance, with a poised beam, which indicates, by weights suspended from one arm, the mutual attraction of oppositely electrified surfaces. Knight. --
Balance fish. (Zool.) See Hammerhead. --
Balance knife, a carving or table knife the handle of which overbalances the blade, and so keeps it from contact with the table. --
Balance of power (Politics), such an adjustment of power among sovereign states that no one state is in a position to interfere with the independence of the others; international equilibrium; also, the ability (of a state or a third party within a state) to control the relations between sovereign states or between dominant parties in a state. --
Balance sheet (Bookkeeping), a paper showing the balances of the open accounts of a business, the debit and credit balances footing up equally, if the system of accounts be complete and the balances correctly taken. --
Balance thermometer, a thermometer mounted as a balance so that the movement of the mercurial column changes the inclination of the tube. With the aid of electrical or mechanical devices adapted to it, it is used for the automatic regulation of the temperature of rooms warmed artificially, and as a fire alarm. --
Balance of torsion. See Torsion Balance. --
Balance of trade (Pol. Econ.), an equilibrium between the money values of the exports and imports of a country; or more commonly, the amount required on one side or the other to make such an equilibrium. --
Balance valve, a valve whose surfaces are so arranged that the fluid pressure tending to seat, and that tending to unseat, the valve, are nearly in equilibrium; esp., a puppet valve which is made to operate easily by the admission of steam to both sides. See Puppet valve. --
Hydrostatic balance. See under Hydrostatic. --
To lay in balance, to put up as a pledge or security. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. --
To strike a balance, to find out the difference between the debit and credit sides of an account. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Balanced p. pr. & vb. n. Balancing ] [ From Balance, n.: cf. F. balancer. ] 1. To bring to an equipoise, as the scales of a balance by adjusting the weights; to weigh in a balance. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To support on a narrow base, so as to keep from falling; as, to balance a plate on the end of a cane; to balance one's self on a tight rope. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To equal in number, weight, force, or proportion; to counterpoise, counterbalance, counteract, or neutralize. [ 1913 Webster ]

One expression . . . must check and balance another. Kent. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To compare in relative force, importance, value, etc.; to estimate. [ 1913 Webster ]

Balance the good and evil of things. L'Estrange. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To settle and adjust, as an account; to make two accounts equal by paying the difference between them. [ 1913 Webster ]

I am very well satisfied that it is not in my power to balance accounts with my Maker. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To make the sums of the debits and credits of an account equal; -- said of an item; as, this payment, or credit, balances the account. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. To arrange accounts in such a way that the sum total of the debits is equal to the sum total of the credits; as, to balance a set of books. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. (Dancing) To move toward, and then back from, reciprocally; as, to balance partners. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. (Naut.) To contract, as a sail, into a narrower compass; as, to balance the boom mainsail. [ 1913 Webster ]

Balanced valve. See Balance valve, under Balance, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To poise; weigh; adjust; counteract; neutralize; equalize. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To have equal weight on each side; to be in equipoise; as, the scales balance. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To fluctuate between motives which appear of equal force; to waver; to hesitate. [ 1913 Webster ]

He would not balance or err in the determination of his choice. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Dancing) To move toward a person or couple, and then back. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Such as can be balanced. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. being in a state of proper balance or equilibrium; -- opposite of unbalanced. the carefully balanced seesaw a properly balanced symphony orchestra a balanced assessment of intellectual and cultural history a balanced blend of whiskeys the educated man shows a balanced development of all his powers [ Narrower terms: counterbalanced, counter-balanced, counterpoised; well-balanced; poised ] [ Related terms: stable --- (maintaining equilibrium) ] [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The act or result of balancing or adjusting; equipoise; even adjustment of forces. [ R. ] Darwin. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who balances, or uses a balance. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) In Diptera, the rudimentary posterior wing. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Naut.) The last reef in a fore-and-aft sail, taken to steady the ship. [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Horology) (a) A wheel which regulates the beats or pulses of a watch or chronometer, answering to the pendulum of a clock; -- often called simply a balance. (b) A ratchet-shaped scape wheel, which in some watches is acted upon by the axis of the balance wheel proper (in those watches called a balance). [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Mach.) A wheel which imparts regularity to the movements of any engine or machine; a fly wheel. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F., white. ] 1. A white cosmetic. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

2. A white sauce of fat, broth, and vegetables, used esp. for braised meat. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ F., fr. blanc white. ] A kind of linen cloth made in Normandy, the thread of which is partly blanched before it is woven. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Blanched p. pr. & vb. n. Blanching. ] [ OE. blanchen, blaunchen, F. blanchir, fr. blanc white. See Blank, a. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To take the color out of, and make white; to bleach; as, to blanch linen; age has blanched his hair. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Gardening) To bleach by excluding the light, as the stalks or leaves of plants, by earthing them up or tying them together. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Confectionery & Cookery) (a) To make white by removing the skin of, as by scalding; as, to blanch almonds. (b) To whiten, as the surface of meat, by plunging into boiling water and afterwards into cold, so as to harden the surface and retain the juices. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To give a white luster to (silver, before stamping, in the process of coining.). [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To cover (sheet iron) with a coating of tin. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Fig.: To whiten; to give a favorable appearance to; to whitewash; to palliate. [ 1913 Webster ]

Blanch over the blackest and most absurd things. Tillotson. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To Blanch, Whiten. To whiten is the generic term, denoting, to render white; as, to whiten the walls of a room. Usually (though not of necessity) this is supposed to be done by placing some white coloring matter in or upon the surface of the object in question. To blanch is to whiten by the removal of coloring matter; as, to blanch linen. So the cheek is blanched by fear, i. e., by the withdrawal of the blood, which leaves it white. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To grow or become white; as, his cheek blanched with fear; the rose blanches in the sun. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ Bones ] blanching on the grass. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ See Blench. ] 1. To avoid, as from fear; to evade; to leave unnoticed. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Ifs and ands to qualify the words of treason, whereby every man might express his malice and blanch his danger. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

I suppose you will not blanch Paris in your way. Reliq. Wot. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To cause to turn aside or back; as, to blanch a deer. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To use evasion. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Books will speak plain, when counselors blanch. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Mining) Ore, not in masses, but mixed with other minerals. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ After Thomas Blanchard, American inventor. ] (Mach.) A kind of wood-turning lathe for making noncircular and irregular forms, as felloes, gun stocks, lasts, spokes, etc., after a given pattern. The pattern and work rotate on parallel spindles in the same direction with the same speed, and the work is shaped by a rapidly rotating cutter whose position is varied by the pattern acting as a cam upon a follower wheel traversing slowly along the pattern. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. One who, or that which, blanches or whitens; esp., one who anneals and cleanses money; also, a chemical preparation for this purpose. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who, or that which, frightens away or turns aside. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

And Gynecia, a blancher, which kept the dearest deer from her. Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

And so even now hath he divers blanchers belonging to the market, to let and stop the light of the gospel. Latimer. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Scots Law) A mode of tenure by the payment of a small duty in white rent (silver) or otherwise. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ 1st blanch + -meter. ] An instrument for measuring the bleaching power of chloride of lime and potash; a chlorometer. Ure. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. blancmanger, lit. white food; blanc white + manger to eat. ] (Cookery) A preparation for desserts, etc., made from isinglass, sea moss, cornstarch, or other gelatinous or starchy substance, with milk, usually sweetened and flavored, and shaped in a mold. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. See Blancmange. ] A sort of fricassee with white sauce, variously made of capon, fish, etc. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Brilliancy. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Brilliant. ] The quality of being brilliant; splendor; glitter; great brightness, whether in a literal or figurative sense. [ 1913 Webster ]

With many readers brilliancy of style passes for affluence of thought. Longfellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ [ F., fr. OF. carte paper + -blanc, blanche, white. See 1st Card. ] A blank paper, with a person's signature, etc., at the bottom, given to another person, with permission to superscribe what conditions he pleases. Hence: Unconditional terms; unlimited authority. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. clancularius , from clanculum secretly, adv. dim. of clam secretly. ] Conducted with secrecy; clandestine; concealed. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Not close and clancular, but frank and open. Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. privately; secretly. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Contemplation. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Counterbalanced p. pr. & vb. n. Counterbalancing. ] To oppose with an equal weight or power; to counteract the power or effect of; to countervail; to equiponderate; to balance. [ 1913 Webster ]

The remaining air was not able to counterbalance the mercurial cylinder. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

The study of mind is necessary to counterbalance and correct the influence of the study of nature. Sir W. Hamilton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A weight, power, or agency, acting against or balancing another; as: (a) A mass of metal in one side of a driving wheel or fly wheel, to balance the weight of a crank pin, etc., on the opposite side of the wheel. (b) A counterpoise to balance the weight of anything, as of a drawbridge or a scale beam. [ 1913 Webster ]

Money is the counterbalance to all other things purchasable by it. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. brought into equipoise by means of a weight or force that offsets another.
Syn. -- counterpoised. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ F. défaillance. ] Failure; miscarriage. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Possibility of defailance in degree or continuance. Comber. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A light lance; a short spear; a half pike; also, a demilancer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A soldier of light cavalry of the 16th century, who carried a demilance. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. dissemblance. See Dissemble. ] Want of resemblance; dissimilitude. [ R. ] Osborne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Dissemble + -ance. ] The act or art of dissembling; dissimulation. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Elanced p. pr. & vb. n. Elancing ] [ F. élancer, OF. eslancier; pref. es- (L. ex) + F. lancer to dart, throw, fr. lance. ] To throw as a lance; to hurl; to dart. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

While thy unerring hand elanced . . . a dart. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Bot.) Having a form intermediate between elliptic and lanceolate. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Pref. em- + 1st blanch. ] To whiten. See Blanch. [ Obs. ] Heylin. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Parley; imparlance. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Mutual talk or conversation; conference. [ Obs. ] Sir J. Hayward. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Equi- + balance. ] Equal weight; equiponderance. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Equibalanced p. pr. & vb. n. Equibalancing ] To make of equal weight; to balance equally; to counterbalance; to equiponderate. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A glance of eye. [ 1913 Webster ]