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power.

BALANCE

When a few of the leading powers
of a number of separate and sovereign states
counterpoise each other the balance of power
is maintained, and the safety of the smaller
states secured.
this has been effected in Europe has been
The leading rule by which
to oppose every new arrangement which
threatens either materially to augment the
strength of one of the greater powers or to
diminish that of another.-Balance of trade,
a phrase used to denote the relation in respect
of amount or value which subsists between
the exportation of domestic productions
from a country and the importation of
foreign; or the difference between the
amount or value of the commodities ex-
ported and imported. Hence the expression,
formerly much more common than now,
The balance of trade is against or in favour
of a country. Formerly this subject was not
well understood, but properly speaking,
there cannot be any such thing as a balance
of trade for or against a country.
Balance (bal'ans), v.t. pret. & pp. balanced;
ppr. balancing. 1. To bring to an equipoise;
as, to balance the weights in the scales of a
balance. Hence-2. To compare by estimat-
ing the relative force, importance, or value
of different things; to estimate; to weigh.
Balance the good and the evil of things.'
Sir R. L'Estrange.-3. To equal in weight,
force, number, &c.; to serve as a counter-
poise to; to be equal to; to counteract; as,
one species of attraction balances another.
One expression in the letter must check and balance
another.
Kent.

4. To settle by paying what remains due on
an account; to equalize or adjust.

Though I am very well satisfied that it is not in my
power to balance accounts with my Maker, I am
resolved, however, to turn all my endeavours that
way.
Addison.

5. To examine or compare by summations, &c., so as to show how assets and liabilities or debits and credits stand; as, let us balance our accounts; we balance our books at the end of each year.-6. Naut. to contract, as a sail, by rolling up a small part of it at one corner.-7. In engin. to adjust, as a line of road, railway, or other work, so that the earth or other material removed from the eminences shall fill up the hollows.-8. In gymnastics, to keep in equilibrium on a very narrow basis or small point, as on a tightrope or the top of a pole; to poise, as an object with a narrow base, so skilfully that it does not fall; as, to balance a pole upon one's chin.-9. To obtain in equal measure. Like souls that balance joy and pain, With tears and smiles from heaven again The maiden Spring upon the plain Came in a sun-lit fall of rain.

Balance (bal'ans), v. i.

Tennyson.

weight on each side; to be in equipoise; 1. To have an equal as, the weights balance exactly.-2. Fig. to hesitate; to fluctuate between motives which appear of equal force, as a balance when poised by equal weights. [Rare.]

He would not balance nor err in the determination of his choice. Locke.

3. In dancing, to move the body forwards and backwards alternately by an alternate movement of the feet.-4. To be employed in finding the balance or balances on an account or accounts.

Oh! who would cast and balance at a desk,
Perched like a crow upon a three-legg'd stool,
Till all his Juice is dried?
Tennyson.

In com.

Balance-book (bal'ans-buk), n.
a book in which the adjusted debtor-and-
creditor accounts have been posted from
the ledger.

Balance-crane (bal'ans-krän), n. having two arms, one of which is proA crane vided with arrangements for counterpoising wholly or in part the weight to be raised by the other. Balance-electrometer E. H. Knight. trom"et-ér), n. An instrument constructed (bal'ans-e-lekon the principle of the common balance and weights to estimate the mutual attraction of oppositely electrified surfaces. A glass pillar is fixed in a stand A, to which the beam of a delicate balance B'B is suspended at the point D. A scale-pand is suspended from one arm, and just rests upon the support E, likewise insulated and fixed upon the stand A. From the other arm is suspended a light gilt cone a, the base of which is opposed to the base of another inverted cone b, which may be fixed at any distance from it by sliding upon the insulated pillar d'. The metallic me, met, her;

Fate, fär, fat, fall;

E

B

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balance may be connected with the interior of a Leyden-jar or battery, and the cone b with the exterior, and the attractive power of any charge at any variable distance between the cones may be estimated by weights placed in the scale-pan. Balance-fish (bal'ans-fish), n. A species of shark, same as Hammer-fish (which see). Balance-knife (bal'ans-nif), n. A kind of table-knife, which, when laid on the table, rests wholly on the handle without the blade touching the cloth. This is effected by making the weight of the handle counterbalBalancement (bal'ans-ment), n. The act of ance that of the blade. Balance-plough (bal'ans-plou), n. balancing, or state of being balanced. DarPLOUGH.

A

Balance-electrometer.

win.

See

Balancer (bal'ans-èr), n.
which balances; specifically, an organ of an
One who or that
insect useful in balancing the body.
balancers are two very fine movable threads,
The
terminated by a kind of oval button placed
under the origin of the wings.
Balance-reef (bal'ans-ref), n. Naut. a reef
band that crosses a sail diagonally, used to
contract it in a storm. A balance-reef is

generally placed in all gaff-sails, the band
running from the throat to the clew, and
Balance-sheet (bal'ans-shet), n.
either the upper or the lower half of the
sail may be reefed.
statement, or account showing the balances
A sheet,
of a number of accounts; a statement of the
assets and liabilities of a trading concern,
the balance of each open account in the
ledger being placed under one or other of
those heads.

Balance-thermometer(bal'ans-thér-mom'-
et-ér), n. An invention by which mercury
inclosed in a balanced tube is caused to
make one or other of the ends preponderate,
in order to open or close a window or dam-
per, or to touch an alarm.
Balance-valve (bal'ans-valv), n. A valve

in which steam is admitted to both sides so
as to render it more readily operated, by
Balance-wheel (bal'ans-whel), n.
relieving its pressure on the seat. E. H.
Knight.
part of a watch or chronometer which by
the regularity of its motion determines the
beat or strike.

That

These are in themselves very objectionable; the
true regulators, the proper balance-wheels, are those
which have been described.
Brougham.
A wide

Balandrana (bal-an-dra'na), n.
cloak or man-
tle, used as an
additional gar-
ment by travel-
lers and others
in the twelfth
and thirteenth
centuries. Call-
ed also Super-
Balanidæ, Bal-
totus.
anoidea (bal-
an'i-dē, bal-a-
noi-de'a), n. pl.
[Gr. balanos, an
acorn,and eidos,
likeness.] A fa-
mily of cirri-
peds, of which
the genus Bal-
anus is the type.
The animals of
this family are
frequently call-
ed acorn-shells.
See BALANUS.
Balaninus (bal-
a-ni'nus), n. A
genus of the or-
der Coleoptera

Balandrana, from MS. in the
British Museum.

and family Curculionidae (which see). One species is called the nut-weevil.

pine, pin;

note, not, move; tube, tub, bull;

BALCONY

Balanites (bal-a-ni'tēz), n. 1. A small genus of plants, nat. order Simarubeæ, containing two species, which are small spiny trees, found in desert places in Asia and Africa. The oval fruits are purgative; they contain a very hard nut, used in India for fireworks. 2. Another name for Balanus, a genus of cirripeds.

Balanitis (bal-a-ni'tis), n. [Gr. balanos, an acorn, and term. itis, signifying inflammation.] A kind of gonorrhea. Balanophoraceae (bal-a-nof'or-ā"sē-ē), n. pl. (Gr. balanos, an acorn, and phero, to bear, from the compact terminal heads or cones of the flowers.] A curious order of parasitic, leafless, flowering plants, which, from their simple structure, were thought to be allied to the Fungi. There are about thirty known species grouped into ten genera. They are generally of a bright yellow or red colour. Their small flowers, in most cases unisexual, are aggregated into dense masses. The fruit is one-celled, with a single seed. the best-known species is the Cynomorium One of coccineum, or Fungus melitensis of druggists, which at one time enjoyed a great reputation as a styptic.

Baianus (bal'a-nus), n. [Gr. balanos, a gland or acorn.] A genus of sessile cirripeds,

Group of Balanus tintinnabulum.

[merged small][graphic][merged small][merged small]

ans, and on the shells of conchifers and other molluscs. They members of the genus Lepas (Barnacles) in differ from the having a symmetrical shell and in being destitute of a flexible stalk. They pass through a larval stage of existence, at which period they are not fixed, but move about by means of swimming feet, and possess large stalked eyes, both feet and eyes disappearing when they attach themselves to their final place Balas, Balass (bal'as, bal-as'), n. [Fr. balais, of repose. Often called Acorn-shells. It. balascio, Sp. balax, from Ar. balakhsh, a kind of ruby named from Badakhshan, a country of Central Asia (called Balasian by Marco Polo).] A variety of spinel ruby, of a pale rose-red colour, sometimes inclining to orange. Its crystals are usually octahedrons, composed of two four-sided pyraBalase. To ballast. mids, applied base to base. See SPINEL.

Balastre (ba-las'tér), n. The finest variety of gold cloth. It is manufactured at Vienna. Balaustine (ba-las'tin), n. [Gr. balaustion, a wild-pomegranate flower.] Pertaining to the wild-pomegranate tree. - Balaustine flowers, the dried flowers of the pomegranate, used in medicine as astringents. Balaustion (ba-las'ti-on), n. TINE.] A genus of plants, nat. order Myr[See BALAUStaceæ, containing one known species, B. pulcherrimum, a shrub inhabiting south-western Australia, and said to be one of the most beautiful of plants, with numerous flowers resembling in shape and colour those of the dwarf pomegranate. Balay (ba-la), n. Balas (which see). [The word is written in this way to represent the pronunciation of the French form, balais.]

Balbutiatet (bal-bu'shi-at), v. i. [L. balbutio, from balbus, stammering.] To stammer in speaking.

Balbuties (bal-bū'ti-ēz), n.

[Mod. L., from

L. balbus, stammering.] Stammering. Also, a vicious and incomplete pronunciation, in which almost all the consonants are replaced by b and l. Dunglison. Balcon, Balconet (bal'kon, bal-kō'na), n. A balcony or gallery. Pepys. Balconet (bal'ko-net), n. A low ornamental railing to a door or window, projecting but slightly beyond the threshold or sill. Balconied (bal'ko-nid), a. Having balconies. The house was double-balconied. Roger North. Balcony (bal'ko-ni), n. balco, a scaffold, O.H.G. balcho, G. balken, [It. balcone, from E. balk, a beam.] 1. A stage or platform

BALD

projecting from the front of a building, supported by columns, pillars, or consoles, and encompassed with a balustrade, railing,

Balcony.

or parapet. Balconies are common before windows.-2. The projecting gallery in the interior of a building, as of a theatre.3. The stern gallery in a large ship. Bald (bald), a. [O.E. balled, ballid-a word of very doubtful etymology. The old English forms have given rise to the supposition that the word is a participle or adjective from ball, rounded and smooth like a ball; more probably it is from the Celtic root seen in Armor. bal, a white mark on an animal's face; ball, a name often given, in England to a horse that is bald-faced; Sc. beld or belled, from bel or bell, a spot on a horse's face; Ir. and Gael. bal, a spot.] 1. Destitute of hair, especially on the top and back of the head.

Cæsar,... because his head was bald, covered that defect with laurels. Addison.

2. Destitute of the natural or usual covering of the head or top; as, a bald oak; a bald mountain. Thy bald, awful head, O sovran Blanc!' Coleridge.

No question asked him by any of the senators, but they stand bald before him. Shak.

3. Destitute of beard or awn; as, bald wheat. 4. Destitute of appropriate ornament; unadorned; inelegant.

(Milton) could stoop to a plain style, sometimes even to a bald style.

Macaulay.

5. Destitute of dignity or value; mean; base; pitiful.

What should the people do with these bald tribunes?

Shak.

6. Having white on the face; as, the bald coot; bald-faced (which see).

Same as Balda

Bald (bald). [A. Sax. bald, bold.] A common prefix and suffix to many proper names; as, Baldwin, bold in battle; Ethelbald, bold noble, or nobly bold. Baldachin (bal'da-kin), n. chino. Baldachino, Baldaquin (bal-da-ke'nō, bal'da-kin), n. [It. baldacchino, Sp. baldaquino, a rich silk cloth or canopy carried over

Baldachino, Church of S. Ambrose, Milan.

the host, from Baldacco, the Italian form of Bagdad, where the cloth was manufactured.] A canopy or covering of various kinds, as (a) a canopy borne over the host or sacramental elements. (b) A covering of silk or stuff supported on four poles and upheld over the pope on ceremonial occasions. (c) A

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covering on four columns of marble or stone,
or a canopy hanging from the roof over the
high altar in some churches. (d) A canopy
over a bed to which curtains are attached.
(e) A canopy or covering above the seats of
kings,imperial personages, bishops and other
ecclesiastical dignitaries. The grand velvet
baldaquino prepared to receive popes and
emperors.' Thackeray.

The bed is like the baldaquin of St. Peter's.
Thackeray.

Sometimes spelled Baldequin, Baudekin. Bald-buzzard (bald'buz-zard), n. A name sometimes given in America to the osprey or fish-hawk (Pandion Haliaetus). See OsSame as Bald

PREY.

Bald-eagle (bald'ē-gl), n.

erne.

Baldequin (bal'de-kin), n. chino.

Same as Balda

Balder (bal'der), n. [Icel. Baldr= A. Sax. baldor, a prince or hero.] In Scand. myth. the son of Odin, the young and beautiful god of eloquence and just decision. Written also Baldur.

Balderdash (bal'der-dash), n. [Probably from Dan. balder, noise, clatter, and dash, Dan. dask, a slap, a dash; comp. however, W. baldordus, prattling, from baldordd, prattle.] 1. Senseless prate; a jargon of words; ribaldry; noisy nonsense.

I heard him charge this publication with ribaldry, scurrility, billingsgate, and balderdash, Horne Tooke.

2. A worthless mixture of frothy liquors. To drink such balderdash or bonny-clabber.' B. Jonson.

Balderdasht (bal'dér-dash), v.t. To mix or adulterate liquors.

The wine-merchants of Nice brew and balderdash and even mix it with pigeon's dung and quicklime. Smollett.

Having a white said of animals;

Bald-erne (bald'érn), n. The white-headed erne or sea-eagle of America (Haliaëtus leucocephalus), a species of aquatic eagle that feeds not only on fish but on lambs, pigs, geese, and various sea-fowl. This is the eagle which is emblazoned as the national emblem on the standard of the United States. Bald-faced (bald'fast), a. face or white on the face: as, a bald-faced stag. Bald-head (bald'hed), n. 1. A head destitute of hair.-2. A man bald on the head. 2 Ki. ii. 23. Baldly (bald'li), adv. Nakedly; meanly; inelegantly: openly. Bald-money, Bawd-money (bald'mun-i, bad'mun-i), n. [A corruption of L. valde bona, very good.] A name for the mew, or Meum athamanticum, a British umbelliferous plant. Called also Spignel. Baldness (bald'nes), n. The state or quality of being bald: (a) want of hair or natural covering on the head or top; loss of hair. (b) Deficiency of appropriate ornament, as in writing; meanness or inelegance; want of ornament; as, baldness of style. Baldness of allusion and barbarity of versification.' T. Warton. Baldpate (bald'pat), n. 1. A pate or head without hair.-2. A person with a bald head. Come hither, goodman baldpate.' Shak. Baldpate, Baldpated (bald'pat, bald'pated), a. Destitute of hair; shorn of hair. You bald-pated, lying rascal.' Shak. Bald-pike (bald'pik), n. A ganoid fish belonging to the family Amiidæ.

Baldrick, Baldric (bald'rik), n. [O. E. baud-
ric, baldric, &c., O. Fr. baudric, from O. and
M.H.G. balderich, O.H.G. balz, a belt, from
L. balteus, a belt. See BELT.] A belt or
ornament resembling a belt; specifically-
(a) A belt worn round the waist, as the Ro-
man cingulum or military belt. [Rare.]
A palmer's amice wrapt him round,
With a wrought Spanish baldrick bound.
Sir W. Scott.
(b) The jewelled ornament worn round the
neck by both ladies and gentlemen in the
sixteenth century. Dr. Morris. (c) A broad
belt, worn pendent from the right or left
shoulder, diagonally across the body, to the
waist or below it, either simply as an orna-
ment or to suspend a sword, dagger, or horn.
Some were magnificently decorated and
garnished with bells, precious stones, &c.
The baldrick was worn in feudal times,
partly as a military and partly as a heraldic
symbol, and its style served to indicate the
rank of the wearer.

Athwart his breast a baldrick brave he bare
That shined like twinkling stars with stones most
precious rare.
Spenser.

BALISTES

After

And from his blazoned baldric slung A mighty silver bugle hung. Tennyson. Baldrick-wise (bald'rik-wiz), adv. the manner of a baldrick; over one shoulder and hanging down to the waist. Baldur (bal'der), n. Same as Balder. Bale (bal), n. [0. Fr. bale, Fr. balle, Pr. and Sp. bala, It. balla, the same word as ball (which see), meaning originally a round package.] 1. A bundle or package of goods in a cloth cover, and corded for carriage or transportation.-2. † A pair of dice.

It is a false die of the same bale, but not the same cut. Sir T. Overbury. Bale (bal), v. t. pret. & pp. baled; ppr. baling. To make up into a bale or bundle. "These goods are baled up.' Goldsmith. Bale (bal), v. t. pret. & pp. baled; ppr. baling. To free from water by laving; to bail (which see).

Bale (bal), n. [A. Sax. beal, bealo, balew, O.Sax. balu, Icel. bol, calamity, sorrow.] Misery; calamity; that which causes ruin, Bale (bal), n. destruction, or sorrow. Brought hither from their homes to work our bale.' Southey. [See BALE-FIRE.] A beaconfaggot; a bale-fire or beacon-fire. On Penchryst glows a bale of fire, And three are kindling on Priesthaughswire. Sir W. Scott. Balearian (bal-e-a'ri-an), a. Same as Bale

[graphic]
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Bales, tn. A variety of ruby; balas (which see). Chaucer.

Baliki (ba-le'ké), n. In Russia, the name for the back pieces of the sturgeon, which are salted and smoked in that country for home use and exportation.

Baling-paper (bål'ing-på-pèr), n. An American name for stout paper for wrapping or packing parcels.

Baling-press (bål'ing-pres), n. A powerpress employed for compressing soft goods, as cotton, woollen, &c., into bales for transportation.

Balisaur (bal'i-sä-ör), n. [Hind. baloo-soor, sand-hog.] The Mydaus or Arctonyx collaris, an omnivorous quadruped of the family Mustelina, remarkably resembling the English badger, of a yellowish-white colour, with two black bands on each side of the head. Its claws are curved, powerful, and adapted for digging, and it is of such fierceness as to drive off a wolf-dog. It is found only in the hill country of Hindustan. Balister (bal'is-tér), n. [L.L. balistarius arcus, a crossbow, from L. balista, ballista (which see). See also ARBALIST.] A crossbow.

Balistes (ba-lis'tēz), n. [From ballista, the military engine, for same reason as they are called trigger-fish.] An extensive genus of plectognathous fishes, family Balistidæ, particularly distinguished by the vertical compression of the body, and by having eight teeth arranged in a single row in each jaw. They are known as trigger-fish, because the large and sharp first ray of the dorsal fin cannot be pressed down until the second ray is depressed, when the first shuts

[graphic]

BALISTIDE

down like the hammer of a gun on the trigger being pulled.

Balistida (ba-lis'ti-de), n. pl. [Balistes (which see), and Gr. eidos, resemblance.] The file-fishes, a family of brilliantly coloured tropical fishes, of the order Plectognathi, characterized by a conical compressed body, jaws armed with one or two rows of distinct teeth, the upper jaw being immovably united with the skull, and by the skin being covered with scaly plates surmounted by spines and tubercles. They feed on molluscs and polyps, especially upon the young of the madrepores, and frequent coral-reefs, the asperities of which their armed skin enables them to resist. The Monacanthus (Aleuteres) Monoceros, or unicorn file-fish, can distend its abdomen at pleasure. It grows to the length of more than 2 feet. One species, Balistes capriscus, is found in the Mediterranean. Their flesh is unwholesome or poisonous.

Balistraria (bal-is-tra'ri-a), n. [L., from balista, a cross-bow.] In old fort. (a) a cruciform aperture in the walls of a fortress, through which crossbowmen discharged their arrows. (b) The room wherein the balisters or cross-bows were deposited. (c) A turret in which an archer was stationed projecting from the parapet or from the face of the building. These turrets are common in the border counties of England and Scotland, and are commonly called barti

zans.

Balize (ba-lez), n. [Fr. balise, Sp. valiza, a beacon; L. palus, a stake.] A sea-mark; a pole raised on a bank.

Balk (bak), n. [A. Sax. balca, a balk or ridge between furrows, a beam, a roof, a covering; Sc. bauk, a ridge left in ploughing, or serving as a boundary, a beam in a roof; Icel. balkr, a balk, a partition; bjálki, Sw. Dan. bjelke, G. balken, a beam. From the senses of a dividing ridge or a beam there is no very violent transition to that of a check or frustration.] 1. A ridge of land left unploughed in the body of a field, or between fields; an uncultivated strip of land serving as a boundary, often between pieces of ground held by different tenants. [Common in provincial English and Scotch.]

Dikeres and delveres digged up the balkes.
Piers Plowman.

2. Anything left untouched, like a ridge in ploughing. [Rare.]

The mad steele about doth fiercely fly,
Not sparing wight, ne leaving any balke.

Spenser.

3. A beam or piece of timber of considerable length and thickness; specifically, (a) a crossbeam in the roof of a house which unites and supports the rafters; a tie-beam. 'Tubbes

hanging in the balkes.' Chaucer. [Provincial English and Scotch.] (b) Milit. one of the beams connecting the successive supports of a trestle-bridge or bateau-bridge. (c) In carp. a squared timber long or short; a large timber in a frame, floor, or the like; a square log.-4. A frustration; a check; a disappointment. 'A balk to the confidence

of the bold undertaker.' South. [Written also Baulk.] Balk (bak), v.t. (See above] 1. To leave untouched in ploughing. Gower. Hence2. To leave untouched generally; to omit; to pass over; to neglect; to shun.

Nor doth he any creature balk,
But lays on all he meets.

Drayton.

Sick he is,... and balks his meat. Bp. Hall. By reason of the contagion in London, we balked the inns. Evelyn.

3. To disappoint; to frustrate. Charles was not to be balked in his generous pur. pose. Prescott.

4. To heap up so as to form a balk or ridge. [Rare.]

Ten thousand bold Scots, three and twenty knights, Balk'd in their own blood, did Sir Walter see On Holmedon's plains. Shak. [Some editors read bak'd in this passage.] Balk (bak), v.i. 1. To turn aside or stop in one's course; as, the horse balked; he balked in his speech. Spenser. [Obsolete in this country, but still used in America.] 2. ↑ To deal at cross purposes; to talk beside one's meaning.

Her list in stryfful terms with him to balk. Spenser. Balker (baker), n. One who balks. Balker (bak ér), n. A fisherman's name for one who stands on rocks and eminences to espy the shoals of herring, and to give notice to the men in boats which way they pass

Balkingly (hak'ing-li), adv. In a manner to balk or frustrate. Clarke.

208

Balkisht (bąk'ish), a. Furrowy ridged; uneven. That craggy and balkish way.' Holinshed.

Balky (bak'i), a. Apt to turn aside or to stop abruptly; as, a balky horse. [American.] Ball (bal), n. [From Fr. balle, which is from O.H.G. balla, palla, G. ball, Icel. böllr, ball; hence also It. balla, Sp. bala, a ball. Bale, a package, is another form, and balloon, ballot are derivatives.] 1. A round body; a spherical substance, whether natural or artificial; or, a body nearly round; as, a ball for play; a ball of thread; a ball of snow. -2. Any part of a thing, especially of the human body, that is rounded or protuberant, as the ball of the eye; the ball of the thumb; the ball of a dumb-bell; the ball of a pendulum, that is, the weight at the bottom.-3. The globe or earth, from its figure. [Now rare.] Julius and Anthony, those lords of all, Low at her feet present the conquered ball.

Granville.

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A globe representing the earth is a common symbol of sovereignty; hence Bacon has the phrase to hold the ball of a kingdom in the sense of to bear sovereignty over it.-4. A game played with a ball.-5. In farriery, a form of medicine, corresponding to the term bolus in pharmacy. It is generally in the form of a cylinder 2 or 3 inches in length.6. In metal. a loop (which see).7. Milit the projectile of a firearm; a bullet; such projectiles having formerly been always spherical. In this sense the word is also used collectively; as, to supply a regiment with powder and ball.-8. In printing, a cushion consisting of hair or wool, covered with leather or skin, and fastened to a stock, called a ball-stock, formerly used to put ink on the types in the forms.-9. In pyrotechnics, a composition of combustible ingredients, which serve to burn, smoke, or give light.-Ball-and-socket, an instrument made of brass, with a universal screw, to move horizontally, obliquely, or vertically, used in managing surveying and astronomical instruments.-Ball-and-socket joint, a joint formed by a ball or rounded end of anything playing within a socket, so as to admit of motion in all directions. This kind of joint is much employed for gasaliers, and is exemplified in the hip-joint of man. Ball (bal), n. [Armor. bal, a white mark on an animal's face. See BALD.] A common name for a cart-horse in England. Ball (bal), n. [Corn. bal, Ir. boll, a hole, a mine.] A tin mine.

Ball (bal), n. [Fr. bal, It. ballo, Sp. bayle, a dance; It. and L. L. ballare, to dance, to shake, from Gr. ballizó, to dance. Ballad, ballet are from this stem.] A social assembly of persons of both sexes for the purpose of dancing, either at the invitation and expense of an individual, or at the cost of those attending it, in which case the ball is said to be public.

Ball (bal), v. t. To make into a ball; specifically, (a) in the manufacture of cotton, to wind into balls. (b) In metal. to heat in a furnace so as to form balls for rolling. Balling machine, a machine for balling cotton thread.-Balling furnace, a furnace for balling piles or faggots of iron. - Balling tool, a tool for this purpose.

Ball (bal), v.i. To form or gather into a ball, as snow on horses' hoofs, or mud on the feet. We can say either that a horse balls, or that the snow balls.-Balling iron, in farriery, a hook for clearing horses' feet from balls of snow, &c. Ballad (ballad), n. [Fr. ballade, a ballad, Pr. ballada, from L. L. (and It.) ballare, to dance. See BALL, a dance, also BALLAT, BALLET 1. A short narrative poem, especially such as is adapted for singing; a poem partaking of the nature both of the epic and the lyric. As applied to the minstrelsy of the borders of England and Scotland, of Scandinavia and Spain, a sort of minor epic reciting in verse, more or less rude, the exploits of warriors, the adventures of lovers, and the mysteries of fairyland, designed to be rehearsed in musical recitative accompanied by the harp. Roundel, balades, and virelay. Gower.

A ballad, properly speaking, is a simple narrative of one or more events... set to a tune sufficiently rhythmical to act as one of the original purposes of a ballad, namely, a dance tune. The old ballad tunes still existing are nearly all of this character. Stainer & Barrett.

The Scottish ballads are in general superior to the English, and it is highly probable that they derive

BALLAST

many of their literary as well as their dialectic peculiarities from the songs of the Scandinavian bards, whose popular ballads are generally of a higher rank than those of the English or of any other of the Northern nations. The Scottish resemble the Scandinavian ballads both in form and in diction, and some Northern words and forms occur in them, of which it would not be easy to produce examples in other branches of literature. G. P. Marsh.

2. In music, a short air, repeated to two or more stanzas, simple in construction, and having an accompaniment of a strictly subordinate character.

Ballad† (bal'lad), v.i. To make or sing bal

lads.

These envious libellers ballad against them. Donne. Ballad (ballad), v.t. To celebrate in a ballad. Rhymers ballad us out o' tune.' Shak.

Ballader, Balladist (ballad-ér, bal'lad-ist), N. A writer or singer of ballads. Balladize (ballad-iz), v.t. To convert into the form of a ballad; as, to balladize a story. [Rare.]

Ballad-maker (bal'lad-māk-ér), n. A writer of ballads. Shak.

Ballad-monger (bal'lad-mung-ger), n. Α dealer in ballads; an inferior poet; a poetaster.

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Ballahou (bal'a-hö), n. A fast-sailing twomasted vessel, rigged with high fore-andaft sails, much used in the West Indies. The foremast rakes forward, the mainmast aft.

Ballam (bal'lam), n. A canoe hollowed out of timber, in which Ceylonese pearl-fishers wash out the pearls from the oysters. Ballant (bal'lant), n. A ballad. [Scotch.]

They're dying to rhyme ower prayers, and ballants, and charms. Sir W. Scott.

Ballan-wrasse (bal'lan-ras), n. [Lit. spottedwrasse; Ir. bal, ball, a spot, Gael. ballach, spotted.] An acanthopterygian fish, Labrus bergylta or maculatus, family Labridae, taken all along the British coasts. Its flesh is not much esteemed. The young are known as

the streaked wrasse. Ballarag (bal'la-rag), v.t. [A form of bullyrag (which see).] To bully; to threaten. [Vulgar.]

You vainly thought to ballarag us. T. Warton.

Ballas, t Ballace + (bal'las), v. t. To ballast. Webster. See BALLAST, pp. Ballast (bal last), n. [D. ballast, Dan. ballast, baglast, ballast; lit. a back loadbag, back, after, and last, load, cargo-either as a load in the after part of the ship, where ballast was stowed, or as a back or return load after a cargo had been carried away and discharged. Or, according to another etymology proposed, bal E. bale, and ballast is therefore literally a load useless or of no value (in itself).] 1. Heavy matter, as stone, sand, or iron, laid on the bottom of a ship or other vessel, to sink it in the water to such a depth as to enable it to carry sufficient sail without oversetting. A ship is said to be in ballast when she sails without a cargo, having on board, besides ballast, only the stores and other articles requisite for the use of the vessel and of the passengers on board.-2. The sand placed in bags in the car of a balloon to steady it, and to enable the aeronaut to lighten the balloon by throwing part of it out.-3. The material used to fill up the space between the rails on a railway in order to make it firm and solid.-4. Fig. that which confers steadiness.

These men have not ballast enough of humility and fear. Hammond.

Ballast (ballast), v.t. 1. To place ballast in or on; as, to ballast a ship; to ballast a balloon; to ballast the bed of a railway. See the noun. 2. Fig. to confer steadiness on: to keep steady. Tis charity must ballast the heart. Hammond. 3. Fig. to counterbalance by anything solid whatever has a tendency to inflate or render unsteady. Now you have given me virtue for my guide, And with true honour ballasted my pride. Dryden.

BALLAST

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Ballast (bal'last), pp. Ballasted. Who sent whole armadoes of carracks to be bal last. Shak.

Ballastage (bal'last-aj), n. 1. An old right of the admiralty in all the royal rivers of Britain of levying a rate for supplying ships with ballast.-2. The toll or duty paid for taking ballast from a port or harbour. Ballast-engine (bal'last-en-jin), n. A steamengine used for dredging a river or drawing earth and ballast on a railway. Ballast-getter (bal'last-get-ér), n. One who is employed in procuring ballast for ships.

I now come to the nature of the ballast labour itself. This is divisible into three classes: that performed by the ballast-getters, or those who are engaged in raising it from the bed of the Thames; by the ballast-lighters, or those who are engaged in carrying it from the getters to the ships requiring it; and by the ballast-heavers, or those who are engaged in putting it on board of such ships. Mayhew. Ballast-heaver (ballast-hev-ér), n. 1. One who is employed in putting ballast on board ships. See extract under BALLAST-GETTER. 2 A dredging machine for raising ballast from a river-bed; a ballast-lighter. Ballasting (bal'last-ing), n. 1. The act of furnishing with ballast, as a ship or railway. 2. Ballast; that which is used for ballast, as gravel or broken stones, cinders, or other material, used for the covering of roads or to form the upper works or permanent way of a railway.

Ballast-lighter (bal'last-lit-ér), n. 1. One who is employed in conveying ballast for ships. See extract under BALLAST-GETTER. 2. A large flat-floored barge for heaving up and carrying ballast, or for removing sand, silt, or other depositions from the beds of rivers and the bottoms of harbours, docks,

&c.

Ballatt (ballat), n. [A form of ballad, following the It. spelling ballata.] A ballad. Ballatt (bal'lat), v. t. To sing or celebrate in a ballad.

I make but repetition
Of what is ordinary and Ryalto talk,
And ballated, and would be play'd o' the stage.
Webster.

Ballatoon (bal-la-tön), n. A heavy luggage boat employed in Russia in the transport of timber, especially from Astrakhan to Mos

COW.

Ballatry (bal'lat-ri), n. [Form equivalent to balladry, from ballat, old form of ballad.] Stock of ballads; ballad-singing. Milton. Ball-calibre (bal'kal-i-bér), n. A ring-gauge for determining the diameter of gun-shot on board ship.

Ball-cartridge (bal kär-trij), n. A cartridge containing a ball, in contradistinction to blank-cartridge.

Ball-caster (bal'kast-ér), n. A caster for furniture, having a ball instead of a roller. Ball-cock (bal'kok), n. A kind of self-acting stop-cock opened and shut by means of a hollow sphere or ball of metal attached to

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Fig. 1, Cistern with Ball-cock attached.
Fig. 2, Internal structure of Cock.

a, Valve shown open so as to admit water. b, Arm of the lever, which being raised shuts the valve.

the end of a lever connected with the cock. Such cocks are often employed to regulate the supply of water to cisterns. The ball floats on the water in the cistern by its buoyancy, and rises and sinks as the water rises and sinks, shutting off the water in the one case and letting it on in the other. Balled, a. Bald; deprived of hair. Chaucer. Baller (bal'ér), n. One who makes up sewing thread into balls for domestic use. Ballet (bal-là or bal'let), n. [Fr. ballet, It. balletto. See BALL, a dance.] 1. A dance,

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more or less elaborate, in which several persons take part.-2. A complete pantomime or theatrical representation, in which a story is told, and actions, characters, and passions represented by gesture, accompanied by characteristic or illustrative music, dancing, scenery, decorations, &c.-3. In her. a bearing in coats of arms, denominated according to the colour, bezants, plates, hurts, &c.

Ballet (bal-la or bal'let), v. t. To express by dancing or in a ballet.

He ballets to her: Will you come down here and dance?' Mayhew. Ball-flower (bal'flou-ér), n. In arch. an ornament resembling a ball placed in a circular flower, the three petals of which form a cup round it. This ornament is usually found inserted in a hollow moulding, and is generally characteristic of the decorated style of the fourteenth century. Ball-gudgeon (bal'guj-on), n. A spherical gudgeon, permitting a lateral deflection of the arbor or shaft, while still remaining itself in the socket. E. H. Knight. Balliage, Bailage (bal'li-aj, bāl'aj), n. [Fr. bailiage, the jurisdiction of a bailli. See BAILIFF.] A small duty formerly paid to the city of London by aliens, and even by denizens, for certain commodities exported by them.

Ball-flower.

Balliards + (bal'yärdz), n. pl. Billiards. Spenser.

Ballimongt (bal'li-mong), n. A dredge.

Holland.

An instruBalling-gun (bal'ing-gun), n. ment for administering medicine rolled into balls to horses. It consists of a tube from which the air is partially exhausted, the ball being held on the end of the tube by the pressure of air and released thence by a piston when fairly within the soBallismus (bal-lis'mus), n. [Gr. ballizo, to phagus. E. H. Knight. trip or caper.] A form of palsy, attended with fits of leaping or running. Ballista, Balista (bal-lis'ta, ba-lis'ta), n. pl. Ballistæ, Balista (bal-lis'tē, ba-lis'të). [L., from Gr. ballo, to throw. ] 1. One of the two great military engines used by the ancients for discharging missiles, especially against a besieged place, and often confounded with the catapult used for throwing darts, while the ballista threw stones. In principle it resembled the mediæval arbalist or cross-bow, but was much stronger, balliste being mentioned that threw stones of 3 cwts. They were worked by machinery, as by lever and axle. The cord was of hair. After the time of Julius Cæsar the term appears to have been applied in a loose way to any large engine for throwing missiles.-2. In anat. the astragalus, a bone of the tarsus.

Ballister (bal'lis-tér), n. Same as Balus

ter.

Ballistic (bal-lis'tik), a. [From L. ballista. See BALLISTA.] Pertaining to the ballista or to the art of shooting stones or missiles by means of an engine. - Ballistic pendulum, an apparatus invented by Benjamin Robins for ascertaining the velocity of military projectiles, and consequently the force of fired gunpowder. A piece of ordnance is fired against a cast-iron case filled with bags of sand, which forms the ball of a pendulum, and the percussion causes the pendulum to vibrate. The arc through which it vibrates is measured on a copper arc by an index carrying a vernier, and the amount of vibration forms a measure of the force or velocity of the ball. The ballistic pendulum is now nearly superseded by Navez' electro-ballistic apparatus. See ELECTRO-BALLISTIC, EPROU

VETTE.

Ballistics (bal-lis'tiks), n. The science or art of discharging large missiles by the use of the ballista or other engine. Ballium (bal'li-um), n. [See BAILEY.] In anc. arch. a court within a fortified castle. There were commonly two balliums, an outer and inner.

Ballon (ba-lon), n. [Fr.] In chem, same as Balloon, 2.

Balloon (bal-lön), n. [O. Fr. balon, a large ball, a foot-ball, aug. of bale, a ball; Mod. Fr. ballon, a foot-ball, a balloon, an aug. of balle. a ball; Sp. balon, a foot-ball and the game. See BALL.] 1. A large ball of leather in

ch, chain; ch, Sc. loch; g, go; j, job; i, Fr. ton; ng, sing; TH, then; th, thin;

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2. In chem. a round vessel with a short neck to receive whatever is distilled; a glass receiver of a spherical form.-3. In arch. a ball or globe on the top of a pillar.-4. In pyrotechnics, a ball of pasteboard or kind of bomb stuffed with combustibles, which, bursting like a bomb, exhibits sparks of fire like stars.-5. In weaving, a cylindrical reel on which sized woollen yarn for warp is wound in order to be dried by rapid revolution in a heated chamber. E. H. Knight.6. A bag or hollow vessel filled with hydrogen gas or heated air, or any other gaseous fluid lighter than common air, the contained gas causing it to rise and float in the atmosphere. It is made of silk or other light material, varnished with caoutchouc dissolved in turpentine. A net-work of twine envelops the balloon, and is tied to a circular hoop a little below the body of the balloon, from which a car, usually consisting of a large wicker basket and bearing the aeronaut or others, is suspended. A valve in the bottom of the balloon can be opened or closed at pleasure by means of a string, and the basket is furnished with sand-bags as ballast. If the aeronaut wishes to ascend he throws out some of the ballast; if to descend he opens the valve. Balloons have been successfully used for military purposes (see Captive Balloon, below), and, in the case of besieged cities, as a medium of communication with the outside world (see Steering Balloon, below). The greatest height yet attained in a balloon was 7 miles by Messrs. Glaisher and Coxwell in 1862.-Captive balloon, a balloon attached to some particular place by means of a rope, which may be either permanently fixed or connected with an anchor which can be raised at pleasure. Such balloons are employed for military reconnaissance, or for dropping missiles, as nitro-glycerine bombs, upon forts or any other place to be assailed. Steering balloon, a balloon capable of being steered. One such was invented by M. Dupuy de Some during the siege of Paris in 1871. The rudder is said to be able to deflect the machine 11° to either side of the direct line in which the wind is blowing, so that a balloon leaving Paris with the wind straight for Brussels could be landed either at London or Cologne. Balloon (ballo-on), n. A state barge of Siam, made of a single piece of timber, very long, and managed with oars. Ballooned (bal-lönd'), a. Swelled out like

a balloon.

Balloon-fish (bal-lön'fish), n. A curious tropical, malacopterygian or soft-spined fish, of the order Plectognathi, the Tetraodon lineatus or striped spine-belly. Like the diodons, it has the power of distending itself by swallowing air and making it pass into cavities beneath the skin, and of causing its spines to erect themselves. Both jaws are divided in the middle, giving the fish the

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Balloon-fish (Tetraodon lineatus). appearance of possessing four teeth, two above and two below. Ballooning (bal-lön'ing), n. The art or practice of managing balloons. Balloonist (bal-lön'ist), n. One who makes or ascends in a balloon; an aëronaut. Balloon-net (bal-lön'net), n. A kind of woven lace in which the weft threads are twisted in a peculiar manner round the warps. E. H. Knight.

Balloonry (bal-lön'ri), n. The art or practice of ascending in a balloon. Quart. Rev. Ballot (bal'lot), n. [Fr. ballotte, a little ball used in voting, dim. of balle, a ball. See BALL.] 1. A ball used in voting.-2. A

w, wig; wh, whig; zh, azure.-See KEY.

BALLOT

ticket or paper, or the like, by which one votes, and containing no indication of who the voter is.-3. The system of voting in such a way that the voters cannot be identified; the act of voting by balls or tickets. The insufficiency of the ballot.' Dickens. Vote by ballot is the mode adopted in this country in the election of members of Parliament, members of school-boards, and of municipal corporations, the ballot having been introduced by an act passed in 1872. In such statutory elections the mode of voting is by voting papers, and not by balls. In clubs, scientific societies,insurance offices, commercial associations, &c., the members, managers, or directors are almost universally elected by ballot, and for this purpose coloured balls are usually employed; hence the expression to black-ball, signifying to reject a candidate.-4. The whole amount of votes given; as, there was a large ballot. Ballot (bal'lot), v.i. [Fr. ballotter.

See the

noun.] To vote or decide by ballot: frequently with for; as, he was proposed as a member of the club, and balloted for accordingly. See the noun.

The judges
ballot against him.
Ballot (bal'lot), v.t.
ballot; to vote for or against by ballot; to
To vote regarding by
choose or elect by ballot.

would never take their balls to
North.

None of the competitors arriving at a sufficient number of balls, they fell to ballot some others. Ballota (bal-lo'ta), n. [Gr. ballītē, a plant Sir H. Wotton. believed to be black horehound.] A genus of hairy or woolly plants, nat. order Labiatæ. One species, B. nigra (the black or stinking horehound), has been used in pectoral complaints and in cattle diseases.

Ballotant (bal'lot-ant), n. A voter by ballot.
Jas. Harrington. [Rare.]
Ballotation (bal-lot-a'shon), n.
by ballot. [Rare.]

A voting

The election of the Duke of Venice is one of the most intricate and curious forms in the world, consisting of ten several ballotations.

Sir H. Wotton.

A box for reOne who ballots or

Ballot-box (bal'lot-boks), n. ceiving ballots. Balloter (ballot-ér), n. votes by ballot.

Ballotin (ballot-in), n.

The carrier of the

ballot-box; the taker of the votes by ballot. Jas. Harrington. [Rare.] Ballotist (bal'lot-ist), n. voting by ballot.

An advocate for

Ballottade, Ballotade (bal-lo-täd), n. [Fr.] A leap of a horse, as between two pillars or upon a straight line, so that when his forefeet are in the air he shows nothing but the shoes of his hind-feet without jerking out. In a capriole the horse jerks out his hindlegs.

Ballow (bal'lo), n. [Probably of same origin as E. bole, the trunk of a tree.] A pole; a cudgel. [Old and northern English.]

Keep out,. or Ise try whether your costard or my ballow be the harder.

Shak.

Ball-proof (bal'pröf), a. Capable of resisting balls from firearms; impenetrable by balls from firearms. Ball-screw (bal'skrö), n. A screw intended to be fastened to the end of the ramrod of a gun, and to be used in extracting bullets from the barrel of the gun. Ball-stock (bal'stok), n. stock somewhat hollow at one end, to which In printing, a the ball is attached, and which serves as a handle. See BALL, 8.

Ball-train (bal'tran), n. A set of rolls for rolling puddlers' balls or loops into bars.

Ball-trolly (bal'trol-li), n. truck used in conveying the balls of puddled A small iron iron from the puddling-furnace to the tilthammer or squeezer. Ball-valve (bal'valv), n. E. H. Knight. ing of a ball placed in a circular cup which A valve consisthas a hole in its bottom. By means of a curtain of wire placed over it the ball is restrained from moving beyond a certain point, either upward or to the side. Ball-vein (bal'van), n. A variety of iron ore, found in loose masses of a circular form, containing shining particles, probably of iron pyrites.

Balm (bäm), n. [0. Fr. baulme, Fr. baume,
a contraction of balsam (which see).] 1. A
name common to odoriferous or aromatic
exudations from trees or shrubs.-2. Any
fragrant or valuable ointment.
washed off wherewith thou wast anointed.
'The balm

210

Shak.-3. Anything which heals, soothes,
or mitigates pain. Sleep.
hurt minds.' Shak.-4. The name of several
the balm of
plants, particularly of the genus Melissa,
nat. order Labiatæ. The balm-mint or gar-
den balm is M. officinalis. (See MELISSA.)
The species are aromatic and used as corro-
borants.-Balm of Gilead, the exudation of a
tree, Balsamodendron gileadense, nat. order
Amyridaceæ, a native of Arabia Felix, and
also, it is said, from the closely allied species
Balsamodendron Opobalsamum. The leaves
of the former tree yield when bruised a
strong aromatic scent; and the balm of
Gilead of the shops, or balsam of Mecca or
of Syria, is obtained from it by making an
incision in its trunk. It has a yellowish or
greenish colour, a warm bitterish aromatic
taste, and an acidulous fragrant smell. It
is valued as an odoriferous unguent and
cosmetic by the Turks, who possess the
country of its growth.
adulterated for market.- Balm of Gilead
It is frequently
fir, which produces a turpentine called
Canada balsam, is the Abies balsamifera. It
rises to the height of 30 feet, and its range is
from Virginia to Canada.-Bastard balm is
a plant of the genus Melittis.
Balm (bäm), v.t. 1. To anoint as with balm
or with anything fragrant or medicinal.

Balm his foul head in warm distilled waters. Shak.
Shrouded in cloth of state; balm'd and entreasured
with full bags of spices!
Shak.

2. To soothe; to mitigate; to assuage; to
heal.

Balm-cricket (bäm'krik-et), n.
This rest might yet have balm'd thy broken senses.
Oppressed nature sleeps:
Shak.
cricket (Gryllus campestris).
The field-

The balm-cricket carols clear
In the green that folds thy grave. Tennyson.
Balmer (bäm'ér), n. One who or that which
balms or anoints.

Blood must be my body's only balmer,
No other balm will there be given. Raleigh.
Balmify (bäm'i-fi), v. t. [E. balm, and L. fa-
cere, to make.] To render balmy.

The fluids have been entirely sweetened and
balmified.
Balmily (bäm'i-li), adv.
Dr. G. Cheyne.
In a balmy man-

ner.

See under

Balm-mint (bäm'mint), n. BALM. Balmoral (bal-mo'ral), n. or a. royal residence on Deeside, Aberdeenshire.] [After the A term applied to various articles, especially of dress; as, balmoral boots; balmoral honBalmy (bäm'i), a. 1. Having the qualities of net; balmoral petticoat: often used as a noun; as, to wear balmorals. balm; aromatic; fragrant. Balmy breath. Shak. 'Her balmy bosom.' Tennyson.

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2. Producing balm. The balmy tree.' Pope. 3. Soft; soothing; assuaging; refreshing. "Tired nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleep.' Young.

Now with the drops of this most balmy time My love looks fresh. Balnealt (bal'ně-al), a. Shak. bath.] Pertaining to a bath. Balneal heat.' [L. balneum, a Balnearyt (bal'ne-a-ri), n. Howell. from balneum, a bath.] A bathing room. [L. balnearium, 'The balnearies and bathing-places. Sir T. Browne. Balneation + (bal-ne-a'shon), n. [From L. L. balneare, to bathe. act of bathing. 'Balneations, washings, and See BALNEARY.] The fomentations." Sir T. Browne. Balneum (bal'nē-um), n. [L., a bath.] In Balneatory (bal'ne-a-to-ri), a. torius.] Belonging to a bath or bath-keeper. [L. balneachem. a vessel filled with water or sand, in which another vessel is placed to be heated; a bath. See BATH, 4. Balonea (ba-lō'ně-a), n. oak, Quercus Egilops, large quantities of A name for an the cups of which are imported from the south of Europe into England for tanners'

use.

See VALONIA.

Balsa (bäl'sä), n. [Sp. balsa, Fr. balse, from Balotade (bal'o-täd), n. Same as Ballottade. balza, the native name of a kind of light porous wood used in Peru for constructing rafts.] 1. A kind of raft or float used on the coasts and rivers of Peru and other parts of South America for fishing, for landing goods and passengers through a heavy surf, and for other purposes where buoyancy is chiefly wanted. It is formed generally of two in

Fate, far, fat, fall; mě, met, her;

pine, pin;

note, not, möve; tube, tub, bull;

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Balsam (bal'sam), n. [Gr. balsamon, L. balsamum, a fragrant gum, said to be from Heb. baal, prince, and shaman, oil.] 1. An oily, aromatic, resinous substance, flowing spontaneously or by incision from certain plants. A great variety of substances pass under this name. But in chemistry the term is confined to such vegetable juices as are liquid or spontaneously become concrete, and consist of resins mixed with gums or volatile oils, the resins being produced from the oils by oxidation. A balsam is thus intermediate between a volatile oil and a resin. It is soluble in alcohol and ether, and capable of yielding benzoic acid. The balsams are either liquid or solid: of the former are the balm of Gilead, and the balsams of copaiba, Peru, and Tolu; of the latter, benzoin, dragon's blood, and storax.-Balsam of Mecca, balm of Gilead. Balsam of Peru, the produce of MyrosperSee BALM.mum peruiferum. The last two balsams, in addition to their medicinal uses, are employed in perfumery, in the manufacture of pastiles, and of chocolate.-Balsam of Tolu, the produce of Myrospermum toluiferum, nat. order Leguminosa, the tolu-tree of South America. It is of a reddish yellow colour, transparent, thick, and tenacious, but growing hard and brittle by age. It is very fragrant, and, like the balsam of Peru, is a stimulant, and used as a pectoral.Balsam or Canada balsam of the microscopist, the liquid resin of Abies balsamifera, employed for preserving dry transparent objects when mounted for the microscope. 2. The Impatiens balsamina, a beautiful ornament of our gardens and greenhouses. See IMPATIENS.-Balsam apple (Momordica Balsamina), an annual Indian plant. water and a subtile oil are obtained from it, A which are used as deobstruents.-Balsam tree, a name given to several balsam-producing trees, as Clusia, Copaifera (which produces the balsam of copaiba), and Pistacia, the turpentine-tree or mastich-tree, and, specifically, to the Abies balsamifera, the tree which produces Canada balsam. Balsam (bal'sam), v.t. To apply balsam or balm to; to render balsamic.

The gifts of our young and flourishing age are very sweet when they are balsamed with discretion. Balsamation (bal-sam-a'shon), n. The act Balsamic (bal-sam'ik), a. Having the quaBp. Hacket. of rendering balsamic. lities of balsam; stimulating; unctuous; Balsamic (bal-sam'ik), n. soft; mitigating; mild. wheezing lungs medicinal.' Philips. 'Balsamic cups, to lating, demulcent medicine, of a smooth A warm, stimuBalsamicalt (bal-sam 'ik-al), a. and oily consistence. Balsamic. The balsamical humour of my Same as blood.' Sir M. Hale.

Balsamically (bal-sam'ik-al-li), adv. In a balsamic manner.

Balsamiferous (bal-sam-if'er-us), a. [Balsam, and L. fero, to bear.] Producing balm or balsam: applied to those trees and shrubs which yield balm.

Balsaminaceæ, Balsamineæ (bal'sam-ina"se-e, bal-sam-in'é-e), n. pl. A small group of plants formerly separated from the Geraniaceae because of their irregular flowers, but again restored to that order, as the discovery of additional species of Impatiens, the only genus in the group, shows these differences not to be of sufficient importBalsamine, Balsamina (bal'sam-in, balance to establish an order. sam-i'na), n. A name given to the garden

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