<B>birthright, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the rights belonging to a person because he is the oldest son, or because he was born in a certain country, or because of any other fact about his birth. <BR> <I>Ex. According to the Bible story, when Esau sold his birthright to his younger brother Jacob, he forfeited all claim to property of his father Isaac.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="birthroot">
<B>birthroot, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the purple trillium, whose astringent roots were reputed to hasten childbirth. </DL>
<A NAME="birthstone">
<B>birthstone, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a gem associated with a certain month of the year. A birthstone is often supposed to bring good luck when worn by a person born in its month. Each month has a different birthstone. </DL>
<A NAME="birthtrauma">
<B>birth trauma,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the anxiety which a child experiences as a result of being born, considered in psychoanalytic theory as a possible source of neuroses in later life. </DL>
<A NAME="birthwort">
<B>birthwort, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> any one of various woody vines of the birthwort family growing especially in South America. Their roots are used to treat snakebite and for other medicinal purposes. </DL>
<A NAME="birthwortfamily">
<B>birthwort family,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a group of dicotyledonous, chiefly tropical herbs and woody vines, having luridly colored flowers which often smell like carrion. The family includes the birthwort, Dutchman's-pipe, and wild ginger. </DL>
<A NAME="bis">
<B>bis, </B>adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>twice. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Music.) a direction to repeat a phrase or passage. <DD><B> 3. </B>encore; again. </DL>
<A NAME="bisayan">
<B>Bisayan, </B>noun. <B>=Visayan.</B></DL>
<A NAME="biscuit">
<B>biscuit, </B>noun, pl. <B>-cuits</B> or <B>-cuit,</B> adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>(U.S.) <DD><B> a. </B>a soft bread dough baked in small, round shapes. Biscuits are soft cakes, raised with baking powder, soda, or yeast. <DD><B> b. </B>one of these cakes. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Especially British.) <DD><B> a. </B>a crisp, dry bread baked in thin, hard, flat cakes. <DD><B> b. </B>a cracker. <DD><B> c. </B>a cookie. <DD><B> 3. </B>pottery after the first baking and before glazing; bisque. <DD><B> 4. </B>a pale brown; tan. <DD><B> 5. </B>(British Slang.) a square, brown mattress. <DD><B> 6. </B>a piece of plastic placed between two stampers in making a phonograph record. <DD><I>adj. </I> pale-brown. <BR><I>expr. <B>take the biscuit,</B> </I>(British.) to win first prize; take the cake. <BR> <I>Ex. ... French cheddar really does take the biscuit (Sunday Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="biscuitbeetle">
<B>biscuit beetle,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a small, brown beetle which feeds on hard biscuit. It also feeds on stored provisions, tobacco, and drugs, and often infests drugstores. </DL>
<A NAME="biscuitglace">
<B>biscuit glace,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a rich ice cream with powdered macaroons sprinkled over the top, and usually served in small paper cases. </DL>
<A NAME="biscuitgun">
<B>biscuit gun,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> an instrument for giving colored light signals to an aircraft on take-off or landing, used in air traffic control; light gun. </DL>
<A NAME="biscuitroot">
<B>biscuit root,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S.) the camass of North America or any one of certain other similar edible herbs. </DL>
<B>bise, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a dry, cold north or northeast wind in southeastern France, Switzerland, and neighboring regions. </DL>
<A NAME="bisect">
<B>bisect, </B>transitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to divide into two parts. <BR> <I>Ex. Bisect the apple as well as you can.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to divide into two equal parts. <BR> <I>Ex. You can bisect a 90 degree angle into two 45 degree angles.</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> to divide in two; bifurcate; fork. </DL>
<A NAME="bisection">
<B>bisection, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the act of bisecting. <BR> <I>Ex. the bisection of an angle.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>the place of bisecting. <DD><B> 3. </B>one of two equal parts. </DL>
<A NAME="bisectional">
<B>bisectional, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> the nature of or having to do with bisection. adv. <B>bisectionally.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="bisector">
<B>bisector, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a line that bisects either an angle or another line. <DD><B> 2. </B>anything that bisects. </DL>
<A NAME="bisectrix">
<B>bisectrix, </B>noun, pl. <B>bisectrices.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B><B>=bisector.</B> <DD><B> 2. </B>a line which bisects the angle of the optic axes in a biaxial crystal. </DL>
<A NAME="bisegment">
<B>bisegment, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> one of the segments of a bisected line or angle. </DL>
<B>biserial, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>arranged in two series, especially in two related series. <DD><B> 2. </B>of or having to do with two series. </DL>
<A NAME="biserrate">
<B>biserrate, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>(Botany.) doubly serrate. A biserrate leaf is notched like a saw, with each notch also notched. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Zoology.) serrate on both sides. <BR> <I>Ex. a biserrate antenna.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="bisetose">
<B>bisetose, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Zoology, Botany.) having two bristles or bristlelike appendages. </DL>
<A NAME="bisexual">
<B>bisexual, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>of or having to do with both sexes. <DD><B> 2. </B>combining both male and female organs in one individual animal or plant; hermaphroditic. <DD><B> 3. </B>attracted to both sexes. <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>an animal or plant that is bisexual. <DD><B> 2. </B>an individual attracted to both sexes. adv. <B>bisexually.</B> </DL>
<B>bisexuality, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> bisexual quality or condition. </DL>
<A NAME="bishop">
<B>bishop, </B>noun, verb, <B>-oped,</B> <B>-oping.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a clergyman of high rank who is the head of a church district or diocese. <BR> <I>Ex. No Bishop, no King (attributed to James I of England).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a spiritual overseer; an officer of the early Christian church. <BR> <I>Ex. the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls (I Peter 2:25).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>the layman in charge of a congregation (ward) in the Mormon Church. <DD><B> 4. </B>one of the pieces in the game of chess. A bishop can move only diagonally. <DD><B> 5. </B>a hot drink of oranges or lemons, sugar, and wine, especially mulled and spiced port or other red wine. <DD><B> 6. </B>(U.S.) (in the 1800's) a woman's bustle. <DD><I>v.t. </I> to name (someone) a bishop. <DD><I>v.i. </I> to act as bishop. </DL>
<A NAME="bishopess">
<B>bishopess, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the wife of a bishop. </DL>
<A NAME="bishopric">
<B>bishopric, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the church district under the charge of a bishop; diocese; see. <DD><B> 2. </B>the position, office, or rank of bishop. <DD><B> 3. </B>(in the Mormon Church) a bishop and his two counselors who share administrative duties in the ward. </DL>
<A NAME="bishopscap">
<B>bishop's-cap, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a plant of the saxifrage family whose seed capsule suggests a bishop's miter; miterwort. </DL>
<A NAME="bishopsleeve">
<B>bishop sleeve,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a wide, full sleeve, gathered in at the wrist. </DL>
<A NAME="bishopsweed">
<B>bishop's-weed, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>any one of several plants of the parsley family native to the Mediterranean region, bearing umbels with very large outer petals. <DD><B> 2. </B>a white, spring-flowering plant of the parsley family with medicinal properties. </DL>
<A NAME="bisiliac">
<B>bisiliac, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> relating to both iliac bones, especially to their crests. </DL>
<A NAME="bisk">
<B>bisk, </B>noun. <B>=bisque</B> (1).</DL>
<A NAME="bismarckherring">
<B>Bismarck herring,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> fillet of salted herring prepared in vinegar, wine, and spices, and served with raw onion and lemon slices. </DL>
<A NAME="bismarckian">
<B>Bismarckian, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having to do with or resembling the political ideas or the policies of Otto von Bismarck. </DL>
<A NAME="bismillah">
<B>bismillah, </B>interjection.<DL COMPACT><DD> in the name of Allah or God, a common Moslem exclamation. <BR> <I>Ex. Has our pedicab even grazed another vehicle? Just say "bismillah" once and we are safe (Atlantic).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="bismite">
<B>bismite, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a principal ore of bismuth, occurring as a yellow, powdery earth. </DL>
<A NAME="bismuth">
<B>bismuth, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a brittle, reddish-white, metallic chemical element which occurs in nature as a free metal and in various ores. Some of its compounds are used in medicine and in alloys because of its low melting point. </DL>
<A NAME="bismuthal">
<B>bismuthal, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or containing bismuth. </DL>
<A NAME="bismuthic">
<B>bismuthic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of bismuth. <DD><B> 2. </B>containing bismuth, especially with a valence of 5. </DL>
<A NAME="bismuthinite">
<B>bismuthinite, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a principlal ore of bismuth occurring as lead-gray lustrous crystals or masses; native sulfide of bismuth. </DL>
<A NAME="bismuthous">
<B>bismuthous, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> containing bismuth, especially with a valence of 3. </DL>
<A NAME="bisnaga">
<B>bisnaga, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a globular, spiny cactus. <DD><B> 2. </B>any one of various thorny barrel cactuses. </DL>
<A NAME="bisociation">
<B>bisociation, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an associating of two unrelated or disparate meanings, arguments, ideas, or the like, especially in literature and art. </DL>
<A NAME="bisociative">
<B>bisociative, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or characterized by bisociation. </DL>
<A NAME="bison">
<B>bison, </B>noun, pl. <B>-son.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a wild ox of North America, the male of which has a big, shaggy head and strong front legs; buffalo. Bison have a large hump and short, thick, curved horns. <BR> <I>Ex. ... the enormous herds of bison on which the entire material existence of the Indians depended (Science News Letter).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>the wild ox of Europe, slightly larger than the American bison; aurochs. It is now almost extinct. </DL>
<A NAME="bisonant">
<B>bisonant, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having two sounds. </DL>
