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Bumkin

A projecting beam or boom; as: (a) One projecting from each bow of a vessel, to haul the fore tack to, called a tack bumpkin. (b) One from each quarter, for the main-brace blocks, and called brace bumpkin. (c) A small outrigger over the stern of a boat, to extend the mizzen.

Bummalo

A small marine Asiatic fish (Saurus ophidon) used in India as a relish; -- called also Bombay duck.

bummer

An idle, worthless fellow, who is without any visible means of support; a loafer; a dissipated sponger; one who bums.

Bump

The noise made by the bittern.

bump off

To kill (a person); to murder; -- used commonly of planned assassination by criminals; as, the mob bumped off all the witnesses.

Bumper

That which bumps or causes a bump.

bumper-to-bumper

moving slowly with little space between; -- used of road traffic.

Bumpkin

An awkward, heavy country fellow; a clown; a country lout.

bumpkinly

unsophisticated in a manner resembling a lifelong resident of rural areas; as, bumpkinly country boys.

BUN

same as blood urea nitrogen; the concentration of nitrogen in blood present in the form of urea; -- used as a measure of kidney function.

Buna

a synthetic rubber made by copolymerizing butadiene with another substance such as acrylonitrile or styrene.

bunce

a sudden unexpected piece of good fortune.

Bunch

To form into a bunch or bunches.

Bunchberry

The dwarf cornel (Cornus Canadensis), which bears a dense cluster of bright red, edible berries.

Bunchiness

The quality or condition of being bunchy; knobbiness.

Bunchy

Swelling out in bunches.

Bund

An embankment against inundation.

Bunder

A boat or raft used in the East Indies in the landing of passengers and goods.

Bundesrath

Lit., a federal council, esp. of the German Empire. In the German Empire the legislative functions are vested in the Bundesrath and the Reichstag. The federal council of Switzerland is also so called.

Bundle

To prepare for departure; to set off in a hurry or without ceremony.

bundled

sold together as a single item; -- usually done for related products which work or are used together.

bundled-up

dressed warmly; as, bundled-up sailors and soldiers.

bundling

a former custom, especially in New England, in which unmarried couples occupied the same bed without undressing, especially during courtship. See bundle{2}, v. i.

Bung

To stop, as the orifice in the bilge of a cask, with a bung; to close; -- with up.

bungaloid

of or pertaining to a bungalow; similar to a bungalow.

Bungalow

A thatched or tiled house or cottage, of a single story, usually surrounded by a veranda.

Bungarum

A venomous snake of India, of the genus Bungarus, allied to the cobras, but without a hood.

Bungee

a spring or other elastic device, especially one attached to a control to facilitate its manipulation.

Bungee cord

a strong elastic cord, usually with a hook at each end, used as a shock-absorbing device or to bind packages together, as on a dolly or handcart.

Bungee jumping Bungee jump

an act of derring-do in which a person jumps from a high platform, such as a bridge, attached (usually by the legs) to a bungee cord, which is set to a length that will halt the drop before the person reaches the surface of the earth or the water.

Bungle

A clumsy or awkward performance; a botch; a gross blunder.

bungled

performed poorly or inadequately; as, a bungled job; the Watergate scandal started with a bungled burglary.

Bungler

A clumsy, awkward workman; one who bungles.

bunglesome

awkward to move or use especially because of shape; as, a load of bunglesome paraphernalia.

Bungling

Unskillful; awkward; clumsy; as, a bungling workman.

Bungo

A kind of canoe used in Central and South America; also, a kind of boat used in the Southern United States.

Bunion Bunyon

An enlargement and inflammation of a small membranous sac (one of the burs/ muscos/), usually occurring on the first joint of the great toe.

bunji-bunji

an Australian timber tree (Flindersia schottiana) whose bark yields a poison.

Bunk

To go to bed in a bunk; -- sometimes with in.

Bunkbed

A type of multiple bed in which the individual beds are arranged one above the other. It is used to save space in crowded quarters.

Bunker

To drive (the ball) into a bunker.

bunkmate

someone who occupies the same sleeping quarters as oneself.

Bunko

To swindle by a bunko game or scheme; to cheat or victimize in any similar way, as by a confidence game, passing a bad check, etc.

Bunkum Buncombe

Speech-making for the gratification of constituents, or to gain public applause; flattering talk for a selfish purpose; anything said for mere show.

Bunn Bun

any of a variety of slightly sweetened or plain raised cakes or bisquits, often having a glazing of sugar and milk on the top crust; as, a hot cross bun.

Bunny

A pet name for a rabbit or a squirrel.

Bunodonts Bunodonta

A division of the herbivorous mammals including the hogs and hippopotami; -- so called because the teeth are tuberculated.

bunsen

same as bunsen burner; a gas burner used in laboratories; has an air valve to regulate the mixture of gas and air.

Bunt

To strike or push with the horns or head; to butt; as, the ram bunted the boy.

buntal

a fine white Philippine fiber from the stalks of unopened leaves of talipot palms; used in making hats.

Bunter

A woman who picks up rags in the streets; hence, a low, vulgar woman.

Buntine Bunting

A thin woolen stuff, used chiefly for flags, colors, and ships' signals.

Bunting

A bird of the genus Emberiza, or of an allied genus, related to the finches and sparrows (family Fringillid/).

Buntline

One of the ropes toggled to the footrope of a sail, used to haul up to the yard the body of the sail when taking it in.

Buoy

To float; to rise like a buoy.

Buoyage

Buoys, taken collectively; a series of buoys, as for the guidance of vessels into or out of port; the providing of buoys.

Buoyancy

The property of floating on the surface of a liquid, or in a fluid, as in the atmosphere; specific lightness, which is inversely as the weight compared with that of an equal volume of water.

Buoyant

Having the quality of rising or floating in a fluid; tending to rise or float; as, iron is buoyant in mercury.

Buprestidan

One of a tribe of beetles, of the genus Buprestis and allied genera, usually with brilliant metallic colors. The larv/ are usually borers in timber, or beneath bark, and are often very destructive to trees.

Burberry

a light gabardine raincoat of the type made by Burberry's of London.

burble

to to make a burbling sound; -- used of water, especially brooks.

burbly burbling

uttered with unrestrained enthusiasm; as, a novel told in burbly panting tones.

Burbot

A fresh-water fish of the genus Lota, having on the nose two very small barbels, and a larger one on the chin.

burdened

bearing a heavy load; as, a hiker burdened with a heavy backpack.

Burdensome

Grievous to be borne; causing uneasiness or fatigue; oppressive.

Burdock

A genus of coarse biennial herbs (Lappa), bearing small burs which adhere tenaciously to clothes, or to the fur or wool of animals.

Bureau

Originally, a desk or writing table with drawers for papers.

Bureaucracy

A system of carrying on the business of government by means of departments or bureaus, each under the control of a chief, in contradiction to a system in which the officers of government have an associated authority and responsibility; also, government conducted on this system.

Bureaucrat

An official of a bureau; esp. an official confirmed in a narrow and arbitrary routine.

bureaucratese

the formal and often obscure style of writing characteristic of some government officials; officialese; -- it is characterized by euphemisms, circumlocutions, vague abstractions, and circumlocutions.

bureaucratism

nonelective government officials; same as bureaucracy.

Burette

An apparatus for delivering measured quantities of liquid or for measuring the quantity of liquid or gas received or discharged. It consists essentially of a graduated glass tube, usually furnished with a small aperture and stopcock.

Burg

A fortified town.

Burgage

A tenure by which houses or lands are held of the king or other lord of a borough or city; at a certain yearly rent, or by services relating to trade or handicraft.

Burgall

A small marine fish; -- also called cunner.

Burgeois

A burgess; a citizen. See 2d Bourgeois.

Burgess

An inhabitant of a borough or walled town, or one who possesses a tenement therein; a citizen or freeman of a borough.

Burggrave

Originally, one appointed to the command of a burg (fortress or castle); but the title afterward became hereditary, with a domain attached.

Burgh

A borough or incorporated town, especially, one in Scotland. See Borough.

Burghbote

A contribution toward the building or repairing of castles or walls for the defense of a city or town.

Burghbrech

The offense of violating the pledge given by every inhabitant of a tithing to keep the peace; breach of the peace.

Burgher

A freeman of a burgh or borough, entitled to enjoy the privileges of the place; any inhabitant of a borough.

Burghmote

A court or meeting of a burgh or borough; a borough court held three times yearly.

Burglar

One guilty of the crime of burglary.

Burglarious

Pertaining to burglary; constituting the crime of burglary.

Burglariously

With an intent to commit burglary; in the manner of a burglar.

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