‖n. [ L., fr. Gr. &unr_;; &unr_; on both ends + &unr_; to go. ] 1. A fabled serpent with a head at each end, moving either way. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) A genus of harmless lizards, serpentlike in form, without legs, and with both ends so much alike that they appear to have a head at each, and ability to move either way. See Illustration in Appendix. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The Gordius aquaticus, or hairworm, has been called an amphisbaena; but it belongs among the worms. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖a. [ NL., fr. L. amphisbaena + -oid. ] (Zool.) Like or pertaining to the lizards of the genus Amphisbæna. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Archpriest. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. arch- + presbytery. ] The absolute dominion of presbytery. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of, pertaining to, or resembling asbestus; inconsumable; asbestine. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. asbestus + -form. ] Having the form or structure of asbestus. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to asbestus, or partaking of its nature; incombustible; asbestic. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ L. asbestos (NL. asbestus) a kind of mineral unaffected by fire, Gr. &unr_; (prop. an adj.) inextinguishable; 'a priv. + &unr_; to extinguish. ] (Min.) A variety of amphibole or of pyroxene, occurring in long and delicate fibers, or in fibrous masses or seams, usually of a white, gray, or green-gray color. The name is also given to a similar variety of serpentine. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The finer varieties have been wrought into gloves and cloth which are incombustible. The cloth was formerly used as a shroud for dead bodies, and has been recommended for firemen's clothes. Asbestus in also employed in the manufacture of iron safes, for fireproof roofing, and for lampwicks. Some varieties are called amianthus. Dana. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Asbestic. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; soot. ] (Chem.) A peculiar acrid and bitter oil, obtained from wood soot. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F., fr. bas stocking + bleu blue. ] A bluestocking; a literary woman. [ Somewhat derisive ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ D., fr. bles a white spot on the forehead + bok buck. ] (Zool.) A South African antelope (Alcelaphus albifrons), having a large white spot on the forehead. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. inflexibly entrenched; as, brassbound traditions.
Syn. -- ironclad, unchangeable. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. having trim or fittings of brass; as, a brassbound campaign chest; the heavy brass-bound door. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. an electrical conductor that makes a common connection between several circuits.
Syn. -- busbar, bus. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n.; pl. Busbies (Mil.) A military headdress or cap, used in the British army. It is of fur, with a bag, of the same color as the facings of the regiment, hanging from the top over the right shoulder. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) A Species of duck (Aythya vallisneria), esteemed for the delicacy of its flesh. It visits the United States in autumn; particularly Chesapeake Bay and adjoining waters; -- so named from the markings of the plumage on its back. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The board used in the game of chess, having eight rows of alternate light and dark squares, eight in each row. See Checkerboard. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The chessboard and the checkerboard are alike. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a spiny evergreen shrub of southeastern U. S. (Lycium carolinianum) having spreading branches with usually blue or mauve flowers and red berries.
Syn. -- Christmas berry, Lycium carolinianum. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. an ornamental evergreen treelike shrub of US Pacific coast (Photinia arbutifolia) having large white flowers and red berrylike fruits; often placed in genus Photinia.
Syn. -- toyon, tollon, Christmas berry, Heteromeles arbutifolia, Photinia arbutifolia. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The state or conduct of a cicisbeo. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. It. Cicisbei [ It. ] 1. A professed admirer of a married woman; a dangler about women. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A knot of silk or ribbon attached to a fan, walking stick, etc. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a brush used for cleaning clothing. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A transverse bar or piece, as a bar across a door, or as the iron bar or stock which passes through the shank of an anchor to insure its turning fluke down. Russell. [ 1913 Webster ]

Crossbar shot, a projectile which folds into a sphere for loading, but on leaving the gun expands to a cross with a quarter ball at the end of each arm; -- used in naval actions for cutting the enemy's rigging. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Secured by, or furnished with, crossbars. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Made or patterned in lines crossing each other; as, crossbarred muslin. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) Same as Crossbill. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. (Arch.) A girder. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Naut.) A beam laid across the bitts, to which the cable is fastened when riding at anchor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a member of the House of Commons of Great Britain who does not vote regularly with either the Government or the Opposition. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

(Law) A bill brought by a defendant, in an equity or chancery suit, against the plaintiff, respecting the matter in question in that suit. Bouvier. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In criminal practice, cross bills of indictment for assault, in which the prosecutor in once case is the defendant in another, may be tried together. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) A bird of the genus Loxia, allied to the finches. Their mandibles are strongly curved and cross each other; the crossbeak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A deception; a cheat. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To deceive; to trick; to gull. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. A representation of two of the leg bones or arm bones of a skeleton, laid crosswise, often surmounted with a skull, and serving as a symbol of death. [ 1913 Webster ]

Crossbones, scythes, hourglasses, and other lugubrious emblems of mortality. Hawthorne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Archery) A weapon, used in discharging arrows or bolts, formed by placing a bow crosswise on a stock. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A crossbowman.[ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who shoots with a crossbow. See Arbalest. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Stock Breeding) Produced by mixing distinct breeds; mongrel. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A breed or an animal produced from parents of different breeds; a new variety, as of plants, combining the qualities of two parent varieties or stocks. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Anything partaking of the natures of two different things; a hybrid. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Disbanded; p. pr. & vb. n. Disbanding. ] [ Pref. dis- + band: cf. OF. desbander, F. débander, to unbind, unbend. See Band, and cf. Disbend, Disbind. ] 1. To loose the bands of; to set free; to disunite; to scatter; to disperse; to break up the organization of; especially, to dismiss from military service; as, to disband an army. [ 1913 Webster ]

They disbanded themselves and returned, every man to his own dwelling. Knolles. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To divorce. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

And therefore . . . she ought to be disbanded. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To become separated, broken up, dissolved, or scattered; especially, to quit military service by breaking up organization. [ 1913 Webster ]

When both rocks and all things shall disband. Herbert. [ 1913 Webster ]

Human society would in a short space disband. Tillotson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of disbanding. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Disbarred p. pr. & vb. n. Disbarring. ] (Law) To expel from the bar, or the legal profession; to deprive (an attorney, barrister, or counselor) of his status and privileges as such. Abbott. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Pref. dis- + bark a small ship: cf. OF. desbarquer, F. débarquer. Cf. Debark, Disembark. ] To disembark. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Pref. dis- + bark rind. ] To strip of bark; to bark. [ R. ] Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Act of disbarring. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Cf. Debase. ] To debase or degrade. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Nor you nor your house were so much as spoken of before I disbased myself. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To misbecome. [ Obs. ] Massinger. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of disbelieving;; a state of the mind in which one is fully persuaded that an opinion, assertion, or doctrine is not true; refusal of assent, credit, or credence; denial of belief. [ 1913 Webster ]

Our belief or disbelief of a thing does not alter the nature of the thing. Tillotson. [ 1913 Webster ]

No sadder proof can be given by a man of his own littleness that disbelief in great men. Carlyle.

Syn. -- Distrust; unbelief; incredulity; doubt; skepticism. -- Disbelief, Unbelief. Unbelief is a mere failure to admit; disbelief is a positive rejection. One may be an unbeliever in Christianity from ignorance or want of inquiry; a unbeliever has the proofs before him, and incurs the guilt of setting them aside. Unbelief is usually open to conviction; disbelief is already convinced as to the falsity of that which it rejects. Men often tell a story in such a manner that we regard everything they say with unbelief. Familiarity with the worst parts of human nature often leads us into a disbelief in many good qualities which really exist among men. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Disbelieved p. pr. & vb. n. Disbelieving. ] Not to believe; to refuse belief or credence to; to hold not to be true or actual. [ 1913 Webster ]

Assertions for which there is abundant positive evidence are often disbelieved, on account of what is called their improbability or impossibility. J. S. Mill. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who disbelieves, or refuses belief; an unbeliever. Specifically, one who does not believe the Christian religion. I. Watts. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To drive from a bench or seat. [ R. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Eng. Law) To deprive (a bencher) of his privileges. Mozley & W. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To unbend. [ Obs. ] Stirling. [ 1913 Webster ]