Babylonian, bab-i-lōn′i-an, adj. pertaining to Babylon: hence (fig.) huge, gigantic: Romish, popish (obs. from the identification with Rome of the scarlet woman of Rev. xvii.); Babel-like, confused in language.—Also Babylon′ish.
Baccalaureate, bak-ka-law′re-āt, n. the university degree of bachelor.—adj. Baccalau′rean [Low L. baccalaureus, corrupted from, baccalarius, with some imaginary reference to bacca lauri, the laurel berry. See Bachelor.]
Baccarat, Baccara, bak-ar-ā′, n. a French game of cards played by any number of betters and a banker. [Fr. baccara.]
Baccate, bak′āt, adj. having berries: berry-like or pulpy.—adjs. Bacciferous (bak-sif′ėr-us), bearing berries; Bac′ciform, of the shape of a berry; Bacciv′orous, living on berries. [L. baccatus—bacca, a berry.]
Bacchanal, bak′a-nal, n. a worshipper of Bacchus: one who indulges in drunken revels: a dance or song in honour of Bacchus.—adj. relating to drunken revels—also Bacchanā′lian.—ns.pl. Bacchanā′lia, Bac′chanals, originally feasts in honour of Bacchus: drunken revels.—n. Bacchanā′lianism.—n. and adj. Bacchant (bak′kant), a priest of Bacchus, the god of wine: a reveller: a drunkard.—n. Bacchante (bak-kant′, bak′kant, bak-kant′i), a priestess of Bacchus, the god of wine: a female bacchanal:—pl. Bacchant′es.—adj. Bacchic (bak′kik), relating to Bacchus: jovial: drunken. [L. Bacchanalis, Bacchus, Gr. Bacchos, the god of wine.]
Baccy, Bacco, abbreviations of Tobacco.
Bacharach, bak′ar-ak, n. an excellent wine named from Bacharach, a town on the Rhine.
Bachelor, bach′el-or, n. a young knight who followed the banner of another, as being too young to display his own: an unmarried man: one who has taken his first degree at a university.—ns. Bach′elorhood, Bach′elorship; Bach′elorism, habit of a bachelor; Bach′elor's-but′ton, the popular name of the double-flowered yellow or white varieties of buttercup.—Knight bachelor, title of one who has been knighted, but not attached to any special order. [O. Fr. bacheler. Ety. disputed; acc. to Brachet from Low L. baccalarius, a farm-servant, orig. a cowherd, from bacca, Low L. for vacca, a cow.]
Bacillus, ba-sil′us, n. properly the name of a distinct genus of Schizomycetes, but popularly used in the same sense as Bacterium:—pl. Bacil′lī.—adjs. Bacil′lar, Bacil′lary, of the shape or nature of a bacillus, consisting of little rods.—n. Bacil′licide, that which destroys bacilli.—adj. Bacil′liform. [Low L. bacillus, dim. of baculus, a rod.]
Back, bak, n. a brewer's or dyer's tub or trough. [Dut. bak.]