Bones, see Belly.
Boot, "he will be my boot" (M[11],a), help, remedy, cure. "Ich haue bote of mi-bale."—William of Palerne (c. 1300), 627. "God send every trewe man boote of his bale."—Chaucer, Cant. Tales (1383), 13,409.
Bord, "we did but bord" (WH[298],a), jest: see other volumes of this series.
Borrow, (a) "I shall be your borrow" (M ), security, pledge, surety, protector. "Their borrow is God Almighty."—Piers Plowman (1363), 37,b. (b) see St. George.
Bourd, see Board.
Boy, see Ball.
Boys, "shall boys ... of such high matters play" (R[180],d). Mr. Magnus asks whether this reference to "boy-chorister-actors" may not "have some special reference to Edward VI.'S theological precocity."
Brast, "the halter brast asunder" (M[27],c; also 28,d), burst. "But with that percing noise flew open quite, or brast."—Spenser, Fairy Queen (1590), I. viii. 4.
Brat, "a whole brat to his back" (IP[338],d), cloak, mantle. "Ne had they but a shete Which that they might wrappen hem in a-night, And a bratt to walken in by day-light."—Chaucer, Cant. Tales (1383), 16,347.
Breadibus, "breadibus ... horsibus ... firibusque" (M[5],b), for bread, for horses, and for fires: a form, of dog-Latin which has always been, and still is, popular: see Misericordia.