BI 



BIN 



cohering into two parcels, or to a corolla 

 which has its petals similarly disposed. 



14. Bilobate. Two-lobed, as applied to 

 the leaves of bauhinia, &c. 



15. Bilocular. Having two loculi or 

 cells, as applied to the anther, and to 

 certain capsules in plants. 



16. Bimana. Two-handed; a designa- 

 tion of the first order of the Mammalia, 

 comprising the single species man, and 

 characterized by the presence of hands 

 (or feet with opposable thumbs) on the 

 upper extremities only. 



17. BimediaL In geometry, when two 

 lines commensurable only in power, as 

 the diagonal and the side of a square, 

 are joined together, the sum is irrational 

 with respect to either of the two lines, 

 and is called by Euclid a himedial. 



18. Binate. Growing in pairs ; a term 

 synonymous with bifoliolate. 



19. Binervate. Two-nerved ; as ap- 

 plied to the wings of insects which are 

 supported by only two nerves. 



20. Binocular. That which belongs or 

 applies to both eyes, as applied to a tele- 

 scope, by which the object maybe vie^red 

 with both eyes at the same time. 



21. Binomial. An algebraical quantity 

 consisting of two terms, as a + b, or 

 2a — Zbx. The binomial theorem, first 

 announced by Newton, is a formula by 

 which any binomial may be raised to any 

 given power, without the ordinary pro- 

 cess of involution. 



22. Biocellate. Having two ocelli or 

 eyelets, as applied to the wing of an in- 

 sect when marked with two eye-like 

 spots. 



23. Bipartite. Parted in two, as ap- 

 plied to the segments of a leaf. 



24. Bipectinate. When a part has two 

 margins toothed like a pecten or comb. 



25. Bipeltate. When an animal or a 

 part has a defence like that of a double 

 pelta or shield. 



26. Bipinnate. When the leaflets of a 

 pinnate leaf themselves become pinnate, 

 as in fumaria officinalis. 



27. Bipupillate. When an eye-like 

 spot on the wing of a butterfly has two 

 pupillae or dots within it of different 

 colours. 



28. Biquadratic. In algebra, the power 

 immediately succeeding the cube; that 

 is, the square of the square, or the fourth 

 power. A biquadratic equation is that 

 in which the unknown quantity rises to 

 the fourth, but not to a higher power. 



29. Biradiate. Applied to a part which 

 has two radii or rays. 



52 



30. Biserial. Arranged in two series, 

 or rows ; a term synonymous with Ufa- 

 rious. 



31. Biserrate. Doubly sawed, as ap- 

 plied to the margins of leaves, when the 

 serrations are themselves serrate. 



32. Bisetous. When a part is furnished 

 with two setae or bristle-like appendages. 



33. Bisexual. Applied to flowers which 

 contain both stamen and pistil in the 

 same envelope ; a term synonymous with 

 hermaphrodite. 



34. Bispinose. When an animal or 

 part is furnished with two spines. 



35. Bisulcate. Applied to a foot which 

 rests upon two sulci or hoofed digits. 



36. Biternate. When three secondary 

 petioles proceed from the common pe- 

 tiole, and each bears three leaflets, as in 

 fumaria bulbosa. 



37. Bivalved. Having two valves ; 

 applied to the shells of certain moUusca. 



BIBLIO'GRAPHY {/3i/3\iov, a book, 

 7pa'0a), to write). Among the ancients 

 this term denoted the writing or the 

 transcription of books. In modern times, 

 it signifies the science of the knowledge 

 of books, with reference to their authors, 

 subjects, editions, and history. 



BICE. A blue colour, prepared from 

 the lapis armenius, for painting. 



BILLION. In numeration, a million of 

 millions, expressed by 1,000,000,000,000. 

 By this term the French signify only a 

 thousand millions. 



BI'NARY COMPOUNDS. A series 

 of chemical compounds, formed by the 

 union of two elementary bodies with each 

 other in their combining proportions only, 

 or in multiples of them, and in no inter- 

 mediate proportions. If the constituents 

 of a binary compound be represented by 

 A and B, the latter being the oxygen or 

 electro-negative constituent, the most 

 frequent combination is A -f B, then 

 A-I-2B, A4-3B, and A-1-5B. The com- 

 bination of 2A-h3B is not unfrequent; 

 but 2A-fB, A-t-4B, A-I-7B, 2A-f2B, or 

 2A-»-5B are of comparatively rare occur- 

 rence. The five compounds of nitrogen 

 and oxygen afford a good illustration of 

 this law of combination. 



BI'NARY NOTATION. A kind of 

 notation, proposed by Leibnitz, in which 

 only two characters are used, 1 and 0, the 

 zero having the power of multiplying the 

 number it follows by two, as in the com- 

 mon notation it multiplies by ten. The 

 number one is represented by I ; two, by 

 10; three, by 11; four, by 100; five, 

 by 101 ; six, by 110 ; seven, by 111 ; eight. 



