BRASmiC 



Brassylic acid, (bras'si-lik). [Brassica, q.v.] 

 =CnH2oO4 : a bibasic acid obtained by the 

 action of nitric acid on benolic acid. 

 Brattice, (brat'tis). [Sc. Brettys, or a cor- 

 ruption of bartizan.] A partition in the 

 galleries of a coal mine. 

 Braunite, (braw'nit). [Ger. braun.] An ore 

 of manganese; the German name for the 

 peroxide of manganese. 



Brazil, (bra-zil'). [Pg. braza, glowing coal.] 

 B. wood: the timber of Csesalpinia Brazi- 

 liensis, a rich red-coloured dye-st\iff. The 

 name of Brazil had been given to this wood, 

 and was also given to Brazil from the abun- 

 dance of the trees found there. B. nuts : the 

 fruit of Bertholletia excelsa. B. mate=B. 

 tea : Ilex Paraguensis. 

 Brazilein, (bra/i-lin). [Brazil, q.v.] The 

 colourless principle which, when oxidised, 

 becomes the colouring matter of Brazil wood. 

 Bread, (bred). [JSreod, the A.-S. name. 1 Flour 

 of corn kneaded into a paste 

 with water, and rendered 

 porous by carbonic acid/ 

 gas. B. fruit-tree = Arto- 

 carpus incisa, with edible 

 starchy fruit. B. nut =s 

 Brosimum alicastrum. B. 

 root = Psoralea esculenta. 

 B. <ree=Zamia caffra. 

 Break, ( brak ). [A. -S. 



fe?i'an.]=Rheotome=Com- 



mutator : an apparatus for rapidly breaking 



and remaking the connection of the parts of 



an electric battery. 



Breakers, (brak'ers). The waves that are 

 broken up into foam by the force with 



which they fall upon the rocks, &c. 

 Breaking-joint=Break-joint : the method ot 



building up a compound beam in which the 

 joints of the pieces are alternated so that 



each is strengthened by the side pieces, 

 Breakwater, (brak'-waw-ter). A very wide 



stone wall, with still broader foundation, 



built in the sea, at a distance from land, to 



stop the action of the waves and form a 



roadstead. 

 Bream, (brem). [Breme, the French name.]= 



Pagellua centrodontus = Sparus smaris = 



Abramis brama: a fish. 

 Breast, (brest). [Breost, the A.-S. name.] 



B. &one=Sternum : the 



bone in which the ribs 



terminate in fiapt. B. 



hookt i iron of timber 



knees connecting the 



two sides of a ship. B> 



wheel ; a Wheel turned 



by the force of water 



which is level with its 



centre. B.-work: any 



rude fieldwork constructed for defence and 



adapted for firing from. 

 Breath-figures. Figures visible only in va- 

 pour made upon plates of metal glass, &c., 



probably by the action of electricity. Ex., 



a coin resting for a time on a plate of smooth 



metal will leave behind it a faint copy, 



visible if breathed upon. 



Breast-wheel. 



Breathing, (breTH'ing). [Breath.] The in- 

 spiration of oxygen, and the expiration of 

 carbonic di-oxide, by which the blood is 

 purified. 



Breccia, (brek'si-a). [It. breccia, fragment.] 

 Angular fragments consolidated into stone. 



Breech, (brech). Of a gun, from the bottom 

 of the bore to the neck of the cascable. 



Breeze-fly, (brez-fli). [Briosrt, the A.-S.name.] 

 The gad-fly, bot-fly, &c.=(Estrus bovis: pro- 

 duces galls on cattle. 



Breguet's thermometer, Three slips of plati- 

 num, gold, and silver coiled into one spiral, 

 which unwinds if the temperature rises, and 

 coils more closely if it falls, owing to the 

 difference in the degrees of expansion and 

 contraction of the three metals. 



Breithauptite, (bri'top-tlt). [M. Breithaupt.] 

 An ore of nickel. 



Bremer green, A pigment obtained from 

 sulphate of copper and alumina. 



Bressummer, (bres'sum-mer) = Breast sum- 

 mer : a strong beam across any wide opening; 

 a small bressummer=A lintel. 



Brett, (bret)=Rhombus vulgaris, a 'fish. ' 



Brevilinguia, ( brev'i-ling'wi-a). [L. brevis t 

 short; lingua, a tongue.] A group of 

 lizards having thick fleshy tongues. 



Breviped, (brev'i-ped). [L. brevis, short ; pet, 

 foot.] Having short feet. 



Brevipennate, ( brev'i-pen-at ). [L. brevis, 

 short; pennatus, winged.] Having short 

 wings : used for a group of birds including 

 the ostrich, emu, &c. 



Brewing, (broo'ing). [Breovan, the A.-S. 

 word.] Extraction of beer and ale from 

 grain,; 



Brewster' a theory of light, That there ara 

 three primary coloured rays, red, yellow, 

 and blue, which together make white light. 



Brewsterite, (broo'ster-it). [Sir D. Brewster.] 

 A mineral, chiefly silicate of aluminium, 

 belonging to the Zeolite group, 



Brewstoline, (broo sto-lin). [Sir D. Brewster.] 

 =Brewstolin J a colourless liquid hydrocar* 

 bon, very expansible by heat. 



Brexia, (brek'si-a), [L, 6?-ms,rain.] A plant} 

 with beautiful foliage and green flower, 

 named from the shelter it affords* 



Brexiacese, [Brexia, Q-.v.]=Brexiads : trees 

 of Madagascar, with leathery leaves, belong- 

 ing to Saxifragales. 



Brezilin, (brez'i-lin). [Brazil, q.v. ] The5 

 colouring matter of Brazil wood, v. Brazi- 

 lein. 



Briar, (bri'ar). [Braer, the A.-S. name.] A 

 thorny plant belonging to Rosaceaj. Sweet 

 B..' Rosa rubiginosa. 



Brick, (brik). [A.-S. brice, fragment.] A 

 piece of baked clay used in building. In 

 Britain a brick is usually 9 in. long, 4 in. 

 wide, and 2J in. thick. A brick placed 

 lengthways is called a stretcher, and one 

 placed crossways is called a header. Bath 

 brick: compressed sand, named from tha 

 shape of the blocks, and from being takea 

 from the bed of the river near Bath. 

 Bridge, (brij). [Brycg, the A.-S. name.] A 

 roadway across a river or other piece of 



