beehive 
cal buildings In Ireland, of sninll ni/c, formed of long 
stones, so hiiil, on :i eireiiliir plan, that each course isover- 
]app>'d h> Itinl resting upon it. Noeeiiient is used, ilini 
iln- stones remain fur the most {tart in their natural 
slat' 1 . These houses oeeur alone or ill elllsters, often Ill-- 
sill.' oratories. in which eii.se it is believed thai the} served 
as dwellings nl' priests. or, when ill uroiipv -Mineliiiie.- in 
circled lev a -Ion,- wall, for defen.sc. i lecasioiially lln-j 
contain iniiri- than out.- apartment. Houses of this kind 
"'Till' also ill till- \\cstcni I'les of Sentlalld; alld the 
' I'iets houses" on the ea-t coH.st, though dill'cring ill he- 
ill^ miller ground, rcfiemlde them ill their mode of eon 
slrnetion. They an- referred to a period l.etwecn lie 
seventh ami twelfth centuries. Beehive Oven, a low. 
square furnace with a dome-shaped top. It has an open 
illi; ill tile top for the esr:i|ie nl liases, ami a door ill the 
side through which to admit air, to charge with eoal. and 
to discharge the coke. .SVi'.'i/iv. III. 
beehouse (lie'hous). . A house or repository 
for bees; an apiary. (luldxiiiilh. 
beekt (bek), r. [E. dial. (North.) and So., also 
written lii-iik: l>i-ik: ln-k-i: < .ME. ln-ki'ii, warm one's 
self, perhaps akin to bake. Cf. busk 1 .'] I. trims. 
To warm ; bask. 
Co home now. and . . . 
lire. 
,,^ thy pampered limlis at the 
/.'. r. T. .|./</,,i. Works, II. :<. 
II. in trim*. To bask; apricate. [Scotch, 
colloq.] 
bee-killer (b6'kil"er), M. A kind of robber-tly, 
Trii/iinii'ii ii/iiri>ril, a dipterous insect of I lie 
family .-Isiliila; which attacks honey-bees on 
tin' u iii<,' and kills them. 
bee-king (be'king), n. A kind of drongo-shrikp, 
IHsst'iiiiirun iiiiniilixi-iiK. will) deeply forkeil tail. 
Also called Iniliiin hri'-kiinj. 
beeldt C'eld), n. and r. See liii-lil. 
beele 1 (bel), . [Prob. a form of bill, a mat- 
tock (cf. E. dial, heal, the bill of a bird) : see 
6i'i/ 2 .] A kind of pickax used by miners for 
separating the ores from the rocks in which 
they lie. 
beele'-H, " [Perhaps a var. of bill' 1 in sense of 
bill f ft, q. v.1 A cross-bar; a yoke. J?. K. D. 
bee-line (be'lln), . The most direct or straight 
way from one point to another, as that of bees 
in returning loaded with honey to their hives. 
Our footmarks, seen afterward, showed that we had 
steered a bee-line for the brig. 
CUM, Sec. Grliin. Exp., I. 108. 
bee-louse (be'lous), n. A pupiparous dipterous 
insect, of the family Braulida: parasitic upon 
bees, liraula cceca is a parasite of the Italian 
bee, Apia ligustica. 
Beelzebub (be-el'ze-bub), n. [Formerly also, 
and still in popular speech, Belzebtib, ME. Bel- 
sebub, < L. Beelzebub, < Gr. Eetf&jioi'p, < Heb. 
Ba'al-zebub, a god of the Philistines, the avert- 
er of insects, < ba'al, lord, -f- zebub, z'bub, a 
fly ; cf. Ar. dhtibab, > Pers. zubdb, a fly. See 
Beelzebul and Baal.'] 1. A god of the Philis- 
tines, who had a famous temple at Ekron. He 
was worshiped as the destroyer of flies. 2. A 
name of the Mycetes ursinus, a howling monkey 
of South America. See cut under howler. 
Beelzebul (be-el'ze-bul), n. [< L. Beelzelml, < 
Gr. BeeXff/Joi^, < Heb. Ba'al-zebid, a name given 
by the Jews to the prince of demons; com- 
monly explained as either 'lord of the (heaven- 
ly) dwelling,' or 'lord of dung' (Heb. zebcl 
= Ar. zibl, dung), but prob. a mere variant of 
Ba'al-zcbub, Beelzebub, the name of the Philis- 
tine god, which came to be applied to the prince 
of demons. The best Gr. manuscripts have 
BEeAfe/JoM, in the Gospels. See Beelzebub.] A 
name given by the Jews to the prince of demons, 
being an opprobrious alteration of the name 
Hn-l-cbub. 
beemt, . An obsolete form of beam. 
bee-martin (be'mar"tiii), . A common name 
in the United States of the king-bird, Tyrannus 
earoliiK'iixi.1. See cut under king-bird. 
bee-master (be'mas'ter), n. One who keeps 
bees. 
bee molt (be mol), n. [For B nwl, ML. B iimlli: 
that is, 'B soft': opposed to B durum, 'B hard.' 
See woll.'\ Same as benwl. 
bee-moth (be'mdth), n. A pyralid moth of the 
genus (iiilli-ri/i, G. cereana (Fabricius). It lays 
its eggs in heehives, and the larva; when hatched feed 
upon the wax. Also called n-ax-mttth (whence its specific 
name). See cut in next column. 
been 1 (ben or bin). Past participle, and ob- 
solete present plural and infinitive, of be 1 . 
been'-'t, . Obsolete plural of bee 1 . 
been 3 , a. See brin. 
been 4 (ben), n. [Hind, bin, a lute, guitar, fid- 
dle.] A fretted stringed instrument of music 
of the guitar kind, having nineteen frets, used 
in India. 
bee-nettle (be'net'l), . A species of hemp- 
nettle, (riilciijifia n rsii-ii/or. See Galeopsis. 
Bee-moth t..itm,i certana ), natural size. 
it, larva : b, cocoon ; <.i>u[i.t; r/, moth with Willis vprcad ; ^. ni-,tli 
with wings closed. 
beent (be'ent), a. [A forced translation by J. 
II. Stirling of G. seiend.] In nn-tni>h., having 
being as opposed to existence. [Rare.] 
If the lileaties persist in the dilemma, the world is 
either lu-nit or itnu-lviil, llcniclitils answers, It is neither 
of them, liccan.se it is both of them. 
./. //. Xtirliiiii, tr. of Schwegler s Hist. I'hilos., p. 20. 
bee-orchis (be'6r"kis), n. A European orchid, 
li/ilir;/.'* iiiiil'i-i-ii, with a bee-like flower. Also 
called ber-floifrr and i/iiiit-/lon-i'i: See Ojiliryx. 
bee-parasite (b8'par*iwK), . 1. A stylops: 
an insect of the order Strtpttpttra, the species 
of which are parasitic upon bees. Bees so in- 
fested are said to be stylopized. See Stylops. 
2. Some other insect parasitic upon bees, as a 
bee-louse or bee-wolf. 
beer 1 (ber), H. [< ME. berc, ber, < AS. beor = 
OFries. biar, bier = D. bier = LG. ber, beer = 
OHG. bior, MHG. G. bier (> It. birra = F. biere) ; 
ft. Icel. bjorr, Ir. Gael, beoir, from AS. or E. 
(the Scand. word is that cognate with E. ale). 
Origin uncertain ; some assume a loss of r from 
orig. *bre6r, < AS. bredwan, etc., brew: see brcir.'] 
1. An alcoholic liquor made from any farina- 
ceous grain, but generally from barley, which 
is first malted and ground, and its fermentable 
substance extracted by hot water. TO this extract 
or infusion hops or some other vegetable product of an 
agreeable bitterness is added, and it is thereupon boiled 
for some time, both to concentrate it and to extract the 
useful matters from the hops. The liquor is then suffered 
to ferment in vats, the time allowed for fermentation de- 
pending upon the quality and kind of Iwer, and after it 
has become clear it is stored away or sent to the market. 
The beers of England and France, and for the most part 
those of Germany, become gradually sour by exposure to 
air. Ate and beer were formerly synonymous terms, ale 
being the earlier in use ; at present, beer is the common 
name for all malt liquors, and ale is used specifically for 
a carefully made beer of a certain strength, and rather 
light than dark: thus, small beer, ginger beer, and the 
like, are not ale, nor are stout and porter. A distinction 
drawn by Andrew Boorde, in 1542, is that ale is made of 
malt and water, and should contain no other ingredienU, 
while beer is made of malt, hops, and water. 
2. A fermented extract of the roots and other 
parts or products of various plants, as ginger, 
spruce, molasses, beet, etc Beer process, in 
plHttiitf., a collodion dry-plate process in which the sensi- 
tized plate, after being washed, is treated with an infu- 
sion of malt or beer. The process is of no practical value, 
and is disused. Beer vinegar, a vinegar prepared from 
beerwort. Bitter beer. See ale. Black beer, a kind 
of UTI manufactured at Dantzic. It is of a black color 
and a syrupy consistence. Also called Dantzic beer. 
Broken beer, remnants or leavings of beer: as, "a bum- 
bard of broken beer," B. Jonson. Condensed beer, beer 
which has been reduced in a copper vacuum-pan to one 
eighteenth its hulk in solids, added to an equal quantity 
of alcohol. Dantzic beer. Same as black beer. Green 
beer, beer which is just made.- Lager-beer, or stock- 
beer, a light German beer so called because it is stored for 
ripening before being used. It is extensively manufactured 
in the United States. Schenk, young, or winter beer, 
a 'in-mail beer brewed for immediate use. (See lairer-beer.) 
It was formerly brewed only between October and April, 
but now is manufactured at all seasons. Small beer, 
weak beer; hence, figuratively, a trifling matter: a small 
op unimportant thing or person. Stock-beer. See lager- 
lirer. To think small beer of, to have a low opinion of ; 
hold in slight esteem. [C'olloq. ] 
She thinks *m<lll beer of painters, J. J. well, well, we 
don't tliitik xtnall beer of ourselves, my noble friend. 
Thackeray, The Newcomes, xxxix. 
Yeast-beer, new beer with which a small quantity of 
fermenting wort has been mixed in the cask in order to 
make it lively. 
beer 1 (ber), p. i. [< freer 1 , .] To drink beer; 
tipple. [Colloq.] 
beer' 2 (be'er), H. [< ME. beere;< be* + -er 1 . 
Cf. fore bear.] One who is or exists. [Rare.] 
beer'^t, An obsolete form of bier. 
beer't, . [< D. beer, a mole, pier.] A mole or 
pier. N. E. D. 
beer 5 t. Obsolete present and preterit of bear 1 . 
Chaucer. 
beestings 
beer fi t, . An obsolete form of In-ill'-. 
beeregart, " [Early mod. K. also IM-I-I;III/I'I; 
In in-i i/i-f, eli-., < /(/' + ini/i-r, sour. Cf. tlli-t/tir, 
iniii//ir.] Sour beer; vinegar formed by the 
;iei inns fermentation of beer. 
beer-engine (ber'en Jin). . A hydraulic ma- 
eliine for raising beer and oilier liquors out of 
II eask ill a cellar. 
beer-faucet (ber'fa'set), n. A faucet fitted 
with a small air-pump, for mixing air with beer 
as it is < I r;t u 11. 
beer-float (ber'llot), //. In dixtilliiig. an areom- 
eter or hydrometer designed to ascertain from 
the observed density of a grain-mash the pos- 
sible yield of spirit therefrom. The scale of the 
instrument is graduated ! lndi< ate dire- t ly at I lie -t:ind 
ard temperature, the percentage hy volume of proof .-pi lit - 
that the mash will \ielil. provided the ti -MI le n 1 at ion pro- 
eeeds to a ]>'ijnt whip- the density is equal to that of 
water. /:. //. Kni.i/il. 
beer-garden (bSr'gtrMn), . A garden at- 
tached to a brewery, tavern, or saloon, in which 
beer is served. 
beer-house (bcr'hous), . A house where malt 
liquors are sold ; an ale-house. 
beeriness(ber'i-nes), . [< ln-i-ry + -ness.] The 
state of being beery or partially intoxicated; 
slight intoxication from beer. 
beer-measure (ber'mezh'ur), . An old Eng- 
lish system of measures of capacity. The gallon 
eontai i >:! ruble inches, being 10 pounds 3 ounces 
avoirdupois of water, but was adopted as containing s 
pounds of wheat. 
beer-money (ber'mun'i), . An allowance of 
Id. per day granted in 1800 to the British 
soldier in addition to his pay, as a substitute 
for an allowance of beer or spirits; also, an 
allowance given to domestic servants in Eng- 
land in lieu of beer, to save trouble in serving 
it out, or waste by leaving the cask open. 
beerocracy (ber-ok'ra-si), n. [X beer + -o-cracy, 
as in orfefberaoy.] The brewing and beer-sell- 
ing interest ; brewers and beer-sellers collec- 
tively. [Ludicrous.] 
beer-preserver (ber'pre-zer'ver), n. A device 
for keeping the space a'bove the beer in a cask 
or barrel filled with carbonic-acid gas, which is 
supplied from a reservoir. 
beer-pull (ber'pul), . The handle of a beer- 
pump ; also, the pump itself. 
beer-pump (ber'pump), n. A pump for beer, 
especially for raising beer from the cellar to 
the bar in a saloon or public house. 
beer-saloon (ber'sa-lon* 1 ), . A place where 
beer is sold and drunk. 
beer-shop (ber'shop), . A beer-saloon; an 
ale-house. 
beerstone (ber'ston), n. [< beer 1 + stone.'] In 
brewing, a hard incrustation like stone on the 
interior of the wort-coolers. 
In time a greenish, or brownish, shining, thin crust is 
formed on the sides of the coolers no matter what ma- 
terial they may be constructed of which adheres to them 
like varnish, and cannot be removed by the usual wash- 
ing. This substance is called beer-stone. 
Thauginff, Beer (trans.), p. 473. 
Beer stone. See stone. 
beer-swilling (ber'swil"ing), a. Drinking beer 
immoderately. 
In beer-swiUiiiij Copenhagen I have drunk your Danesman 
blind. Theo. Martin, Dirge of the Drinker. 
beery (ber'i),n. [< beer 1 + -yl.] 1. Pertaining 
to or resembling beer. 2. Stained or soiled 
with beer. 
The sloppy, beery tables. Thackeray. 
3. Addicted to beer; affected by beer; partial- 
ly intoxicated from drinking beer; maudlin. 
There was a fair proportion of kindness in Raveloe, but 
It was of a beery and bungling sort. 
George Eliot, Silas Marner, ix. 
Hathoru was not averse to ale, especially at another 
man's expense, and, thought he, " Fanner is getting beery ; 
looks pretty red in the face." 
C. lltade, Clouds and Sunshine, p. 10. 
bee-skep, bee-scap (be'skep, -skap), n. [< free' 
+ skeu, seap, a beehive, a basket : see skep.] 
A beehive. [Scotch.] 
beest (best), . [Found in ME. only in deriv. 
beestings, q. v. ; < AS. beost (also bust, after 
busting, beestings) = D. biest = LG. bent = 
North. Fries, bjast, bjiist = OHG. biost, MHG. 
G. biest, beest. Origin unknown ; some sup- 
pose, from the G. dial. (Swiss) briest, Icel. 
d-bryfitur, pi., beestings, a connection with AS. 
breast, etc., E. breast.} Same as beestii/i/x. 
beestie, n. See bhcesty. 
beestings (bes'tingz), H. sing. oipl. [Also writ- 
ten beafitings, bicstitujs, etc., dial, bcastin, bistins, 
biskins, etc., < ME. beestunge, also bestiiini/i. 
bestynge, < AS. bysting, < beost, beest, + -iuy : 
