bird's-nest 
saliva (if the birds, anil are much esteemed by the Chinese, 
who use them in making the well-known bird's-nest soup. 
Bird's-nest fungus, any species of fungus belonging 
to the group Xiditlariaceee, which resemble small nests 
containing i'ggs. Also called bird's-nrxt peziza. 
bird-spider (berd'spi"der), n. A large hairy 
spider of the family Tlieraphosidtc and genus 
Arieularia (often called Mi/gale). A. ariculnria, 
a native of tropical America, is able to capture 
and kill small birds. See cut on preceding page. 
bird's-tares, bird's-tongue (berdz'tarz, -tung), 
n. Names of the species of Omitlioglossum, a 
genus of bulbous plants from the Cape of Good 
Hope. The name bird's-tonaue is also applied to the 
door-weed, Pvlyaonum aviculare, from the shape of its 
leaves, and sometimes to the keys of the European ash, 
Frajrin ux t'xcelitutT, 
bird-tick (berd'tik), n. A name of some pupip- 
arous dipterous insects which infest the plu- 
mage of birds, creeping quickly about among 
the feathers. A good example is Olfersia ameri- 
cana, which is found on many species of birds. 
bird-witted (berd'wit'ed), a. Having only the 
wit of a bird ; passing rapidly from one subject 
to another ; nighty. 
If a child be bird-witted, that is, hath not the faculty of 
attention, the nmthematicks giveth a remedy thereunto. 
Bacon, Works, I. 161. 
birectangular (bi-rek-tang'gu-lar), a. [< bi- 2 
+ rectangular. ] Having two right angles : as, 
a birectangular spherical triangle. 
birefractive (bi-re-frak'tiv), a. [< bi- 2 + re- 
fractire.} Same as birefringent. 
birefringent (bl-re-frin'jent), a. [< bi- 2 + re- 
fringent.} Doubly refractive ; possessing the 
property of separating a ray of light into two 
rays by double refraction. See refraction. 
bireme (bi'rem), n. [< L. biremis, < bi-, two-, 
+ remus, an oar.] An ancient galley having 
two banks or tiers of oars. 
A few were biremes, the rest stout triremes. 
L. Wallace, Ben-Hur, p. 149. 
biretta (bi-ret'a), . [Also birretta, berretta; 
< It. berretta =' Sp. Mrreta = Pr. berreta, bar- 
reta = F. barette (> E. barret 2 ), fern. ; in masc. 
form, Pr. birret = 
Cat. baret = F. beret 
(see beret), < ML. bir- 
rettum, birrctum, al- 
so bereta, etc., dim. 
of birrux, a hood or 
cape, LL. a cloak: 
seebirrits.'] 1. Origi- 
nally, any small cap 
worn as distinctive 
of a trade or pro- 
fession; afterward, 
a scholastic cap, or 
such as was worn 
indoors by mem- Biretta. 
bers of the learned 
professions; now, in the Bo>. Cnth. CIt., the 
ecclesiastical cap. This last is square, and has three 
and sometimes four norns or projections on top, crossing 
It at equal angles, and frequently having a tuft or tassel 
where the horns meet in the middle. For priests and the 
lower orders its color is black, and for bishops also, at 
least in Rome, though elsewhere they commonly wear 
one of violet, corresponding with the color of the cassock ; 
for cardinals it is red. It seems to have been introduced 
in offices of the church when the amice ceased to be worn 
over the head in proceeding to and from the altar at mass. 
2. By extension, a Tunis cap ; a smoking-cap. 
birgandert, n. See bergander. 
birnomboidal (bl-rom-boi'dal), a. [< bi- 2 + 
rhomboidal.} Having a surface composed of 
twelve rhombic faces, which, being taken six 
and six, and prolonged in idea till they intercept 
each other, would form two rhombohedrons. 
birimose (bl-ri'mos), a. [< L. bi-, two-, + rima, 
a chink.] Opening by two slits, as the anthers 
of most plants. 
birk 1 (b6rk), i. Northern English and Scotch 
form of birch. 
Shadows of the silver birk 
Sweep the green that folds thy grave. 
Tennyxon, A Ltirge, i. 
birk 2 (berk), r. i. [Se.; origin obscure; cf. 
Icel. berk/a, bark, bluster.] To give a tart an- 
swer; converse in a sharp and cutting way. 
Jamieson. 
birken (ber'ken), . Northern English and 
Scotch form of birchen. 
birkent (ber'ken), t-. t. [< birkeii, a., or Irirkl 
+ -en 1 .] To beat with a birch or rod. 
They ran up and clown like furies, and birkeiud those 
they met with. 
Christian Rdiyitnis Ajrpfftl, p. 91. 
birkie (ber'ki), a. and . [Se., also spelled bir- 
ky; of. Wf# 2 .] I. a. Lively; spirited; tart iu 
speech. 
562 
II. n. 1. A lively young fellow; a self-as- 
sertive fellow. 
Ye see yon birkie ca'd a lord, 
Wha struts, an' stares, an' a' that. 
Burnt, For A' That. 
2. Beggar-my-neighbor : a game at cards. Auld 
birkie, old boy. [Colloq.] 
birl 1 (berl), v. [Se. and E. dial., also burl, < 
ME. birleii, byrlen, < AS. byrelian, byrlian, bir- 
lian (> Icel. byrla), pour out drink, < byrcle (> 
Icel. byrli), a cupbearer, butler (perhaps con- 
nected with OS. biril = OHG. biril, a basket), 
prop, a carrier, bearer, < beran, bear: see fiear 1 .] 
1. trans. 1. To pour out (wine, etc.) for. 
Dame Elynour entrete 
To byrle them of the best. 
Skelton, Elynour Rummyng, 1. 269. 
2. To supply or ply with drink. 
II. intraiis. To drink in company; carouse. 
[A modern forced use.] 
birl 2 (berl), i'. [Appar. imitative; cf. birr 2 , 
bur 2 , whirl, whir, tirl, etc.] I. intrans. To 
move or rotate rapidly ; make a noise like that 
made by wheels moving rapidly over stones or 
gravel. 
II. trans. To cause to rotate ; twirl or spin 
(as a coin) in the air or on a table, as in pitch- 
and-toss ; hence, to toss out (a coin or coins) 
on the table as one's contribution ; contribute 
as one's share in paying for drinks: as, "I'll 
birl my bawbee," Scotch song. 
birlaw, birley, birlie, . See byrlaw. 
birlawman, birlieman, birlyman, . See byr- 
laieman. 
birlin (ber'lin), . [Also birlinn, birling, berlin, 
berling; < Gael, birlinn, bioirlinn, a barge or 
pleasure-boat.] A kind of boat used in the 
Hebrides, rowed with from four to eight long 
oars, but seldom furnished with sails. 
There's a place where their berlinx and gallies, as they 
ca'd them, used to lie in lang syne. 
Scott, Guy Mannering, xl. 
Sailing from Ireland in a birlinn or galley. 
Quoted in N. and Q., 6th Ber., XII. 7. 
birling 1 (ber'ling), . [Verbal n. of birfl, t>.] 
A drinking-match. 
The Tod's-hole, an house of entertainment where there 
has been mony a blithe birliiig. Scott. 
birling 2 (ber'ling), . Same as birlin. 
birn 1 (bern), . [Sc. : see burn 1 .'] A stem of 
dry heather; specifically, one of the stems of 
burnt heath wnich remain after the smaller 
twigs have been consumed, as in moor-burning. 
birn 2 (bern), n. [< G. birne, a pear, dial, bir, < 
MHO. bir, pi. birn, < OHG. bira = L. pirum, pi. 
jiira, whence also ult. E. pear, q. v.] That part 
of an instrument of the clarinet class into which 
the mouthpiece fits : so called from its shape. 
birny (ber'ni), a. [< birn 1 + -y 1 .] Abounding 
in birns. [Scotch.] 
birostrate, birostrated (bi-ros'trat, -tra-ted), 
a. [< bi- 2 + rostrate.'} Having a double beak, 
or process resembling a beak. 
birotation (bi-ro-ta'shon), . [< bi- 2 + rota- 
tion.'] Double rotation or rotatory power. The 
name was given by Dubrunfaut toa phenomenon exhibited 
by some sugar, which possesses a rotatory power that is at 
first nearly equal to twice the normal amount, but gradu- 
ally diminishes and remains constant when the normal 
power is reached. The sugar having this property is called 
birotatory dextrose. 
birotatory (bl-ro'ta-to-ri), a. [< bi- 2 + rota- 
tory.} Possessing double rotatory power. See 
birotation. 
birotine (bir'o-tin), . [Origin uncertain.] A 
kind of silk from the Levant. 
birotulate (bi-ro'tu-lat), a. [< L. bi-, two-, + 
rotula, a little wheel: see roll.} Having two 
wheels or disks connected by a common axis. 
birr 1 (ber; Sc. pron. ber), n. [Sc., also bir, ber, 
beir, bere, btir,burr, etc., < ME. bir, byr, byrre, 
burre, bur, < Icel. byrr (= Sw. Dan. 66V), a fa- 
voring wind, < bera (= AS. beran), bear: see 
bear 1 .'] If. A strong wind. 2. The force of 
the wind; impetus; momentum. 3. A thrust 
or push. 4. Force; vigor; energy. [Scotch 
and North. Eng.] 
birr 2 (ber), v. i. [Sc., also bir, ber, etc., appar. 
imitative, like bur 2 , burr 2 , and birl 2 , q. v.] To 
make a whirring noise ; make a noise like that 
of revolving wheels, or of millstones at work. 
[Scotch.] 
birr 2 (ber), w. [<WT 2 ,f.] 1. A whirring noise. 
2. Strong trilling pronunciation. See bur 2 . 
[Scotch.] 
birretta, . See biretta. 
birrus (bir'us), n. ; pi. birri (-1). [LL., a cloak of 
wool or silk, orig. of a reddish color, worn to 
keep oft' rain, < OL. burrus, red (f ), < Gr. 
birth-hour 
older Trvprr6f, red, flame-colored; cf. xvpa6f, a 
fire-brand, usually referred to nvp = E. Jire. 
Hence ult. biretta, berretta, etc. (see biretta), 
barrel, bureau, etc.] 1. Under the Roman em- 
pire, and later, a cloak with a hood worn as 
an outer garment for protection from the wea- 
ther. It was strictly a heavy and rough garment, woven 
of coarse wool in its natural color; but after a time cloaks 
of the same form and name came to be made of fine qual- 
ity also. 
2. A species of coarse thick woolen cloth used 
by the poorer classes in the middle ages for 
cloaks and external clothing. 
birse (bers), n. [Sc., also birs, < ME. brust, < 
AS. byrst = OHG. burst, bursta, MHG. borst, 
biirst, borste, G. borste = Icel. burst = Sw. 
borst = Dan. borste, bristle; the primitive of 
bristle, q. v.] A bristle; collectively, bristles. 
[Scotch.] To Bet up one's birse, to put one on his 
mettle ; put one in a towering passion. 
birsle (ber'sl), v. t. ; pret. and pp. birsled, ppr. 
birsling. [Sc., also brissle, brusle = E. brvstle, 
make a crackling noise: see brvstle 1 .] 1. To 
scorch or toast, as before a fire: as, to birsle 
one's self or one's shanks before the fire. 2. 
To parch or broil : as, to birsle peas or potatoes. 
[Scotch.] 
birt (bert), H. [Also written burt, and formerly 
bert, byrt; also brit, bret, q. v.] A local Eng- 
lish name of the turbot, Psetta maxima. 
birt-fish (bfert'fish), n. Same as birt. 
birth 1 (berth), n. [Early mod. E. also berth, 
< ME. birth, berth, byrtli, births, burthe, byrthe 
(appar. assimilated to Icel. *byrdhr,l&teTburdhr 
= OSw. byrtli, Sw. bord = Dan. byrd), reg. ME. 
byrde, burde, < AS. gebyrd (= OFries. berd, berth 
= OS. giburd = D. geboorte = OHG. giburt, MHG. 
G. geburt = Goth, gabaurths, birth, nativity; 
cf. Ir. brim = Gael, breith, birth ; Skt. bhriti), 
with formative -d (and prefix ge-), < beran, 
bear: see bear 1 .} 1. The fact of being born ; 
nativity. 
Had our prince 
(Jewel of children) seen this hour, he had pair'd 
Well with this lord ; there was not full a month 
Between their births. Sliak., W. T., v. 1. 
2. By extension, any act or fact of coming into 
existence; beginning; origination: eta, the birth 
of Protestantism. 
After an hour's strict search we discover the cause of 
the reports. They announce the birth of a crevasse. 
Tyndall, Korms of Water, p. 68. 
3. The act of bearing or bringing forth ; par- 
turition: as, "at her next birth," Milton, Ep. 
M. of Win., 1. 67. 4. The condition into which 
a person is born ; lineage ; extraction ; descent : 
as, Grecian birth ; noble birth : sometimes, ab- 
solutely, descent from noble or honorable pa- 
rents and ancestors : as, a man of birth. 
He [James] had an obvious interest in inculcating the 
superstitious notion that birth confers rights anterior to 
law and unalterable by law. Slacaulay. 
5. That which is born ; that which is produced. 
Poets are far rarer births than kings. 
B. Jonnon, Epigrams. 
Others hatch their eggs and tend the birth till it is able 
to shift for itself. Addiion, Spectator, No. 120. 
Lines, the birth of some chance morning or evening at 
an Ionian festival, or among the Sabine hills, have lasted 
generation after generation. 
J. II. Xetcuum, Gram, of Assent, p. 75. 
6f. Nature; kind; sex; natural character. 
N. E. D. 7f. In astrol., nativity; fortune. 
A cunning man did calculate my birth, 
And told me that by water I should die. 
Shak., 2 Hen. VI., iv. 1. 
New birth, regeneration (which see). 
birth 2 , n. See berth 2 . 
birth-childt (berth'child) , . A child ascribed to 
the domain of its birth, or to the ruler of it : as, 
" Thetis' birth-child" (Shak., Pericles, iv. 4), that 
is, one born on the sea, the domain of Thetis. 
birthday (berth'da), n. and a. [ME. birthdai, 
birthcday (cf. AS. gcbyrd-da>g) ; < birth 1 + day.} 
I. 11. The day on which a person is born, or the 
anniversary of the day ; hence, day or time of 
origin or commencement. 
This is my birth-day, as this very day 
Was Cassius born. Shak., J. C., v. 1. 
Those barbarous ages past, succeeded next 
The birth-day of invention. Coir/ier, Task. i. 
II. a. Relating or pertaining to the day of 
a person's birth, or to its anniversary: as, a 
birthday ode or gift; birthday festivities, 
birthdomt (berth'dum), n. [< birth 1 , + -dom.} 
Privilege of birth; that which belongs to one 
by birth ; birthright. Ultal: 
birth-hour (berth 'our), . The hour at which 
one is born. 
Worse than a slavish wipe or :i liiftli-tunir'x blot. 
Shak., Lucrece, 1. 537. 
