borough 
or more representatives to Parliament : usually 
called a iiitrliitiiii-iiliirii Imniiii/li. I ml. r tin- m-m-ial 
laws ivijiilatiiig municipal joverumant, with s.nm- CM cp 
tions, tin lull-messes of t-iieh l>orough fin! a certain mini 
IH-I- if ci.nncil'.l's cVi-|-> thn. \c;il-, anil Ibis.- .-!n-t !ll<- 
mayor annually ami half the aldi-nm -n (who Ml 
years) tncnnmlly. Ma>"i , aldei men, and councilors form 
the council The correwondinc term in Scotland ii,inn- : ii,. 
3. In ( '. iiiiii'i -tii-iii, Minnesota, New Jersey, and 
Pennsylvania, tin incorporated nmnieipalit y 
less populous Hum :i city unil differently gov- 
erned: in general, corresponding to linen in 
other States. In \linn<--i>ta ami Pennsylvania its 
tamiulai -ics air identical uiili ih. is.- of inn- uf the primary 
divisions of the county ; in Connecticut ami New Jcrsi-\ 
they ini-luili- only tile .spare occupied by houses adjoining 
or neurly adjoining. 
4f. A shelter or place of security. 
The Hat, levell. anil plain.- Hi-Ms not able tn afford ns 
. . . any tturviiijh to shelter us. 
IMIiunl, tr. "f Aniiniaiius, p. 114. 
6f. At Richmond in Yorkshire, England, and 
perhaps other northern old corporate towns, a 
property held by burgage, and formerly quali- 
fying for a vote for members of Parliament. 
Jy. A. D Close borough, a pocket borough. 
Lansinere Is neither a rotten borough, to he bought, nor 
a clone borough, under one man s noniiiiiition. autwtr. 
Pocket borough, in England, before the passage of the 
Reform Bill of liti'2 and the subsequent legislation deal- 
ing with the elertive franchise, a Iwrough the parliamen- 
tary representation of which \\as pi;u l irally in the hands 
of some individual or family. Rotten borough, a name 
given before the passing of the Reform Bill of 1S32 to cer- 
tain boroughs in England which had fallen Into decay and 
had a mere handful of voters, but which still retained the 
privilege of sending members to Parliament. At the head 
of the list of these stood Old Sarum, the abandoned site of 
an old town, which returned two representatives though 
without a single inhabitant, the proprietors nominating 
whom they pleased. To buy a borough, to purchase 
the power of controlling the election of a member of Par- 
liament for a borough. 1'nder recent British legislation 
this is no longer possible. 
borough-t, . An obsolete form of burrow^. 
borough 3 t, An obsolete form of borrow 1 . 
borough-court (bur'6-kort), . The court of 
record for an English borough, generally pre- 
sided over by the recorder. 
borough-English (bur'6-ing'glish), n. [Irreg. 
translation of AF. tenure en burgji engloys, 
tenure in an English borough.] In law, a cus- 
tomary descent of some estates in England 
to the youngest son instead of the eldest, or, 
if the owner leaves no son, to the youngest 
brother. 
It Is a remarkable circumstance that an institution 
closely resembling Borouyh Etujlinh is found in the Laws 
of Wales, giving the rule of descent for all cultivating 
villeins. Maine, Early Hist, of Institutions, p. 223. 
borough-head, n. See borrow-head. 
borough-holder (bur'6-hol"d6r), . 1. In Eng- 
land, a headborough ; a borsholder. [Rare or 
obsolete.] 2. In some parts of northern Eng- 
land, a person who holds property by burgage 
tenure. 
The Borough-holder* [Gateshead] are qualified by ten- 
ure of bin-gage tenements, which are particular freehold 
houses, alxmt lf>0 in number. They have an estate in fee. 
Municip. Corp. licportt (1836X p. 1528. 
borough-master (bur'6-raas'ter), n. [< bor- 
iiinjli^ + nuixli-r. Cf. burgliHKixti-r. Imrgomastcr.] 
The mayor, governor, or bailiff of an English 
borough. 
boroughmonger (bur'6-mung' r ger), n. For- 
merly, one who bought or sold the parliamen- 
tary representation of an English borough. 
Tliese were called rotten Itoroughs, and those who owned 
and supported lln-m l><n-<ii"iii-ii<"ii<i'->:<. 
.1. I'lnililaniiue, Jr., How we are Governed, v. 
boroughmongering (biir'6-mung"ger-ing), n. 
Trafficking in the parliamentary representa- 
tion of a borough, a practice at one time com- 
mon in England. 
\\Y iiwe Hi.- r.mjish jK-i-rape to three sources : the spo- 
liation of llu- church ; the open and flagrant sale of its 
honours by the elder stuarte; and the bormighmon : irriii^ 
of our own limes. liitratli, Coningsby, iv. 4. 
borough-reeve (bur'6-rev), . [< borough* + 
irt'i-ii, sifter MK. liiirhi-n-i; < AS. bitrk-yerefa.] 
1. Before the Norman conquest, the governor 
of an English town or city. 
They . . . also freely chose their own borough-reeve, or 
port-reeve, as their head of the civic community was 
termed. Sir /-.'. Cmt*\i. F.ng. roust, p. 50. 
2. The chief municipal officer in certain unin- 
corporated English towns before the passage, 
in IKJiii. of the Municipal Corporations Act. 
borough-sessions (bur'6-sesh'onz), . jit. The 
sessions held i|unrterly. or oftener, in an Eng- 
lish borough before the recorder, on a day ap- 
pointed by him. 
688 
boroughship' (bur'o-sliip), n. [< borough 1 + 
-.-./<//(.] A township; the l':n-l nf i-onstituting ;i 
borough 01- tiiwnship. \. K. D. 
boroughship'-' (bur'6-ship), . [< bnrouyk'^ + 
-.v/ii'/i.] The condition of beim; sri-iirity for 
the ";iid behuvior of neighbors; fi-unk-jili-dge. 
\. /.. l>. 
borough-town (bm-'o-toun), n. [< ME. Imrz- 
iinni. liin-iiii-iini, town which is u borough, < AS. 
hnrliiiiii, an inelostire surrounding a castle, < 
Imrh, :i i-iistle, borough, + tun, iuclosure, town. 
Hence the place-name Burton.] A town which 
is a borough, 
borowe't, borowe-t, etc. Obsolete forms of 
linrrnirl, hurnlli/li^. eli-. 
borrachiot, borrachot. . Same as borackio. 
Borraginaceae, etc. See Koraginacea, etc. 
borrasca (bo-ras'kii), n. [< Sp. barranca, storm, 
tempest, obstruction (see borasco); dar or caer 
en borrasot, in mining, strike or light upon an 
unprofitable lead ; antithetical to bonanza, lit. 
fair weather: see bonanza.] In mining, barren 
rock: the opposite of bonanza, 1 (which see). 
borrel H, borrel 2 !. See borefl, bareP. 
Borrelist (bor'el-ist), . [< Adam Borrel, their 
founder, + -ist.] In cedes, hint., one of a sect 
of Mennonites founded in the Netherlands in 
the seventeenth century, who rejected the use 
of the sacraments, public prayer, and all ex- 
ternal worship, and led a very austere life. 
borrow 1 ! (bor 6), u. [Early mod. E. also borowe, 
borough, etc.; < ME. boroiee, borwe, etc., < AS. 
borh, borg, a security, pledge, also a surety, 
bondsman (= OFries. borh, borch = D. bory = 
MHG. borg, Q. borg, pledge, security), < beor- 
gan (pp. borgen) = D. and G. bergen, protect, 
secure: see borough 1 . The verb borrow* is from 
the noun.] 1. A pledge or surety; bail; secu- 
rity : applied both to the thing given as secu- 
rity and to the person giving it : as, " with baile 
nor borrotre,'' Spenser, Shep. Cal., May. 
Ye may retain as borrow my two priests. Scutt. 
2. A borrowing; the act of borrowing. 
Yet of your royal presence I'll adventure 
The borrow ot a week. Shak., W. T., i. 2. 
3. Cost; expense. 
That great Pan bought with deare borroir. 
Spenser, Shep. Cal., Sept. 
4. A tithing ; a frank-pledge. 
borrow 1 (bor'6), . [< ME. boroteen, borwen, 
etc., < AS. borgian (= OFries. borga = D. bor- 
gen (> prob. Icel. borga = Sw. borga = Dan. 
borge) = OHG. borgen, MHG. G. borgen), borrow, 
lit. give a pledge, < borh, borg, a pledge, se- 
curity: see Sorrow 1 , .] I. trans. 1. To take or 
obtain (a thing) on pledge given for its return, 
or without pledge, but on the understanding 
that the thing obtained is to be returned, or an 
equivalent of the same kind is to be substituted 
for it ; hence, to obtain the temporary use of : 
with o/ or from (formerly at): as, to borrow 
a book from a friend ; to borrow money of a 
stranger. 
We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and 
that ujMni our lands and vineyards. Neb. v. 4. 
2. To take or receive gratuitously from another 
or from a foreign source and apply to one's own 
use; adopt; appropriate; by euphemism, to 
steal or plagiarize : as, to borrow aid ; English 
has many borrowed words ; to borrow; an author's 
style, ideas, or language. 
These verbal signs they sometimes borrow from others, 
and sometimes make themselves. Locke. 
It is not hard for any man who hath a Bible in his 
hands to borrow good words and holy sayings in abun- 
dance. iliUon, Eikonoklastes, xxv. 
That is the way we are strong by borroiriny the might 
of the elements. Bmerton, Civilization. 
3. To assume or usurp, as something counter- 
feit, feigned, or not real ; assume out of some 
pretense. 
Those boi-rou-'d tears that sinon sheds. 
Shalt., Lucrece, 1. 1549. 
Each part, depriv'd of supple government, 
Shall, stiff and stark and cold, appear like death: 
Vml in this borrotc'tl likeness of shrunk death 
Thou shalt continue two-and-forty hours. 
Shot., R. and .!.. iv. 1. 
4f. To be surety for ; hence, to redeem ; ransom. 
I pray you, let me bornnc my arms again. 
fihat.. L.L.L., v. 2. 
II. inlrnns. To practise borrowing; take or 
receive loans ; appropriate to one's self what 
belongs to another or others : as, I neither bor- 
row nor lend ; he borrows freely from other au- 
thors. 
Whoever borrow'd could not be to blame, 
Since the whole House did afterwards the same. 
Pope, Kpil. to Satires, 11. 189. 
boscage 
borrow' 2 (bor'6), r. i. [Origin uncertain; prob. 
orig. 'take shelter'; cf. Imrrnic-, shelter.] 
\'t:tt., to approach either land or the wind 
closely. Nmytli. 
borrOW : 't, - An obsolete form of borouijb 1 . 
borrower (bor'o-er), . 1. One who borrows: 
opposed In Irniii ; . 
N.-ithcr a Ixtrrouvr nor a lender be : 
I 1 .. i' loan i. ft Insi-lh both itself and friend : 
And borrowing dulls the edge of hiiHlmmlry. 
.sA.ii -.. Hamlet, I. :i. 
2. One who takes what belongs to another, 
and uses it as his own; specifically, in literature, 
a plagiarist. 
> say I uii a great borrower. r ]- 
borrow-headt, [Also written bttnmgh-head ; 
orig. (AS. ) 'fritkbHrhlinifoil, written frillilinrh- 
hered in the (Latin) laws of Edward the Con- 
fessor; < fritkbork,a, tithing (< frith, peace, + 
borh, pledge, security: see iwrroiel, .), + hed- 
fod, head.] The head of a tithing ; a headbor- 
ough or borsholder. 
borrowing (bor'o-ing), . [Verbal n. of bor- 
row 1 , r.] 1. The act of taking or obtaining 
anything on loan or at second-hand. 2. The 
act of taking and using as one's own. 
Such kind of borrouing as this, If it be not better'd by 
the Borrower, among good Authors is accounted Pla- 
giarie. Milton, Eikonoklastes, ulli. 
3. The thing borrowed. 
Yet are not these thefts but borrovrings ; not impious 
falsities, but elegant flowers of speech. 
Jer. Taylor (7), Artif. Handsomeness, p. 166. 
borrowing-days (bor'o-ing-daz), n. pi. The 
last three days of March, old style: said to 
have been borrowed from April, and supposed 
to be especially stormy. [Scotch.] 
borsella (bdr-sel'il), . [It. "borsella, fern., cor- 
responding to borsello, masc. , a bag, purse, pock- 
et, dim. of borga, a purse: see burne and purse.] 
In glass-making, an instrument for extending 
or contracting glass. 
borsholder (bdrs'hol-dcr), n. [Early mod. E. 
bosholder, borsolder, burseholder, < AF. bori- 
salder, borghisaldre, repr. ME. boryhes alder: 
boryhes, gen. of borgh, a tithing, frank-pledge ; 
alder, chief: see borrow^, n., 4, and elder 1 , n.] 
Originally, in England, the head or chief of a 
tithing or frank-pledge ; a headborough ; after- 
ward, a petty constable. [Now only local.] 
bort (bdrt), n. [Formerly also boart, bourt; cf. 
F. bort, bord, bastard. Origin unknown.] 1. A 
collective name for diamonds of inferior quality, 
especially such as have a radiating crystalliza- 
tion, so that they will not take a polish. These 
are crushed to form dianumd'powder or diamond-dust, 
which is used for cutting and polishing diamonds and other 
precious stones. 
2. An amorphous variety of diamond, brown, 
gray, or black in color, and known also as black 
diamond or carbonado, found massive in Brazil 
in association with pure diamonds. This is exten- 
sively used as the cutting material in diamond drills and 
stone-saws, for which ordinary diamonds arc unsuited 
from their crumbling and cleaving. 
boruret (bo'r6-ret), n. [< bor(on) + -uret.] 
The older form for boride. 
borwet, A Middle English form of borrow 1 . 
Bos (bos), w. [L., ace. bonem, = Gr. /fctf, an 
ox, = E. coir, q. v. See bovine, beef, bucolic, 
etc.] A genus of hollow-horned ruminants, 
having simple horns in both sexes, typical of 
the family Bovula: and subfamily Boi-ina, con- 
taining the oxen, or cattle. iu limits vary : It Is 
now commonly restricted to the B. tam-u*, the domestic 
ox, bull, or cow, and closely related species, formerly it 
was about equivalent to the subfamily Borinae, as that term 
Is now used. See cut under ox. 
bosa, n. See bora. 
bosardt, " A Middle English form of buzzard. 
Boscades (bos'ka-dez), n. pi. [NL., < Gr. ^oo*-<ir 
(pi. fioandicf), a small kind of duck, lit. feed- 
ing, < Joanetv, feed.] In Men-em's classification 
(1813), a group of anserine birds nearly coex- 
tensive with the modern family Anatidtr. 
boscage, boskage (bos'kaj), w. [< ME. boskage, 
buscage, < OF. boscage, mod. F. bocage = Pr. 
boscatge = Sp. boscaje = It. boscagaio, < ML. 
"boscaticum (found only in sense of ' a tax on 
firewood brought to town '), < boscus, buschu*, 
a thicket, wood, < OHG. busc, a thicket, = E. 
busk 1 : see bush 1 , bosk, bosket, bouquet.] 1. A 
mass of growing trees or shrubs ; woods, groves, 
or thickets ; sylvan scenery. 
The rest of the ground Is made into several! inclosures 
all hedge-worke or rowes of trees) of whole fields, mea- 
L iwes, boKoge*, some of them containing divers ackers. 
i'rWyn, War}', April 1, 1644. 
"Glory to God," she sang, and past afar, 
Thridding the sombre botiage of the wood. 
Tennyivn, Fair Women. 
do 
