bow-knot 
then tightened rniiiiil tin- bow. The knot i- 
sini|ilc if there is only one bow, double if there 
lire two ; it I-JIM be easily nut ic<l by drawing the 
bow back. 
bowl 1 (boll. it. [Prop., as in early mod. K.. 
bull, tinil still so spelled in some senses (see 
l,i,in Mini /,//-'); < MK. lM,ll,,< AS. bolin, a bowl, 
= OFries. hull,! [in ip.) = (>ll(i. hfilln. MIKi. 
bollf, a round vi'sscd. <i. holli; a bulb, onion, = 
Icel. Imlli = Sw. Ml = Dan. Imlli-. a bowl ; <!'. I'. 
fro/, a bowl, (i. hoirli; a bowl, < K. />ir/l. Some- 
what confused with boirl- and oilier forms from 
L. AII//II (sec /<//-!, /////, /<//-', etc.); prob. nil. 
akin to bo/i-l, hull 1 , etc.] 1. A low-standing 
concave vessel used for various domestic and 
other purposes, chiefly for holding liquids or 
liquid food. A bowl U properly somewhat licinUpheri- 
caf, laix'cr tliiin ;i cup ;iiut deeper an<l less flaring than a 
IIM-III (although in (Ireat Itritain howls for table use are 
commonly called />ti*in*), and witllout a cover ; but bowls 
for some specitlc uses, as sugar-howls, are widely varied 
in shape ami pii>\i<i<il with covers. 
And thun shall make the dislics thereof, and spoons 
thereof, . . . and lioirfx thereof, to eover [margin, jntiir 
out] withal. Ex. xiv. 28. 
More specifically 2. A large drinkiug-cup ; a 
goblet: in this sense now chiefly figurative, as 
an emblem of festivity or dissipation. 
Come, forward, gentlemen, to church, my boys! 
When we have done, I'll give you cheer in boirls. 
ll.-ini. iiinl /'/., Scornful Lady, iv. 2. 
There .St. John mingles with my friendly bold 
The feast of reason and the flow of soul. 
Pope, Irolt of Horace, I. 127. 
But let no footstep heat the floor, 
Nor bind of wassail mantle warm. 
7Vrtm/*f, In Memoriam, cv. 
3. Anything having the general shape or use of 
a bowl, as a natural depression in the ground, 
the pound or central portion of a fishing-weir, 
the hollow or containing part of a vessel or 
utensil having a stem or a handle, etc. : as, the 
IHHI-I of a chalice, a spoon, or a tobacco-pipe. 
bowl 2 (bol; E. dial, boul (the reg. historical 
pron.) ; Sc. bol), . [< ME. bowle, boule, < OF. 
boulf, F. houle = Pr. bolit = Sp. Pg. bold = It. 
liiilln, liulla, a ball, < L. bulla, a bubble, a stud, 
any round object, > E. butfi, bill a , etc. Some- 
what confused with bowl 1 , bolel, and ball!.] If. 
A ball; any sphere or globe. [So used till late 
in the seventeenth century.] 2. A large solid 
ball of hard wood used in playing (a) the game 
of bowls on a level plat of greensward called 
a bowling-green, or (6) the game of skittles or 
ninepins on a long, floored surface of wood 
called a bowling-alley. (See bowls.) In the for- 
mer game the howls are made with a bias, that is, oblate 
on one side and prolate on the other, and are of a size 
which admits of their Mug grasi>ed more or less nrrnly 
between the thumb and the fingers. In the latter game 
the halls are sometimes much larger, and furnished with 
holes to facilitate grasping them, and are but slightly 
biased, if at all. 
Like an miinstructed howler, he thinks to attain the 
jack hy delivering his Ixnrl straightforward upon it. Scott. 
3. A turn at a game of bowls : as, it is his hotel 
next. 4 (pron. bl). A marble used by boys in 
play ; in the plural, the game itself. [Scotch.] 
5. In a knitting-machine, the roller or anti- 
friction wheel on which the carriage traverses. 
6. One of the buoys or floats used by herring- 
fishers about Yarmouth, England, to support 
the drift-net and keep its edge uppermost. 
These bowls are colored to mark the divisions 
of the fleet of nets. -Burnt bowl, etc. See burnt. 
bowl- (bol). r. [< bmi-r-, ft.] I. intraiis. I. 
To play with bowls or at bowling: as, " chal- 
lenge her to ho/rl." Slink:, L. L. L., iv. 1. 2. 
To roll a bowl, as in the game of bowls. 3. 
To deliver the ball to be played by the bats- 
man at cricket. 4. To move horizontally, 
with a rapid and easy motion, like a ball: as, 
the carriage boieled along. 
We btntieit along the great North road. Jin. Gore. 
II. Ira UK. 1. To roll or trundle, as a bowl. 
I'.reak all the spokes and fellies from her wheel, 
And hud the round nave down the hill of heaven. 
Skat., Hamlet, U. 1 
2. To pelt with or as with bowls. 
I had rather be set quick i' th' earth, 
Ami /<cf(f to death with turnips. 
.S'Aii*-.. M. W. of W.. iii. 4. 
To bowl put, in mV'ivf. to put out of play by knocking 
down one's hails or stumps hy a hall il.'lhetv.l hy the 
bowler: as, Smith was Ix'Mfd'vul at the tlrst ball. To 
bowl over, to knock down ; kill. (Hunting slang.) 
If the animal passes near him it requires hut little skill 
to hurl it urn- with his double barrel as It goes by. 
SlHirttiiKin * (jazt'ttfff, p. 82. 
bowl-alleyt (bol'al'i), n. Same as boirling- 
aUey. 
bowlder, . See boulder. 
647 
bow-legged (bo'leg'ed or -legd), a. Having the 
legs bowed outward; bandy-legged. 
In IHTSOII the duke was of the middle size, well made, 
cvcpt that he was somewhat bow-Uffged. I'rncvtt. 
bowler 1 (bo'ler), H. [< boir/l + -,rl.] 1. A 
workman who shapes the bowl of a spoon. 
2f. ' >ne who makes bowls. 
bowler* (bo'ler), n. [< boaP, v., + -!.] 1. 
One who plays at bowls. 2. In cricket, the 
player who bowls or serves the ball ; the 
pitcher. 3. [< />/-. ., + -;'. J A low- 
crowned stiff felt hat; a "billycock." Also 
bowler-tiat. ,V. E. i>. 
bowline (bo'liu or -Hn), n. [Early mod. E. 
also biiirlin, holiiir, bolin, bowliii/i. h<il/iii<ii-, Im- 
II/H, etc.; < ME. hoin-li/in; bouline, a compound 
prob. not formed in E., but of Scand. origin : 
Icel. boglina (rare) = Norw. hot/Una =: Sw. 0017- 
lina, bolin = Dan. borline (or bugline, formerly 
bougline) = D. boeglijn (> OF. boeline, boline, F. 
bouline, G. bolcine); <. Icel. 6017, Sw. bog, etc., 
shoulder, bow of a ship (see bow a ), + Una = E. 
line- ; the first element is then the same as E. 
bow 3 , and the strict E. pron. would be bou'lin. 
Cf . bowsprit.} 1. Xaut., a rope leading forward 
and fastened to the leech of a square sail, it Is 
used to steady the weather-leech of the sail and keep it 
forward, and thus to make the ship sail nearer the wind. 
He afterwards said that we sailed well enough with the 
wind free, but that give him a taut bowline, and he would 
heat us, If we had all the canvas of the Royal George. 
R. H. Dana, Jr., Before the Mast, p. ":). 
2. In ship-building, a curve representing a ver- 
tical section of the bow-end of a ship. Bow- 
line on a bight, a bowline-knot made on the bight of a 
rope. On a bowline, said of a ship when sailing close to 
the wind. 
The Ayacucho went off on a bowline, which brought 
her to windward of ua. 
R. H. Dana, Jr., Before the Mast. 
To check the bowline, to slacken it when the wind be- 
comes more favorable. To sharp the main bowline 
or hale the bowline, to pull it harder. 
bowline-bridle (bo'lin-bri'dl), n. The span on 
the leech of a sail to which the bowline is at- 
tached. 
bowline-cringle (bo'lin-kring'gl), M. The loops 
worked in the leech of a sail to which the bow- 
line or bowline-bridle is attached. 
bowline-knot (bo'lin-not), n. A certain knot 
much used by sailors. See knot*. 
bowling 1 (bo'ling), . [< bowl 1 + -ing*.] In 
dyeing, the washing of fabrics by passing them 
over rollers in a vessel of water. 
The pieces, after the last dip, are washed over rollers by 
the process known as bowling. 
Of Still, Dyeing and Calico Printing, p. 284. 
bowling' 2 (bo'ling), H. [Verbal n. of botcP, r.] 
The act of playing with or at bowls. 
We grant you, sir, 
The only benefactor to our boirliag, 
To all our merry sporte the first provoker. 
Fletcher, Spanish Curate, ill. 2. 
bowling-alley (bo'ling-al'i), . A covered 
place for the game of oowls, provided with a 
passage or alley of smooth planking on which 
to roll the balls. See ninepins. 
bowling-crease (bo'ling-kres), n. See crease*. 
bowling-green (bo'ling-gren), n. A level piece 
of greensward kept smooth for bowling. 
bowling-ground (bo'ling-ground), . A bowl- 
ing-green. 
The subtlest boiHing-grountl in all Tartan . 
/-'. Jontton, Masques. 
bowl-machine (bol'ma-shen'), H. A lathe for 
making wooden 
bowls. 
bowls (bolz), . 
[PI. of 6oir,2. .] 
A game played 
with bowls on 
a bowling-green : 
applied also to 
skittles or nine- 
pins (which see). 
American bowls. 
Same as niilfirin*.- 
Carpet bowls, a 
parlor game similar 
t that played on 
a howling-green, in 
which small halls of 
Iiorcelaiu or earthen- 
W :uv :MV ll-etl. 
bowl-spirit(b61'- 
spir'it), H. In 
dyeing, nitrate of 
BO.,,. th century. (KmmVioiteMe. "' prepared by 
Due's ' iVt. du Molnlier fran^ais." ) dissolving pure 
Hi., armor consists of a short hauberk till ill nitric aciil 
i:nvere<! l>v .1 leather jack. .1 Meel cap, ooo rn 
in I ., steel bracer on the left forearm. Of *}" 1W., WltH 
bowsprit 
the addition of a small amount of hydrochloric 
acid. 
bowman 1 (bo'man), n. ; pi. Itoicmen (-men). [< 
MK. bitirriiiiiii ; < //'* + /.] A man who 
uses a bow; an archer. See cut in preceding 
column, 
bowman- (bou'man), n. ; pi. buicwen (-men). 
[< boitS, 3, + man.] The man who rows the 
foremost oar in a boat ; the bow-oar. Totten. 
Bowman's corneal tubes. See ,-nntenl. 
Bowman's disks, glands. See <I,K/.; ,//,///. 
bowman's-root (bo'inan/.-rot), M. 1. A popu- 
lar name given in the United Shites to plants 
of thegeiins llil/i-nin. perennial rosaceous herbs, 
the roots of which are used u> a mild emetic. 
2. A name of I.ndirigiu ulti rnijulm. 
Also called braumont-root. 
bow-net (bo'net), M. [Not found in ME. ; < AS. 
IxMia-Ht-t, biM/r-Hi't : see feoirH and net 1 .] A con- 
trivance for catching lobsters and crawfish, 
made of two round wicker baskets, pointed at 
the end, one of which is thrust into the other, 
and having at the mouth a little rim bent iii- 
ward to oppose the return of the fish. 
bow-Oar (bou'or), . 1. The foremost oar used 
in pulling a boat. 2. The person who pulls 
the bow-oar. 3. In a whale-boat, the oar next 
to the forward one. C. M. Scammon. 
bow-pen (bo'pen), . A drafting-compass, car- 
rying a pen (or pencil) 
at the extremity of one 
leg. The two legs of the com- 
pass form a bow or spring 
which tends to open it, but 
is retained in any desired p"- 
sition by means of a set-screw. 
bow-piece (bou'pes), . 
A piece of ordnance car- 
ried in the bow of a ship. 
bow-pin (bo'pin), n. 1. 
A cotter or key for keep- 
ing the bows of an ox- 
yoke in place. 2. A 
small pin or piece of 
wood with a nead or 
knot, used by hatters in 
vibrating the string of the bow used in bowing 
fur or wool. 
bowpot, . See boughpot. 
bow-saw (bo'sa), 11. A sweep-saw; a turning- 
saw. See frame-eate. 
bowse 1 (bouz), r. i. Same as booze. 
bowse 2 , r. t. See bouse?. 
bowsert, [Early mod. E. boaster, appar. a 
corruption of OF. boursier, a bursar: see bur- 
sar.] The bursar or treasurer of a college. 
bowseryt, . [Early mod. E. : see btnrser and 
bursary.] A bursary or treasurer's office in a 
college. 
bow-snot (bo'shot), n. 1. A shot from a bow. 
2. The distance traversed by an arrow in 
its flight from a bow. 
Three unu--shot> from the Sachem's dwelling 
They laid her in the walnut shade. 
Whittier, Bridal of Pennacook, III. 
bowsprit (bo'- or bou'sprit), . [Also boltsprit, 
early mod. E. also bolesjirit, boresprit, -gjireet, 
etc.; < ME. bouspret; cf. Sw. bogsprot = Norw. 
bogspryt = Dan. bugspryd (formerly bovgspryd, 
borsprod) = MLG. boclittpret, LG. bnogspret = D. 
iHiegspriet, > G. bugspriet, bowsprit. The var. 
E. forms show that the word was not a native 
compound, but is rather of Scand. or LG. ori- 
gin ; < Sw. boa. etc., = E. 6oir (of a ship), + 
spriit, etc., = E. sprit: see bate 3 and sjirit, and 
cf. bowline.] A large spar which projects for- 
ward from the stem of a ship or other vessel, 
rk'yond it extend the jih -1 ., mi and the Hying jib boom. The 
liowsprit la secured downward by the boMay* and the 
Bow-pens. 
a. Bowsprit : . Bobstaj*. 
gammoning (which see), and at the sides by the ootnrunt- 
f/irouiln. which are secured to the bows of the ship, from 
the outer end of the bowsprit a spar calleil th> 
or dolphin-striker projects downward to support the mar- 
tingale-stays, and two smaller spars, called "'A/.A-. , ,. pro 
jiet sidewise to support the jib-guy. (In the fi>rctopmast- 
