Part 578

Bed"site` (&?;), n. A recess in a room for a bed.

Of the three bedrooms, two have fireplaces, and all are of fair size, with windows and bedsite well placed. Quart. Rev.

Bed"sore` (&?;), n. (Med.) A sore on the back or hips caused by lying for a long time in bed.

Bed"spread` (&?;), n. A bedquilt; a counterpane; a coverlet. [U. S.]

Bed"staff` (&?;), n.; pl. Bedstaves (&?;). "A wooden pin stuck anciently on the sides of the bedstead, to hold the clothes from slipping on either side." Johnson.

Hostess, accommodate us with a bedstaff. B. Jonson.

Say there is no virtue in cudgels and bedstaves. Brome.

Bed"stead (&?;), n. [Bed + stead a frame.] A framework for supporting a bed.

Bed" steps` (&?;). Steps for mounting a bed of unusual height.

Bed"stock (&?;), n. The front or the back part of the frame of a bedstead. [Obs. or Dial. Eng.]

Bed"straw` (&?;), n. 1. Straw put into a bed. Bacon.

2. (Bot.) A genus of slender herbs, usually with square stems, whorled leaves, and small white flowers.

Our Lady's bedstraw, which has yellow flowers, is Galium verum. -- White bedstraw is G. mollugo.

Bed"swerv`er (&?;), n. One who swerves from and is unfaithful to the marriage vow. [Poetic] Shak.

Bed"tick` (&?;), n. A tick or bag made of cloth, used for inclosing the materials of a bed.

Bed"time` (&?;), n. The time to go to bed. Shak.

Be*duck" (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beducked (&?;).] To duck; to put the head under water; to immerse. "Deep himself beducked." Spenser.

Bed"uin (&?;), n. See Bedouin.

Be*dung" (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bedunged (&?;).] To cover with dung, as for manuring; to bedaub or defile, literally or figuratively. Bp. Hall.

Be*dust" (&?;), v. t. To sprinkle, soil, or cover with dust. Sherwood.

Bed"ward (&?;), adv. Towards bed.

Be*dwarf" (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bedwarfed (&?;).] To make a dwarf of; to stunt or hinder the growth of; to dwarf. Donne.

Be*dye" (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bedyed (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Bedyeing.] To dye or stain.

Briton fields with Sarazin blood bedyed. Spenser.

Bee (&?;), p. p. of Be; -- used for been. [Obs.] Spenser.

Bee (b), n. [AS. beó; akin to D. bij and bije, Icel. b&?;, Sw. & Dan. bi, OHG. pini, G. biene, and perh. Ir. beach, Lith. bitis, Skr. bha. √97.] 1. (Zoöl.) An insect of the order Hymenoptera, and family Apidæ (the honeybees), or family Andrenidæ (the solitary bees.) See Honeybee.

There are many genera and species. The common honeybee (Apis mellifica) lives in swarms, each of which has its own queen, its males or drones, and its very numerous workers, which are barren females. Besides the A. mellifica there are other species and varieties of honeybees, as the A. ligustica of Spain and Italy; the A. Indica of India; the A. fasciata of Egypt. The bumblebee is a species of Bombus. The tropical honeybees belong mostly to Melipoma and Trigona.

2. A neighborly gathering of people who engage in united labor for the benefit of an individual or family; as, a quilting bee; a husking bee; a raising bee. [U. S.]