Part 635

Bi*an"gu*lous (&?;), a. [Pref. bi- + angulous.] Biangular. [R.]

Bi*an`ther*if"er*ous (&?;), a. [Pref. bi- + antherigerous.] (Bot.) Having two anthers.

Bi`ar*tic"u*late (&?;), a. [Pref. bi- + articulate.] (Zoöl.) Having, or consisting of, tow joints.

Bi"as (b"as), n.; pl. Biases (-z). [F. biasis, perh. fr. LL. bifax two-faced; L. bis + facies face. See Bi-, and cf. Face.] 1. A weight on the side of the ball used in the game of bowls, or a tendency imparted to the ball, which turns it from a straight line.

Being ignorant that there is a concealed bias within the spheroid, which will . . . swerve away. Sir W. Scott.

2. A leaning of the mind; propensity or prepossession toward an object or view, not leaving the mind indifferent; bent; inclination.

Strong love is a bias upon the thoughts. South.

Morality influences men's lives, and gives a bias to all their actions. Locke.

3. A wedge-shaped piece of cloth taken out of a garment (as the waist of a dress) to diminish its circumference.

4. A slant; a diagonal; as, to cut cloth on the bias.

Syn. -- Prepossession; prejudice; partiality; inclination. See Bent.

Bi"as, a. 1. Inclined to one side; swelled on one side. [Obs.] Shak.

2. Cut slanting or diagonally, as cloth.

Bi"as, adv. In a slanting manner; crosswise; obliquely; diagonally; as, to cut cloth bias.

Bi"as, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Biased (b"ast); p. pr. & vb. n. Biasing.] To incline to one side; to give a particular direction to; to influence; to prejudice; to prepossess.

Me it had not biased in the one direction, nor should it have biased any just critic in the counter direction. De Quincey.

Bi`au*ric"u*late (&?;), a. [Pref. bi- + auriculate.] 1. (Anat.) Having two auricles, as the heart of mammals, birds, and reptiles.

2. (Bot. & Zoöl.) Having two earlike projections at its base, as a leaf.

{ Bi*ax"al (&?;), Bi*ax"i*al (&?;), } a. [Pref. bi- + axal, axial.] (Opt.) Having two axes; as, biaxial polarization. Brewster. -- Bi*ax"i*al*ly, adv.

Bib (&?;), n. [From Bib, v., because the bib receives the drink that the child slavers from the mouth.] 1. A small piece of cloth worn by children over the breast, to protect the clothes.

2. (Zoöl.) An arctic fish (Gadus luscus), allied to the cod; -- called also pout and whiting pout.

3. A bibcock.

{ Bib, Bibbe } (&?;), v. t. [L. bibere. See Beverage, and cf. Imbibe.] To drink; to tipple. [Obs.]

This miller hath . . . bibbed ale. Chaucer.

Bib, v. i. To drink; to sip; to tipple.

He was constantly bibbing. Locke.

Bi*ba"cious (&?;), a. [L. bibax, bibacis, fr. bibere. See Bib.] Addicted to drinking.

Bi*bac"i*ty (&?;), n. The practice or habit of drinking too much; tippling. Blount.