Part 644

Big"a*mous (&?;), a. Guilty of bigamy; involving bigamy; as, a bigamous marriage.

Big"a*my (&?;), n. [OE. bigamie, fr. L. bigamus twice married; bis twice + Gr. &?; marriage; prob. akin to Skt. jmis related, and L. gemini twins, the root meaning to bind, join: cf. F. bigamie. Cf. Digamy.] (Law) The offense of marrying one person when already legally married to another. Wharton.

It is not strictly correct to call this offense bigamy: it more properly denominated polygamy, i. e., having a plurality of wives or husbands at once, and in several statutes in the United States the offense is classed under the head of polygamy.

In the canon law bigamy was the marrying of two virgins successively, or one after the death of the other, or once marrying a widow. This disqualified a man for orders, and for holding ecclesiastical offices. Shakespeare uses the word in the latter sense. Blackstone. Bouvier.

Base declension and loathed bigamy. Shak.

{ Big`ar*reau" (&?;), Big`a*roon" (&?;), } n. [F. bigarreau, fr. bigarré variegated.] (Bot.) The large white-heart cherry.

Big"-bel`lied (&?;), a. Having a great belly; as, a big-bellied man or flagon; advanced in pregnancy.

Bi*gem"i*nate (&?;), a. [Pref. bi- + geminate.] (Bot.) Having a forked petiole, and a pair of leaflets at the end of each division; biconjugate; twice paired; -- said of a decompound leaf.

Bi*gen"tial (&?;), a. [Pref. bi- + L. gens, gentis, tribe.] (Zoöl.) Including two tribes or races of men.

Big"eye` (&?;), n. (Zoöl.) A fish of the genus Priacanthus, remarkable for the large size of the eye.

Bigg (&?;), n. & v. See Big, n. & v.

Big"gen (&?;), v. t. & i. To make or become big; to enlarge. [Obs. or Dial.] Steele.

Big"ger (&?;), a., compar. of Big.

Big"gest (&?;), a., superl. of Big.

Big"gin (&?;), n. [F. béguin, prob. from the cap worn by the Béguines. Cf. Beguine, Biggon.] A child's cap; a hood, or something worn on the head.

An old woman's biggin for a nightcap. Massinger.

Big"gin, n. A coffeepot with a strainer or perforated metallic vessel for holding the ground coffee, through which boiling water is poured; -- so called from Mr. Biggin, the inventor.

{ Big"gin, Big"ging, } n. [OE. bigging. See Big, Bigg, v. t.] A building. [Obs.]

{ Big"gon (&?;), Big"gon*net (&?;), } n. [F. béguin and OF. beguinet, dim of béguin. See Biggin a cap.] A cap or hood with pieces covering the ears.

||Big"ha (&?;), n. A measure of land in India, varying from a third of an acre to an acre.

Big"horn` (&?;), n. (Zoöl.) The Rocky Mountain sheep (Ovis or Caprovis montana).

Bight (bt), n. [OE. bit a bending; cf. Sw. & Dan. bugt bend, bay; fr. AS. byht, fr. bgan. √88. Cf. Bout, Bought a bend, and see Bow, v.] 1. A corner, bend, or angle; a hollow; as, the bight of a horse's knee; the bight of an elbow.

2. (Geog.) A bend in a coast forming an open bay; as, the Bight of Benin.

3. (Naut.) The double part of a rope when folded, in distinction from the ends; that is, a round, bend, or coil not including the ends; a loop.

Bi*glan"du*lar (&?;), a. [Pref. bi- + glandular.] Having two glands, as a plant.

Big"ly (&?;), adv. [From Big, a.] In a tumid, swelling, blustering manner; haughtily; violently.

He brawleth bigly. Robynson (More's Utopia. )

Big"ness, n. The state or quality of being big; largeness; size; bulk.