Part 661

Lest there be any . . . profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. Heb. xii. 16.

Birth"root` (&?;), n. (Bot.) An herbaceous plant (Trillium erectum), and its astringent rootstock, which is said to have medicinal properties.

Birth"wort` (&?;), n. A genus of herbs and shrubs (Aristolochia), reputed to have medicinal properties.

Bis (&?;), adv. [L. bis twice, for duis, fr. root of duo two. See Two, and cf. Bi- .] Twice; -- a word showing that something is, or is to be, repeated; as a passage of music, or an item in accounts.

Bis-, pref. A form of Bi-, sometimes used before s, c, or a vowel.

Bi"sa an"te*lope (&?;). (Zoöl.) See Oryx.

Bi*sac"cate (&?;), a. [Pref. bi- + saccate.] (Bot.) Having two little bags, sacs, or pouches.

Bis*cay"an (&?;), a. Of or pertaining to Biscay in Spain. -- n. A native or inhabitant of Biscay.

Bis"co*tin (&?;), n. [F. biscotin. See Biscuit.] A confection made of flour, sugar, marmalade, and eggs; a sweet biscuit.

Bis"cuit (&?;), n. [F. biscuit (cf. It. biscotto, Sp. bizcocho, Pg. biscouto), fr. L. bis twice + coctus, p. p. of coquere to cook, bake. See Cook, and cf. Bisque a kind of porcelain.] 1. A kind of unraised bread, of many varieties, plain, sweet, or fancy, formed into flat cakes, and bakes hard; as, ship biscuit.

According to military practice, the bread or biscuit of the Romans was twice prepared in the oven. Gibbon.

2. A small loaf or cake of bread, raised and shortened, or made light with soda or baking powder. Usually a number are baked in the same pan, forming a sheet or card.

3. Earthen ware or porcelain which has undergone the first baking, before it is subjected to the glazing.

4. (Sculp.) A species of white, unglazed porcelain, in which vases, figures, and groups are formed in miniature.

Meat biscuit, an alimentary preparation consisting of matters extracted from meat by boiling, or of meat ground fine and combined with flour, so as to form biscuits.

Bi*scu"tate (&?;), a. [Pref. bi- + scutate.] (Bot.) Resembling two bucklers placed side by side.

||Bise (&?;), n. [F.] A cold north wind which prevails on the northern coasts of the Mediterranean and in Switzerland, etc.; -- nearly the same as the mistral.

Bise (&?;), n. (Paint.) See Bice.

Bi*sect" (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bisected; p. pr. & vb. n. Bisecting.] [L. bis twice + secare, sectum, to cut.] 1. To cut or divide into two parts.

2. (Geom.) To divide into two equal parts.

Bi*sec"tion (&?;), n. [Cf. F. bissection.] Division into two parts, esp. two equal parts.

Bi*sec"tor (&?;), n. One who, or that which, bisects; esp. (Geom.) a straight line which bisects an angle.

Bi*sec"trix (&?;), n. The line bisecting the angle between the optic axes of a biaxial crystal.

Bi*seg"ment (&?;), n. [Pref. bi- + segment.] One of tow equal parts of a line, or other magnitude.

Bi*sep"tate (&?;), a. [Pref. bi- + septate.] With two partitions or septa. Gray.

{ Bi*se"ri*al (&?;), Bi*se"ri*ate (&?;), } a. [Pref. bi- + serial, seriate.] In two rows or series.

Bi*ser"rate (&?;), a. [Pref. bi- + serrate.] 1. (Bot.) Doubly serrate, or having the serratures serrate, as in some leaves.

2. (Zoöl.) Serrate on both sides, as some antennæ.