Part 667

The Egyptians . . . made their lives bitter with hard bondage. Ex. i. 14.

Bitter apple, Bitter cucumber, Bitter gourd. (Bot.) See Colocynth. -- Bitter cress (Bot.), a plant of the genus Cardamine, esp. C. amara. -- Bitter earth (Min.), tale earth; calcined magnesia. -- Bitter principles (Chem.), a class of substances, extracted from vegetable products, having strong bitter taste but with no sharply defined chemical characteristics. -- Bitter salt, Epsom salts; magnesium sulphate. -- Bitter vetch (Bot.), a name given to two European leguminous herbs, Vicia Orobus and Ervum Ervilia. -- To the bitter end, to the last extremity, however calamitous.

Syn. -- Acrid; sharp; harsh; pungent; stinging; cutting; severe; acrimonious.

Bit"ter (&?;), n. Any substance that is bitter. See Bitters.

Bit"ter, v. t. To make bitter. Wolcott.

Bit"ter*bump` (&?;), n. (Zoöl.) the butterbump or bittern.

Bit"ter*ful (&?;), a. Full of bitterness. [Obs.]

Bit"ter*ing, n. A bitter compound used in adulterating beer; bittern.

Bit"ter*ish, a. Somewhat bitter. Goldsmith.

Bit"ter*ling (&?;), n. [G.] (Zoöl.) A roachlike European fish (Rhodima amarus).

Bit"ter*ly, adv. In a bitter manner.

Bit"tern (&?;), n. [OE. bitoure, betore, bitter, fr. F. butor; of unknown origin.] (Zoöl.) A wading bird of the genus Botaurus, allied to the herons, of various species.

The common European bittern is Botaurus stellaris. It makes, during the brooding season, a noise called by Dryden bumping, and by Goldsmith booming. The American bittern is B. lentiginosus, and is also called stake-driver and meadow hen. See Stake- driver.

The name is applied to other related birds, as the least bittern (Ardetta exilis), and the sun bittern.

Bit"tern, n. [From Bitter, a.] 1. The brine which remains in salt works after the salt is concreted, having a bitter taste from the chloride of magnesium which it contains.

2. A very bitter compound of quassia, cocculus Indicus, etc., used by fraudulent brewers in adulterating beer. Cooley.

Bit"ter*ness (&?;), n. [AS. biternys; biter better + -nys = -ness.] 1. The quality or state of being bitter, sharp, or acrid, in either a literal or figurative sense; implacableness; resentfulness; severity; keenness of reproach or sarcasm; deep distress, grief, or vexation of mind.

The lip that curls with bitterness. Percival.

I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. Job vii. 11.

2. A state of extreme impiety or enmity to God.

Thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. Acts viii. 23.

3. Dangerous error, or schism, tending to draw persons to apostasy.

Looking diligently, . . . lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you. Heb. xii. 15.

Bit"ter*nut", n. (Bot.) The swamp hickory (Carya amara). Its thin-shelled nuts are bitter.

Bit"ter*root` (&?;), n. (Bot.) A plant (Lewisia rediviva) allied to the purslane, but with fleshy, farinaceous roots, growing in the mountains of Idaho, Montana, etc. It gives the name to the Bitter Root mountains and river. The Indians call both the plant and the river Spæt'lum.

Bit"ters (&?;), n. pl. A liquor, generally spirituous in which a bitter herb, leaf, or root is steeped.

Bit"ter spar" (&?;). A common name of dolomite; -- so called because it contains magnesia, the soluble salts of which are bitter. See Dolomite.

Bit"ter*sweet` (&?;), a. Sweet and then bitter or bitter and then sweet; esp. sweet with a bitter after taste; hence (Fig.), pleasant but painful.