Part 748

Boon, n. [Scot. boon, bune, been, Gael. & Ir. bunach coarse tow, fr. bun root, stubble.] The woody portion flax, which is separated from the fiber as refuse matter by retting, braking, and scutching.

Boor (&?;), n. [D. boer farmer, boor; akin to AS. geb&?;r countryman, G. bauer; fr. the root of AS. b&?;an to inhabit, and akin to E. bower, be. Cf. Neighbor, Boer, and Big to build.] 1. A husbandman; a peasant; a rustic; esp. a clownish or unrefined countryman.

2. A Dutch, German, or Russian peasant; esp. a Dutch colonist in South Africa, Guiana, etc.: a boer.

3. A rude ill-bred person; one who is clownish in manners.

Boor"ish, a. Like a boor; clownish; uncultured; unmannerly. -- Boor"ish*ly, adv. -- Boor"ish*ness, n.

Which is in truth a gross and boorish opinion. Milton.

Boort (&?;), n. See Bort.

Boose (&?;), n. [AS. bs, bsig; akin to Icel. bss, Sw. bås, Dan. baas, stall, G. banse, Goth. bansts barn, Skr. bhsas stall. √252.] A stall or a crib for an ox, cow, or other animal. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Boose (&?;), v. i. To drink excessively. See Booze.

Boos"er (&?;), n. A toper; a guzzler. See Boozer.

Boost (bst), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Boosted; p. pr. & vb. n. Boosting.] [Cf. Boast, v. i.] To lift or push from behind (one who is endeavoring to climb); to push up; hence, to assist in overcoming obstacles, or in making advancement. [Colloq. U. S.]

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Boost (bst), n. A push from behind, as to one who is endeavoring to climb; help. [Colloq. U. S.]

Boot (bt), n. [OE. bot, bote, advantage, amends, cure, AS. bt; akin to Icel. bt, Sw. bot, Dan. bod, Goth. bta, D. boete, G. busse; prop., a making good or better, from the root of E. better, adj. &radic;255.] 1. Remedy; relief; amends; reparation; hence, one who brings relief.

He gaf the sike man his boote. Chaucer.

Thou art boot for many a bruise And healest many a wound. Sir W. Scott.

Next her Son, our soul's best boot. Wordsworth.

2. That which is given to make an exchange equal, or to make up for the deficiency of value in one of the things exchanged.

I'll give you boot, I'll give you three for one. Shak.

3. Profit; gain; advantage; use. [Obs.]

Then talk no more of flight, it is no boot. Shak.

To boot, in addition; over and above; besides; as a compensation for the difference of value between things bartered.

Helen, to change, would give an eye to boot. Shak.

A man's heaviness is refreshed long before he comes to drunkenness, for when he arrives thither he hath but changed his heaviness, and taken a crime to boot. Jer. Taylor.

Boot, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Booted; p. pr. & vb. n. Booting.] 1. To profit; to advantage; to avail; -- generally followed by it; as, what boots it?

What booteth it to others that we wish them well, and do nothing for them? Hooker.

What subdued To change like this a mind so far imbued With scorn of man, it little boots to know. Byron.

What boots to us your victories? Southey.