Part 779

English writers sometimes call Russian landed proprietors boyars.

||Boy"au (&?;), n.; pl. Boyaux or Boyaus (&?;). [F. boyau gut, a long and narrow place, and (of trenches) a branch. See Bowel.] (Fort.) A winding or zigzag trench forming a path or communication from one siegework to another, to a magazine, etc.

Boy"cott` (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Boycotted; p. pr. & vb. n. Boycotting.] [From Captain Boycott, a land agent in Mayo, Ireland, so treated in 1880.] To combine against (a landlord, tradesman, employer, or other person), to withhold social or business relations from him, and to deter others from holding such relations; to subject to a boycott.

Boy"cott, n. The process, fact, or pressure of boycotting; a combining to withhold or prevent dealing or social intercourse with a tradesman, employer, etc.; social and business interdiction for the purpose of coercion.

Boy"cott`er (&?;), n. A participant in boycotting.

Boy"cott*ism (&?;), n. Methods of boycotters.

Boy"de*kin (&?;), n. A dagger; a bodkin. [Obs.]

Boy"er (&?;), n. [D. boeijer; -- so called because these vessels were employed for laying the boeijen, or buoys: cf. F. boyer. See Buoy.] (Naut.) A Flemish sloop with a castle at each end. Sir W. Raleigh.

Boy"hood (&?;), n. [Boy + - hood.] The state of being a boy; the time during which one is a boy. Hood.

Boy"ish, a. Resembling a boy in a manners or opinions; belonging to a boy; childish; trifling; puerile.

A boyish, odd conceit. Baillie.

Boy"ish*ly, adv. In a boyish manner; like a boy.

Boy"ish*ness, n. The manners or behavior of a boy.

Boy"ism (&?;), n. 1. Boyhood. [Obs.] T. Warton.

2. The nature of a boy; childishness. Dryden.

Boyle's" law` (&?;). See under Law.

||Bo"za (&?;), n. [See Bosa.] An acidulated fermented drink of the Arabs and Egyptians, made from millet seed and various astringent substances; also, an intoxicating beverage made from hemp seed, darnel meal, and water. [Written also bosa, bozah, bouza.]

Bra*bant"ine (&?;), a. Pertaining to Brabant, an ancient province of the Netherlands.

Brab"ble (&?;), v. i. [D. brabbelen to talk confusedly. &?;95. Cf. Blab, Babble.] To clamor; to contest noisily. [R.]

Brab"ble, n. A broil; a noisy contest; a wrangle.

This petty brabble will undo us all. Shak.

Brab"ble*ment (&?;), n. A brabble. [R.] Holland.

Brab"bler (&?;), n. A clamorous, quarrelsome, noisy fellow; a wrangler. Shak.

Brac"cate (&?;), a. [L. bracatus wearing breeches, fr. bracae breeches.] (Zoöl.) Furnished with feathers which conceal the feet.

Brace (&?;), n. [OF. brace, brasse, the two arms, embrace, fathom, F. brasse fathom, fr. L. bracchia the arms (stretched out), pl. of bracchium arm; cf. Gr. &?;.] 1. That which holds anything tightly or supports it firmly; a bandage or a prop.

2. A cord, ligament, or rod, for producing or maintaining tension, as a cord on the side of a drum.

The little bones of the ear drum do in straining and relaxing it as the braces of the war drum do in that. Derham.

3. The state of being braced or tight; tension.