Part 77

F. Harrison.

-- Bowd`ler*i*za"tion (#), n. -- Bowd"ler*ism (#), n.

Bow"er-Barff" proc`ess . (Metal.) A certain process for producing upon articles of iron or steel an adherent coating of the magnetic oxide of iron (which is not liable to corrosion by air, moisture, or ordinary acids). This is accomplished by producing, by oxidation at about 1600° F. in a closed space, a coating containing more or less of the ferric oxide (Fe2O3) and the subsequent change of this in a reduced atmosphere to the magnetic oxide (Fe2O4).

Bowl"er (?), n. [From 2d Bowl.] A derby hat. [Eng.]

Box"er, n. A member of a powerful Chinese organization which committed numerous outrages on Europeans and Christian converts in the uprising against foreigners in 1900. Various names, as "League of United Patriots" and "Great Knife [or Sword] Society," have been given as the Chinese name of the organization; why the members were called Boxers is uncertain.

Box"ing day`. The first week day after Christmas, a legal holiday on which Christmas boxes are given to postmen, errand boys, employees, etc. The night of this day is boxing night. [Eng.]

Box kite. A kite, invented by Lawrence Hargrave, of Sydney, Australia, which consist of two light rectangular boxes, or cells open on two sides, and fastened together horizontally. Called also Hargrave, or cellular, kite.

Box tail. (Aëronautics) In a flying machine, a tail or rudder, usually fixed, resembling a box kite.

Boy, n. In various countries, a male servant, laborer, or slave of a native or inferior race; also, any man of such a race.

He reverted again and again to the labor difficulty, and spoke of importing boys from Capetown.

Frances Macnab.

Boy scout. Orig., a member of the "Boy Scouts," an organization of boys founded in 1908, by Sir R. S. S. Baden-Powell, to promote good citizenship by creating in them a spirit of civic duty and of usefulness to others, by stimulating their interest in wholesome mental, moral, industrial, and physical activities, etc. Hence, a member of any of the other similar organizations, which are now worldwide. In "The Boy Scouts of America" the local councils are generally under a scout commissioner, under whose supervision are scout masters, each in charge of a troop of two or more patrols of eight scouts each, who are of three classes, tenderfoot, second-class scout, and first-class scout.

Brack"et, n. (Gunnery) A figure determined by firing a projectile beyond a target and another short of it, as a basis for ascertaining the proper elevation of the piece; -- only used in the phrase, to establish a bracket. After the bracket is established shots are fired with intermediate elevations until the exact range is obtained. In the United States navy it is called fork.

Brack"et, v. t. (Gunnery) To shoot so as to establish a bracket for (an object).

||Braille (?), n. A system of printing or writing for the blind in which the characters are represented by tangible points or dots. It was invented by Louis Braille, a French teacher of the blind.

Bran"den*burg (?), n. [So named after Brandenburg, a province and a town of Prussia.] A kind of decoration for the breast of a coat, sometimes only a frog with a loop, but in some military uniforms enlarged into a broad horizontal stripe.

He wore a coat . . . trimmed with Brandenburgs.

Smollett.

Brash"y (?), a. 1. Resembling, or of the nature of, brash, or broken fragments; broken; crumbly.

Our progress was not at all impeded by the few soft, brashy floes that we encountered.

F. T. Bullen.

2. Showery; characterized by brashes, or showers.

Bras"i*lin (?), n. [Cf. F. brésiline. See 2d Brazil.] (Chem.) A substance, C16H14O5, extracted from brazilwood as a yellow crystalline powder which is white when pure. It is colored intensely red by alkalies on exposure to the air, being oxidized to bra*sil"e*in (&?;), C16H12O5, to which brazilwood owes its dyeing properties.

Brasque (?), n. [F.] (Metal.) A paste made by mixing powdered charcoal, coal, or coke with clay, molasses, tar, or other suitable substance. It is used for lining hearths, crucibles, etc. Called also steep.

Bras`sière" (?), n. [F.] A form of woman's underwaist stiffened with whalebones, or the like, and worn to support the breasts.

Brass"y (?), n. [Written also brassie and brassey.] (Golf) A wooden club soled with brass.

Braw (?), a. [See Brave, a.] [Scot. & Prov. Eng.] 1. Well-dressed; handsome; smart; brave; -- used of persons or their clothing, etc.; as, a braw lad. "A braw new gown." Burns.

2. Good; fine. "A braw night." Sir W. Scott.