Part 78

Break"a*way` (?), n. [Break + away] [Australasia] 1. A wild rush of sheep, cattle, horses, or camels (especially at the smell or the sight of water); a stampede.

2. An animal that breaks away from a herd.

Breech action. The breech mechanism in breech-loading small arms and certain special guns, as automatic and machine guns; -- used frequently in referring to the method by which the movable barrels of breech-loading shotguns are locked, unlocked, or rotated to loading position.

||Bre*lan" (?), n. [F.] (Card Playing) (a) A French gambling game somewhat like poker. (b) In French games, a pair royal, or triplet.

||Bre*lan" car`re" (?). [F. carré square.] (Card Playing) In French games, a double pair royal.

||Bre*lan" fa`vo`ri" (?). [F. favori favorite.] (Card Playing) In French games, a pair royal composed of 2 cards in the hand and the card turned.

Bre*loque" (?), n. [F.] A seal or charm for a watch chain. "His chains and breloques." Thackeray.

Brick"field`er (?), n. [Australia] 1. Orig., at Sydney, a cold and violent south or southwest wind, rising suddenly, and regularly preceded by a hot wind from the north; -- now usually called southerly buster. It blew across the Brickfields, formerly so called, a district of Sydney, and carried clouds of dust into the city.

2. By confusion, a midsummer hot wind from the north.

||Bri*cole" (?), n. 1. An ancient kind of military catapult.

2. In court tennis, the rebound of a ball from a wall of the court; also, the side stroke or play by which the ball is driven against the wall; hence, fig., indirect action or stroke.

3. (Billiards) A shot in which the cue ball is driven first against the cushion.

Bridge, n. A card game resembling whist. The trump, if any, is determined by the dealer or his partner, the value of each trick taken over six being: for "no trumps" 12, hearts 8, diamonds 6, clubs 4, spades 2. The opponents of the dealer can, after the trump is declared, double the value of the tricks, in which case the dealer or his partner can redouble, and so on. The dealer plays his partner's hand as a dummy. The side which first reaches or exceeds 30 points scored for tricks wins a game; the side which first wins two games wins a rubber. The total score for any side is the sum of the points scored for tricks, for rubbers (each of which counts 100), for honors (which follow a special schedule of value), and for slam, little slam, and chicane.

Brie" cheese" (?). A kind of soft French cream cheese; -- so called from the district in France where it is made; -- called also fromage de Brie.

Brig (?), n. [Origin unknown.] (Nav.) On a United States man-of-war, the prison or place of confinement for offenders.

Bril"lian*tine (?), n. [F. brillantine. See lst Brilliant.] 1. An oily composition used to make the hair glossy.

2. A dress fabric having a glossy finish on both sides, resembling alpaca but of superior quality.

||Bri`oche" (?), n. [F.] 1. A light cake made with flour, butter, yeast, and eggs.

2. A knitted foot cushion.

Bri`o*lette" (?), n. [F.] An oval or pearshaped diamond having its entire surface cut in triangular facets.

Bri*quette" (?), n. [Also briquet.] [F., dim. of brique brick.] 1. A block of compacted coal dust, or peat, etc., for fuel.

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2. A block of artificial stone in the form of a brick, used for paving; also, a molded sample of solidified cement or mortar for use as a test piece for showing the strength of the material.

||Bro`ché" (br`sh"), a. Stitched; -- said of a book with no cover or only a paper one.

||Bro`chette" (br`sht"), n. [F., dim. of broche. See Broach, n.] (Cookery) A small spit or skewer.

-- En bro`chette" (än) [F.], on a brochette; skewered.

{ Brock"en spec"ter or spec"tre (?) }. [Trans. of G. Brockengespenst.] A mountain specter (which see), esp. that observed on the Brocken, in the Harz Mountains.

Bro"ken breast`. Abscess of the mammary gland.