wunder · Library

Part 925

The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary · Project Gutenberg — chapter 925 of 12779 · ~500 words · public domain

Read in the Wunder reader — free

<h1>Barratry</h1> <Xpage=120>

<hw>Bar"ra*try</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Cf. F. <ets>baraterie</ets>, LL. <ets>barataria</ets>. See <er>Barrator</er>, and cf. <er>Bartery</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <fld>(Law)</fld> <def>The practice of exciting and encouraging lawsuits and quarrels.</def> <altsp>[Also spelt <asp>barretry</asp>.]</altsp>

<i>Coke. Blackstone.</i>

<p><b>2.</b> <fld>(Mar. Law)</fld> <def>A fraudulent breach of duty or willful act of known illegality on the part of a master of a ship, in his character of master, or of the mariners, to the injury of the owner of the ship or cargo, and without his consent. It includes every breach of trust committed with dishonest purpose, as by running away with the ship, sinking or deserting her, etc., or by embezzling the cargo.</def>

<i>Kent. Part.</i>

<p><b>3.</b> <fld>(Scots Law)</fld> <def>The crime of a judge who is influenced by bribery in pronouncing judgment.</def>

<i>Wharton.</i>

<h1>Barred owl</h1> <Xpage=120>

<hw>Barred" owl"</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>. <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld> <def>A large American owl (<spn>Syrnium nebulosum</spn>); -- so called from the transverse bars of a dark brown color on the breast.</def>

<h1>Barrel</h1> <Xpage=120>

<hw>Bar"rel</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt><ety>[OE. <ets>barel</ets>, F. <ets>baril</ets>, prob. fr. <ets>barre</ets> bar. Cf. <er>Barricade</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>A round vessel or cask, of greater length than breadth, and bulging in the middle, made of staves bound with hoops, and having flat ends or heads.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>The quantity which constitutes a full barrel. This varies for different articles and also in different places for the same article, being regulated by custom or by law. A barrel of wine is 31<frac12/ gallons; a barrel of flour is 196 pounds.</def>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>A solid drum, or a hollow cylinder or case; <as>as, the <ex>barrel</ex> of a windlass; the <ex>barrel</ex> of a watch, within which the spring is coiled.</as></def>

<-- p. 121 -->

<p><b>4.</b> <def>A metallic tube, as of a gun, from which a projectile is discharged.</def>

<i>Knight.</i>

<p><b>5.</b> <def>A jar.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>1 Kings xvii. 12.</i>

<p><b>6.</b> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld> <def>The hollow basal part of a feather.</def>

<cs><col>Barrel bulk</col> <fld>(Com.)</fld>, <cd>a measure equal to five cubic feet, used in estimating capacity, as of a vessel for freight.</cd> -- <col>Barrel drain</col> <fld>(Arch.)</fld>, <cd>a drain in the form of a cylindrical tube.</cd> -- <col>Barrel of a boiler</col>, <cd>the cylindrical part of a boiler, containing the flues.</cd> -- <col>Barrel of the ear</col> <fld>(Anat.)</fld>, <cd>the tympanum, or tympanic cavity.</cd> -- <col>Barrel organ</col>, <cd>an instrument for producing music by the action of a revolving cylinder. -- <i>Barrel vault<i>. See under <er>Vault</er>.</cd></cs>

<h1>Barrel</h1> <Xpage=121>

<hw>Bar"rel</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Barreled</er> (<?/), or <er>Barrelled</er>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Barreling</er>, or <er>Barrelling</er>.]</wordforms> <def>To put or to pack in a barrel or barrels.</def>

<h1>Barreled, Barrelled</h1> <Xpage=121>

<hw><hw>Bar"reled</hw>, <hw>Bar"relled</hw><hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Having a barrel; -- used in composition; <as>as, a double-<ex>barreled</ex> gun</as>.</def>

<h1>Barren</h1> <Xpage=121>

<hw>Bar"ren</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[OE. <ets>barein</ets>, OF. <ets>brehaing</ets>, <?/em. <ets>brehaigne</ets>, <ets>baraigne</ets>, F. <ets>br\'82haigne</ets>; of uncertain origin; cf. Arm. <ets>br\'82kha<?/</ets>, <ets>markha<?/</ets>, sterile; LL. <ets>brana</ets> a sterile mare, principally in Aquitanian and Spanish documents; Bisc. <ets>barau</ets>, <ets>baru</ets>, fasting.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Incapable of producing offspring; producing no young; sterile; -- <?/aid of women and female animals.</def>

<blockquote>She was <b>barren</b> of children. <i>Bp. Hall.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Not producing vegetation, or useful vegetation; <?/rile.</def> "<i>Barren</i> mountain tracts."

← Previous chapterAll chaptersNext chapter →

The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary · The Wunder Library — complete classics, free to read, with narration.

© 2026 Wunder Learning LLC · Terms & Privacy