A.

ABJECTS, the most servile and lowest of subjects, Aby, to pay dear for, to suffer. Abysm, abyss, from the French abysme, now abîme. TEMP. Accite, to call or summons. Aconitum, woolfsbane. Adam, the name of an outlaw, noted for his skill in archery. MUCH ADO.

Adam Cupid, an allusion to the

same person. ROM. AND JUL. Addrest, ready, prepared. Advertising, attentive. Aery, or Aiery, a nest.

Affect the letter, to practise alli

teration. Love's Lab. Affects, affections or passions. Affeered, a law-term for confirmed.

Affied, betrothed.

Affined, joined by affinity. Affront, sometimes to face, or confront.

Affy, to betroth in marriage. Aglet-baby, a diminutive being,

not exceeding in size the tag of a point; from aiguillettes. Agnize, acknowledge, confess,

avow.

A-hold, a seafaring term, to keep near the wind, and clear of the land. TEMP.

Aiery, a hawk's or eagle's nest. RICH. III.

Airy fame, verbal eulogium. Alder-liefest, preferred to all things; from leve or lefe, dear, and alder, of all. A'life, at life.

Amazonian chin, a chin without a beard.

Ames-ace, the lowest chance of the dice.

Amort, sunk, dispirited.

Ancient, an ensign, or standardbearer.

Angle, a fishing-rod. WIN.
TALE.

Antres, caves and dens.
Appeach, to impeach.
Apple-John, species of apple that
will keep for two years; in
French, deur-ans.

a 2

Approof, approbation, or sometimes proof, confirmation. Aqua vita, probably, usquebaugh.

MER. WIVES.

Arabian bird, the phoenix. Argentine goddess, regent of the

silver moon. Argier, Algiers.

Argosies, ships of great burthen. Aroint, avaunt, or be gone. Ascapart, a giant.

Ascaunt, askew, aside, sideways. Aspersion, sprinkling. TEMP. Assay, to take the assay, applied to those who tasted wine for princes. HAM.-OTH. &c. Assinego, an ass driver, a foolish fellow.

Astringer, a gentleman falconer;

from austercus, a goshawk. As point, completely armed. Atomies, minute particles discernible when the sun breaks into a darkened room. Attasked, taken to task, censured. Attent, attentive,

B.

Baccare, a proverbial word, of doubtful meaning; perhaps from baccalare, arrogant. Bail, bane, ruin, misfortune, HEN. VI. 2d Part. Baldrick, a belt.

Balker, either bathed, or piled up.

HEN. IV. 1st Part. Bandog, i. e. band-dog, a village dog, or mastiff.

Bandy, a metaphor from tennis-
playing, to exchange smartly.
Banning, cursing, commonly used
in Scotland.
Bans, curses.

Barbason, the name of a dæmon.
Barbe, a kind of veil.
Barber-monger, one who consorts

with barbers, a low fellow. Barm, yeast, used in the midland counties, and in Ireland and Scotland.

Barnacles, a kind of shell-fish, growing on the bottom of ships. Burne, a child.

Barrful, full of impediments. Bases, a kind of loose breeches. PER.

Basta, 'tis enough. ITAL. AND SPAN.

Bate, strife or contention. MER. WIVES.

Batlet, the instrument with which washers beat their clothes.

coarse

Beak, the head, or support to the bowsprit of a ship. TEMP. Bear a brain, to have a perfect

remembrance.

Beck, a salutation made with the

head; in the North, it means courtsying.

Becomed, becoming. ROM. AND
JUL.

Behests, commands.
Behowl, to howl at.

Beldame, ancient mother. HEN.
IV. 1st. Part.

Be-lee'd, becalmed.
Belongings, endowments.
Be-mete, bemeasure.

Bemoiled, bedraggled, bemired.
Besmirch, to foul or dirty.
Bestraught, distracted.

Beteem, to give or bestow, or to permit, deign, or suffer. HAM. Bevy, a company or number, originally applied to larks. Bewray, betray, discover. Bezonian, a term of reproach;

from bisognoso, a needy person. Bias cheek, swelling out like the bias of a bowl.

Bid the base, to challenge in a

contest. Two GENT. Biggin, a kind of cap, worn now only by children. Bilberry, the whurtle-berry. Bilbo, a Spanish blade, flexible

and elastic, the best of which are made at Bilboa. Bilboes, a bar of iron, with fetters

annexed to it, by which mutinous sailors were anciently linked together; derived from Bilboa, which was famous for the manufacture of instruments of steel. The bilboes may be seen in the Tower of London, among the spoils of the Spanish armada.

Bill, articles of accusation. HEN. VI. 1st Part.

Bill, the old weapon of English infantry, still used by the watchmen in some towns. Bin, is. CYMB.

Bird-bolt, a short thick arrow

without a point, used to kill rooks, and shot from a crossbow.

Bisson, blind.

Black cornered night, night which is as obscure as a dark corner. Blacks, mourning made of stuffs of different colours dyed black. Blaze, i. e. of youth, the spring

of early life. ALL'S WELL. Blank, i. e. of the eye, the white, or the white mark at which arrows are discharged. Blank and level, mark and aim, terms of gunnery. Blench, to start off, to fly off. Blent, blended, mixed together. Blind-worms, the Cæcilia, or slow

worm.

Block, the thing on which a hat is formed.