#151 bivouac

bivouac- a temporary encampment with few facilities, as used by soldiers, mountaineers

-C18 from French bivuac, from Swiss German beiwacht- by+watch

The company was attacked yesterday while they were in bivouac.

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#150 bisque

bisque- a thick rich soup made from shellfish; a pink to yellowish tan colour

- C17 French; modern, shortened from biscuit

The bisque tablecloth complemented the floral serving ware.

Nothing against the curried corn chowder at Dishes, but the corn and pumpkin bisque is BY FAR the best soup.

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#149 bise

bise- a cold dry northerly wind in Switzerland and the neighbouring parts of France and Italy, usually in the spring

- C14 from Old French, of Germanic origin; compare Old Swedish bisa- whirlwind

A wind called the bise had been blowing for the last twenty-four hours, and when we left Vevey the gale was so strong, that the steam-boat had great difficulty in getting ahead.

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#148 birkie

birkie- a spirited or lively person; a foolish posturer

- Scottish from C18 related to Old English beorcan to bark; or Old Norse berkia

A birkie is a conceited, forward fellow.

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#147 bio/bi

bio/bi- combining form- indicating life or living organisms; indicating a human life or career- biography, biopic

- from Greek bios- life

Many, many words begin with bio or bi - an important prefix with many applications to ecology etc.

For example, bioluminescence- the production of light by living organisms...

-biomass- the total number of living organisms in a given area...

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#146 billow

billow- a large sea wave, a swelling or surging mass, as of smoke or sound; also verb- to rise up, swell out

- interesting etymology- C16 from Old Norse bylgja, Swedish bolja, Danish bolg, Middle German bulge

As the billow is at its height, before it combs over, the fisherman sees the sunlight gleaming through it -- an ecstasy of perfect lucid green, with the glimmer of yellow sand behind.

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#145 billabong

billabong- a stagnant pool in the bed of an intermittent stream; a branch of a river running to a dead end

- C19 from native Australian, from billa- river+bong- dead

We saw birds, and Molly claimed to have caught a glimpse of a crocodile sunk in an inky billabong.

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#144 bilbo

-bilbo- a sword with a marked temper and elasticity

- C16 from Bilboa, Spain- noted for its blades

The fool came at me, bilbo in hand, and I was forced to draw.

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#143 bidarka

bidarka- a canoe covered in animal skins, especially sealskin, used by the Eskimos of Alaska

-C19 from Russian baidarka

The bidarka is a frail, narrow framework over which is stretched walrus skin, and it is so fashioned that the crew sits, one behind the other, in circular openings with legs straight out in front.

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#142 bibulous

bibulous- addicted to alcohol

- C17 from Latin bibulus, from bibere to drink

- bibulously, bibulousness (noun)

Exasperated with his bibulous subaltern, the captain entered the following in the log: ‘The mate was drunk today.

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#141 bezant/bezzant/byzant

bezant/bezzant/byzant- a medieval Byzantine gold coin; an ornament in the form of a flat disc; a small gold circle in heraldry

C13 from Old French besant, from Medieval Latin Byzantius- Byzantine coin

Sabin presented her with a gold bezant as a symbol of his intention to provide for her, and a wedding ring of African gold.

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#140 berserk

beserk- frenziedly violent or destructive; also beserker, a member of a class of ancient Norse warriors who worked themselves into a frenzy before battle and fought with insane fury and courage

- C19 Icelandic berserkr, from bjorn bear+serkr shirt

Moreover, the word "amok" has anthropological grounding with various accounts of lonely, frustrated and disturbed men who have suffered loss going beserk, running amok (a Malay word) and randomly resorting to extreme violence.

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#139 benedicite

benedicite- a blessing or grace, especially in Christian religious orders

-C13 from Latin, from benedicere, from bene well +dicere to speak

- also many words derived from the prefix bene- benediction, benefaction, benefactor beneficial, benevolent...

Friar Laurence greeted Romeo with a benedicite.

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#138 belligerent

belligerent- marked by readiness to fight or argue; aggressive; engaging in a recognized war

-C16 from Latin belliger, from bellum war+ gerere- to wage

- also belligerence, belligerency- nouns

The belligerent tone to his voice caused an extended argument at the bar.

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#137 belle

belle- a beautiful girl or woman; the most attractive or admired woman at a function- the belle of the ball

- C17 from French- feminine of beau

What could she, a thirty-year-old American history professor brought up in the postfeminist age, possibly have in common with a Southern belle from a previous century?

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#136 belie

belie (verb)- to show to be untrue; contradict; to misrepresent; disguise the nature of; to fail to justify; disappoint

- Old English beleogan; Old High German biliugan

- belier (noun)

These photographs of the oil spill belie the dangers which still lurk there.

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#135 belfry

belfry- the part of a tower or steeple in which bells are hung

-C13 from Old French berfrei, of Germanic origin; Middle High German bercfrit; Medieval Latin berfredus- tower

The belfry is silent, its bells were sacrificed to the cause of the Habsburgs in the Great War; you may see plaster casts of them in the library.

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#134 Beelzebub

Beelzebub- Old Testament- god of the Philistines (2Kings 1:2); Satan or any devil or demon; Old English Belzebub, ultimately from Hebrew baal zebub- literally- lord of the flies

- I included this proper name for its interesting etymology and biblical allusions.

Jesus reply to the charge of league with Beelzebub is as merciless an exposure of feeble malice as can be found in human literature.

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#133 bedlam

bedlam- a noisy confused place or situation; state of uproar; an asylum, madhouse

-C13 bedlem, bethlem, after a hospital in Bethlehem, London

In one asylum in London, St. Mary's of Bethlehem Hospital - form which the word bedlam is derived - the public could buy tickets to observe the antics of the inmates, much as we would pay to see a circus sideshow or animals at the zoo.

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#132 beaver

beaver- a large amphibious rodent

- Canada's national symbol

- interesting for its word etymology- Old English beofor; Old Norse biorr; Old High German bibar; Latin fiber; Sanskrit babhru

Recently the world's largest beaver dam was discovered in northern Alberta.

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#131 beau

beau- a lover, sweetheart, or escort of a woman; a man who is greatly concerned with his clothes and appearance; dandy

- C17 from French biau, from Latin bellus- handsome, charming

- beaux- plural

Although she isn't about to break out of her shell and find herself a man, she wishes that at least Meredith would stop acting as though she doesn't exist whenever a beau is about.

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#130 beatific

beatific- displaying great happiness, calmness

- also beatify, beatitude; from Latin beatificare- to make blessed

The ancient transcendentalist was always sad, always separate, always worshipping in beatific loneliness, in seclusion and renunciation of the world.

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#129 bawl

bawl- to utter long loud cries, as from pain or frustration; wail; to shout loudly as in anger

-C15 from Icelandic baula- to low; Medieval Latin baulare- to bark; Swedish bola- to low- all of imitative origin

Fifteen minutes after sundown Silverhorns gave a loud bawl from the western ridge and came crashing down the hill.

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#128 bawd

bawd- person who runs a brothel; a prostitute

- from Old French baude, feminine of baud merry, of Germanic origin bald- bold

- also bawdry- obscene talk or language, bawdy- of language plays containing references to sex, humorous; eroticism

Specialists in Shakespeare's bawdy language are fond of noting that "nunnery" was common Elizabethan slang for "brothel."

Her bawdy sense of humour made her a popular comedian in some circles.

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#127 bathos

bathos- a sudden ludicrous descent from exalted to ordinary matters or style in speech or writing; insincere or excessive pathos; triteness; the lowest point

- from Greek bathus- deep

The line between pathos and bathos can be thin at times.

The taste of the bathos is implanted by nature itself in the soul of man; till, perverted by custom or example, he is taught, or rather compelled, to relish the sublime.

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#126 bastion

bastion- a projecting work in a fortification; any fortified place; a thing or person regarded as upholding or defending an attitude, principle

- C16 from French- bastillon, bastille

On the top of the bastion is a covered way and gravel walk, with cannon pointing in every direction.

The lobbyists managed to convince the last bastion of opposition.

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#125 barton

barton- a farmyard

- archaic, Old English beretun from bere barley+tun stockade

The barton was nestled in a rolling valley of stone walls and grazing sheep.

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#124 baroque

baroque- a style of architecture and decorative art that flourished throughout Europe from the late 16th to the early 18th century, characterized by extensive ornamentation; 17th century style of music with similar ornamentation

- from Italian barroco, probably from the name of Federigo Barocci (1528-1612), Italian painter of the style

Framed in baroque descriptive passages that can go on for several pages, Marai's stories revel in their mid-century feel and contemporary undercurrents.

The singer's libretto was by turns gentle and nightmarishly baroque.

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#123 barm

barm- the yeasty froth on fermenting malt liquors; an archaic or dialect word for yeast

- Old English bearm; Old Norse barmr; Old High German barm

After the liquid cools, yeast is added to form barm, which is put into fermentation tanks to convert the sugars into alcohol.

A large apron -- which Clarice called a barm-cloth -- protected the dress from stain.

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#122 banzai

banzai- a patriotic cheer, battle cry, or salutation

- Japanese- may you live for...ten thousand years

The ministers are said to have "uttered reiterated cries of banzai, which has come into vogue once more in modern times as the equivalent of "hurrah."

The final-lap "banzai" move that second-place Carl Edwards attempted on first-place Jimmie Johnson at Kansas Speedway was as thrilling as it was daring.

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#121 bannock

bannock- a round flat unsweetened cake originating in Scotland, made from oatmeal or barley and baked on a griddle

- Old English bannuc, of Celtic origin; Gaelic bannach; Cornish banna

North American Indian bannock recipe
2 1/2 cups flour
6 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar (optional)
1/3 cup lard
2 eggs, optional
1 cup water or more
See instructions.

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