BACCARE keep back

BACKWARD the hinder part; hence, when applied to time, the past

BAFFLE embarrass

BALKED heaped, as on a ridge

BALLOW a cudgel

BALM the oil of consecration

BAN to curse

BANK to sail by the banks

BARM yeast

BARN a child

BARNACLE a shellfish, supposed to produce the sea-bird of the same name

BASE a game, sometimes called Prisoners' base

BASES an embroidered mantle worn by knights on horseback, and reaching from the middle to below the knees

BASILISK a kind of ordnance

BASTA enough

BASTARD raisin wine

BATE to flutter, as a hawk

BATE to except To abate

BAT-FOWLING catching birds with a clap-net by night

BATLET a small bat, used for beating clothes

BATTLE army

BAVIN used as an a piece of waste wood, applied contemptuously to anything worthless

BAWCOCK a fine fellow

BAWD procurer

BAY the space between the main timbers of the roof

BEADSMAN one who bids bedes, that is, prays prayers for another

BEARING-CLOTH a rich cloth in which children were wrapt at their christening

BEAT to flutter as a falcon, to meditate, consider earnestly

BEAVER the lower part of a helmet

BEETLE a mallet

BEING dwelling

BEING since, inasmuch as

BE-METE to measure

BE-MOILED daubed with dirt

BENDING stooping under a weight

BENVENUTO (Italian), welcome

BERGOMASK a rustic dance

BESHREW evil befal

BESTRAUGHT distraught, distracted

BETEEM to pour out

BETID happened

BEZONIAN a beggarly fellow

BIDING abiding-place

BIGGEN a night-cap

BILBERRY the whortleberry

BILBO a sword, from Bilboa, a town in Spain where they were made

BILBOES fetters or stocks

BILL a bill-hook, a weapon

BIN been, are

BIRD-BOLT a bolt to be shot from a crossbow at birds

BIRDING part. hawking at partridges

BISSON blind

BLANK the white mark in the middle of a target; hence, metaphorically, that which is aimed at

BLENCH to start aside, flinch

BLENT blended

BLOOD-BOLTERED smeared with blood

BLOW to inflate

BOARD to make advances to; accost

BOB a blow, metaph. a sarcasm

BOB to strike, metaph. to ridicule, or to obtain by raillery

BODGE to botch, bungle

BODIKIN a corrupt word used as an oath. 'Od's Bodikin,' God's little Body

BOITIER VERT green box

BOLD to embolden

BOLLEN swollen

BOLTED sifted, refined

BOLTER a sieve

BOLTING-HUTCH a hutch in which meal was sifted

BOMBARD a barrel, a drunkard

BOMBAST padding

BONA-ROBA a harlot

BOND that to which one is bound

BOOK a paper of conditions

BOOT help, use

BOOT to help, to avail

BOOTLESS without boot or advantage, useless

BOOTS bots, a kind of worm

BORE calibre of a gun; hence, metaph. size, weight, importance

BOSKY covered with underwood

BOSOM wish, heart's desire

BOTS worms which infest horses

BOURN a boundary A brook

BRACE armour for the arm, state of defence

BRACH a hound bitch

BRAID deceitful

BRAVE handsome, well-dressed

BRAVE boast

BRAVERY finery Boastfulness

BRAWL a kind of dance

BREAST voice

BREATHE to exercise

BREATHING exercising

BREECHING liable to be whipt

BREED-BATE a breeder of debate, a fomenter of quarrels

BREESE the gadfly

BRIBE-BUCK a buck given away in presents

BRING to attend one on a journey

BROCK a badger, a term of contempt

BROKE to act as a procurer

BROKEN having lost some teeth by age

BROKEN MUSIC the music of stringed instruments

BROKER an agent

BROTHERHOOD trading company

BROWNIST a sectary, a follower of Brown, the founder of the Independents

BRUIT noise, report, rumour

BRUIT to noise abroad

BRUSH rude assault

BUCK suds or lye for washing clothes in

BUCK-BASKET the basket in which clothes are carried to the wash

BUCKING washing

BUCK-WASHING washing in lye

BUG a bugbear, a spectre

BULLY-ROOK a bragging cheater

BURGONET a kind of helmet

BURST to break

BUSKY bushy

BUTT-SHAFT a light arrow for shooting at a target

BUXOM obedient

BY'RLAKIN by our little Lady: an oath