|
great damage in beehives. — Bee wolf (Zoöl.), the larva of the bee beetle. See Illust. of Bee beetle.
— To have a bee in the head or in the bonnet. (a) To be choleric. [Obs.] (b) To be restless or
uneasy. B. Jonson. (c) To be full of fancies; to be a little crazy. "She's whiles crack-brained, and has
a bee in her head." Sir W. Scott.
Beebread
(Bee"bread`) n. A brown, bitter substance found in some of the cells of honeycomb. It is
made chiefly from the pollen of flowers, which is collected by bees as food for their young.
Beech
(Beech) n.; pl. Beeches [OE. beche, AS. bce; akin to D. beuk, OHG. buocha, G. buche,
Icel. beyki, Dan. bög, Sw. bok, Russ. buk, L. fagus, Gr. oak, to eat, Skr. bhaksh; the tree being
named originally from the esculent fruit. See Book, and cf. 7th Buck, Buckwheat.] (Bot.) A tree of
the genus Fagus.
It grows to a large size, having a smooth bark and thick foliage, and bears an edible triangular nut, of
which swine are fond. The Fagus sylvatica is the European species, and the F. ferruginea that of America.
Beech drops (Bot.), a parasitic plant which grows on the roots of beeches — Beech marten (Zoöl.),
the stone marten of Europe — Beech mast, the nuts of the beech, esp. as they lie under the trees,
in autumn. — Beech oil, oil expressed from the mast or nuts of the beech tree. — Cooper beech, a
variety of the European beech with copper-colored, shining leaves.
Beechen
(Beech"en) a. [AS. bcen.] Consisting, or made, of the wood or bark of the beech; belonging
to the beech. "Plain beechen vessels." Dryden.
Beechnut
(Beech"nut`) n. The nut of the beech tree.
Beech tree
(Beech" tree`) The beech.
Beechy
(Beech"y) a. Of or relating to beeches.
Bee-eater
(Bee"-eat`er) n. (Zoöl.) (a) A bird of the genus Merops, that feeds on bees. The European
species (M. apiaster) is remarkable for its brilliant colors. (b) An African bird of the genus Rhinopomastes.
Beef
(Beef) n. [OE. boef, befe, beef, OF. boef, buef, F. bœef, fr. L. bos, bovis, ox; akin to Gr. boy^s,
Skr. go cow, and E. cow. See 2d Cow.]
1. An animal of the genus Bos, especially the common species, B. taurus, including the bull, cow, and
ox, in their full grown state; esp., an ox or cow fattened for food. [In this, which is the original sense, the
word has a plural, beeves ]
A herd of beeves, fair oxen and fair kine.
Milton. 2. The flesh of an ox, or cow, or of any adult bovine animal, when slaughtered for food. [In this sense,
the word has no plural.] "Great meals of beef." Shak.
3. Applied colloquially to human flesh.
Beef
(Beef) a. Of, pertaining to, or resembling, beef.
Beef tea, essence of beef, or strong beef broth.
Beefeater
(Beef"eat`er) n. [Beef + eater; prob. one who eats another's beef, as his servant. Cf. AS.
hlafta servant, properly a loaf eater.]
1. One who eats beef; hence, a large, fleshy person.
|
