Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (2nd 100 Pages). Noah Webster
person at a fixed date; a bank bill. See Bank bill, 2. [Obs.] 3. A promissory note payable at a bank. Bank¶ruptÿ(?), n. [F. banqueroute, fr. It. bancarotta bankruptcy; banca bank (fr. OHG. banch, G. bank, bench) + rotta broken, fr. L. ruptus, p.p. of rumpere to break. At Florence, it is said, the bankrupt had his bench ( i.e., money table) broken. See 1st Bank, and Rupture, n.] 1. (Old Eng. Low) A trader who secretes himself, or does certain other acts tending to defraud his creditors. Blackstone. 2. A trader who becomes unable to pay his debts; an insolvent trader; popularly, any person who is unable to pay his debts; an insolvent person. M?Culloch. 3. (Law) A person who, in accordance with the terms of a law relating to bankruptcy, has been judicially declared to be unable to meet his liabilities. µ In England, until the year 1861 none but a ½trader¸ could be made a bankrupt; a nonÐtrader failing to meet his liabilities being an ½insolvent¸. But this distinction was abolished by the Bankruptcy Act of 1861. The laws of 1841 and 1867 of the United States relating to bankruptcy applied this designation bankrupt to others besides those engaged in trade. Bank¶rupt, a. 1. Being a bankrupt or in a condition of bankruptcy; unable to pay, or legally discharged from paying, one's debts; as, a bankrupt merchant. 2. Depleted of money; not having the means of meeting pecuniary liabilities; as, a bankrupt treasury. 3. Relating to bankrupts and bankruptcy. 4. Destitute of, or wholly wanting (something once possessed, or something one should possess). ½Bankrupt in gratitude.¸ Sheridan. Bankrupt law, a law by which the property of a person who is unable or unwilling to pay his debts may be taken and distributed to his creditors, and by which a person who has made a full surrender of his property, and is free from fraud, may be discharged from the legal obligation of his debts. See Insolvent, a. Bank¶rupt, v.t. [imp. & p. p. Bankrupted; p. pr. & vb.n. Bankrupting.] To make bankrupt; to bring financial ruin upon; to impoverish. Bank¶ruptÏcy (?), n.; pl. Bankruptcies(?). 1. The state of being actually or legally bankrupt. 2. The act or process of becoming a bankrupt. 3. Complete loss; Ð followed by of. Bank¶side·(?), n. The slope of a bank, especially of the bank of a steam. Bank¶Ïsid·ed(?), a. (Naut.) Having sides inclining inwards, as a ship; Ð opposed to wallÐsided. Bank¶ swal¶low (?). See under 1st Bank, n. ØBan¶liÏeue· (?), n. [F., fr. LL. bannum leucae, banleuca; bannum jurisdiction + leuca league.] The territory without the walls, but within the legal limits, of a town or city. Brande & C. Ban¶ner (?), n. [OE. banere, OF. baniere, F. banniŠre, bandiŠre, fr. LL. baniera, banderia, fr. bandum banner, fr. OHG. bant band, strip of cloth; cf. bindan to bind, Goth. bandwa, bandwo, a sign. See Band, n.] 1. A kind of flag attached to a spear or pike by a crosspiece, and used by a chief as his standard in battle. Hang out our banners on the outward walls. Shak. 2. A large piece of silk or other cloth, with a device or motto, extended on a crosspiece, and borne in a procession, or suspended in some conspicuous place. 3. Any flag or standard; as, the starÐspangled banner. Banner fish (Zo”l.), a large fish of the genus Histiophorus, of the Swordfish family, having a broad bannerlike dorsal fin; the sailfish. One species (H. Americanus) inhabits the North Atlantic. Ban¶nered (?), a. Furnished with, or bearing, banners. ½A bannered host.¸ Milton. Ban¶nerÏet (?), n.[ OE. baneret, OF. baneret, F. banneret; properly a dim. of OF. baniere. See Banner.] 1. Originally, a knight who led his vassals into the field under his own banner; Ð commonly used as a title of rank. 2. A title of rank, conferred for heroic deeds, and hence, an order of knighthood; also, the person bearing such title or rank. µ The usual mode of conferring the rank on the field of battle was by cutting or tearing off the point of the pennon or pointed flag on the spear of the candidate, thereby making it a banner. 3. A civil officer in some Swiss cantons. 4. A small banner. Shak. Ban¶nerÏol (?), n. A banderole; esp. a banner displayed at a funeral procession and set over the tomb. See Banderole. BanÏni¶tion (?), n. [LL. bannitio. See Banish.] The act of expulsion.[Obs.] Abp. Laud. Ban¶nock (?), n. [Gael. bonnach.] A kind of cake or bread, in shape flat and roundish, commonly made of oatmeal or barley meal and baked on an iron plate, or griddle; Ð used in Scotland and the northern counties of England. Jamieson. Bannock fluke, the turbot. [Scot.] Banns (?), n. pl. [See Ban.] Notice of a proposed marriage, proclaimed in a church, or other place prescribed by law, in order that any person may object, if he knows of just cause why the marriage should not take place. Ban¶quet (?), n. [F., a feast, prop. a dim. of banc bench; cf. It. banchetto, dim. of banco a bench, counter. See Bank a bench, and cf. Banquette.] 1. A feast; a sumptuous entertainment of eating and drinking; often, a complimentary or ceremonious feast, followed by speeches. 2. A dessert; a course of sweetmeats; a sweetmeat or sweetmeats. [Obs.] We'll dine in the great room, but let the music And banquet be prepared here. Massinger. Ban¶quet,v.t. [imp. & p.p. Banqueted; p. pr. & vb.n. Banqueting.] To treat with a banquet or sumptuous entertainment of food; to feast. Just in time to banquet The illustrious company assembled there. Coleridge.
Ban¶quet, v.i. 1. To regale one's self with good eating and drinking; to feast.
Were it a draught for Juno when she banquets,
I would not taste thy treasonous offer.
Milton.
2. To partake of a dessert after a feast. [Obs.]
Where they did both sup and banquet.
Cavendish.
Ban¶quetÏter (?), n. One who banquets; one who feasts or makes feasts.
BanÏquette¶ (?), n. [F. See Banquet, n.] 1. (Fort.) A raised way or foot bank, running along the inside of a parapet, on which musketeers stand to fire upon the enemy.
2. (Arch.) A narrow window seat; a raised shelf at the back or the top of a buffet or dresser.
Ban¶shee, Ban¶shie (?), n. [ Gael. beanÐshith fairy; Gael. & Ir. bean woman + Gael. sith fairy.] A supernatural being supposed by the Irish and Scotch peasantry to warn a family of the speedy death of one of its members, by wailing or singing in a mournful voice under the windows of the house.
Ban¶stic·kle (?), n. [OE. ban, bon, bone + stickle prickle, sting. See Bone, n., Stickleback.] (Zo”l.) A small fish, the threeÐspined stickleback.
Ban¶tam (?), n. A variety of small barnyard fowl, with feathered legs, probably brought from Bantam, a district of Java.
Ban¶tam work·. Carved and painted work in imitation of Japan ware.
ØBan¶teng (?), n. (Zo”l.) The wild ox of Java (Bibos Banteng).
Ban¶ter (?), v.t. [ imp. & p.p. Bantered(?); p. pr. & vb.n. Bantering.] [Prob. corrupted fr. F. badiner to joke, or perh. fr. E. bandy to beat to and fro. See Badinage, and cf. Barter fr. OF. barater.]
1. To address playful goodÐnatured ridicule to, Ð the person addressed, or something pertaining to him, being the subject of the jesting; to rally; as, he bantered me about my credulity.
HagÐridden by my own fancy all night, and then bantered on
my haggard looks the next day.
W. Irving.
2. To jest about; to ridicule in speaking of, as some trait, habit, characteristic, and the like. [Archaic]
If they banter your regularity, order, and love of study, banter in return their neglect of them.
Chatham.
3. To delude or trick, Ð esp. by way of jest. [Obs.]
We diverted ourselves with bantering several poor scholars
with hopes of being at least his lordship's chaplain.
De Foe.
4. To challenge or defy to a match. [Colloq. Southern and Western U.S.]
Ban¶ter, n. The act of bantering; joking or jesting; humorous or goodÐhumored raillery; pleasantry.
Part banter, part affection.
Tennyson.
Ban¶terÏer (?), n. One who banters or rallies.
Ban¶tingÏism (?), n. A method of reducing corpulence by avoiding food containing much farinaceous, saccharine, or oily matter; Ð so called from William Banting of London.
Bant¶ling (?), n. [Prob. for bandling, from band, and meaning a child wrapped in swaddling bands; or cf. G. b„ntling a bastard, fr. bank bench. Cf. Bastard, n.] A young or small child; an infant. [Slightly contemptuous or depreciatory.]
In