Collier's New Encyclopedia

A complete general encyclopedia of 1921 — the world as it was understood just after the Great War, from Aachen to Zwingli, across twelve volumes and six thousand pages.

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Birthright – Bitter Ash

Birthright

any right or privilege to which a person is entitled by birth, such as an estate descendible by law to an heir, or civil liberty under a free constitution. See PRIMOGENITURE.

Birthroot

a name of trillium erectum and other American plants of the same genus, having roots said to be astringent, tonic, and antiseptic.

Birthwort

the English name of the plant genus aristolochia. Both the scientific and the English names arose from the belief that the species are of use as a medicine in childbirth.

Biru

a kingdom of the Sudan, western Africa, bounded on the E. by the Niger. The capital is Walata.

Biscay

or VIZCAYA, the most northerly of the Basque provinces of Spain, is bounded N. by the Bay of Biscay, E. and S. by its sister provinces, Guipuzcoa and Alava, and W. by by Santander. It has an area (very mountainous in the S.) of 836 square miles. Chief town, Bilbao. Pop. (1917) 380,668.

Bisharin

a race inhabiting Nubia, between the Nile and the Red Sea, somewhat resembling the Bedouins, and living by pasturage. They are Mohammedans by religion; in character they are said to be cruel and treacherous.

Personal property does not exist among them, the family or the tribe having the ownership.

Bishop Barnaby

the may-bug or lady-bird.

BISHOP-WEED (ægopodium podagraria), an umbelliferous plant of Europe, with thrice-ternate leaves and creeping roots or underground stems, a great pest in gardens from its vigorous growth and the difficulty of getting rid of it; called also goutwort.

Bismarck Archipelago

the name officially given by Germany to New Britain, New Ireland, New Hanover, and several smaller adjoining islands in the South Pacific, since in 1884 they became a German dependency. By the terms of the Peace Treaty of 1919, Australia, through Great Britain, received a mandate for these islands. Sym. Bi; At. Wt. 210; found associated

Bistre

a pigment of a transparent brown color, derived from the soot left BISTRE, a pigment of a transparent after beechwood has been burned.

Bitter Almond

the bitter variety of amygdălus communis, or common almond.

Bitter Apple

a name applied to the bitter gourd.

Bitter Ash

a tree, simarūba amāra, a native of the West Indies, the bark of which is used as a tonic. Others of the same genus have also the same name, S. excelsa of Jamaica having wood almost as bitter as quassia, and being called Jamaica quassia.

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