| lady's bower | <botany> A climbing plant with fragrant blossoms (Clematis vitalba). This term is sometimes applied to other plants of the same genus. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| bower | 1. Anciently, a chamber; a lodging room; especially, a lady's private apartment. "Give me my lute in bed now as I lie, And lock the doors of mine unlucky bower." (Gascoigne) 2. A rustic cottage or abode; poetically, an attractive abode or retreat. 3. A shelter or covered place in a garden, made with boughs of trees or vines, etc, twined together; an arbor; a shady recess. Origin: OE. Bour, bur, room, dwelling, AS. Bur, fr. The root of AS. Buan to dwell; akin to Icel. Bur chamber, storehouse, Sw. Bur cage, Dan. Buur, OHG. Pur room, G. Bauer cage, bauer a peasant. 97] Cf.Boor, Byre. 1. One who bows or bends. 2. An anchor carried at the bow of a ship. 3. A muscle that bends a limb, especially. The arm. "His rawbone arms, whose mighty brawned bowers" "Were wont to rive steel plates and helmets hew." (Spenser) Best bower, Small bower. See the Note under Anchor. Origin: From Bow. <veterinary> A young hawk, when it begins to leave the nest. Origin: From Bough, cf. Brancher. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| bower bird | <zoology> An Australian bird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus or holosericeus), allied to the starling, which constructs singular bowers or playhouses of twigs and decorates them with brightcoloured objects; the satin bird. The name is also applied to other related birds of the same region, having similar habits; as, the spotted bower bird (Chalmydodera maculata), and the regent bird (Sericulus melinus). Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| lady | Origin: OE. Ladi, laefdi, AS. Hlfdige, hlfdie; AS. Hlaf loaf + a root of uncertain origin, possibly akin to E. Dairy. See Loaf, and cf. Lord. 1. A woman who looks after the domestic affairs of a family; a mistress; the female head of a household. "Agar, the handmaiden of Sara, whence comest thou, and whither goest thou? The which answered, Fro the face of Sara my lady." (Wyclif (Gen. Xvi. 8)) 2. A woman having proprietary rights or authority; mistress; a feminine correlative of lord. "Lord or lady of high degree." "Of all these bounds, even from this line to this, . . . We make thee lady." (Shak) 3. A woman to whom the particular homage of a knight was paid; a woman to whom one is devoted or bound; a sweetheart. "The soldier here his wasted store supplies, And takes new valor from his lady's eyes." (Waller) 4. A woman of social distinction or position. In England, a title prefixed to the name of any woman whose husband is not of lower rank than a baron, or whose father was a nobleman not lower than an earl. The wife of a baronet or knight has the title of Lady by courtesy, but not by right. 5. A woman of refined or gentle manners; a well-bred woman; the feminine correlative of gentleman. 6. A wife; not now in approved usage. 7. <zoology> The triturating apparatus in the stomach of a lobster; so called from a fancied resemblance to a seated female figure. It consists of calcareous plates. Ladies' man, a man who affects the society of ladies. Lady altar, an altar in a lady chapel. Lady chapel, a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Lady court, the court of a lady of the manor. Lady court, the court of a lady of the manor. <zoology> Lady crab, a handsomely spotted swimming crab (Platyonichus ocellatus) very common on the sandy shores of the Atlantic coast of the United States. Lady fern. <botany> See Female fern, under Female, and Illust. Of Fern. Lady in waiting, a lady of the queen's household, appointed to wait upon or attend the queen. Lady Mass, a Mass said in honor of the Virgin Mary. Lady of the manor, a lady having jurisdiction of a manor; also, the wife of a manor lord. Lady's maid, a maidservant who dresses and waits upon a lady. Our Lady, the Virgin Mary. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| lady-killer | A gallant who captivates the hearts of women. "A renowned dandy and lady-killer." Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| lady-killing | The art or practice of captivating the hearts of women. "Better for the sake of womankind that this dangerous dog should leave off lady-killing." (Thackeray) Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| lady's bedstraw | <botany> The common bedstraw (Galium verum); also, a slender-leaved East Indian shrub (Pharnaceum Mollugo), with white flowers in umbels. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| lady's comb | <botany> An umbelliferous plant (Scandix Pecten-Veneris), its clusters of long slender fruits remotely resembling a comb. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| lady's cushion | <botany> An herb growing in dense tufts; the thrift (Armeria vulgaris). Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| lady's finger | 1. <botany> The kidney vetch. 2. A variety of small cake of about the dimensions of a finger. 3. A long, slender variety of the potato. 4. <zoology> One of the branchiae of the lobster. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| lady's garters | <botany> Ribbon grass. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| lady's hair | <botany> A plant of the genus Briza (B. Media); a variety of quaking grass. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| lady's laces | <botany> A slender climbing plant; dodder. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| lady's looking-glass | <botany> See Venus's looking-glass, under Venus. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| lady's mantle | <botany> A genus of rosaceous herbs (Alchemilla), especially. The European A. Vulgaris, which has leaves with rounded and finely serrated lobes. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| lady's seal | <botany> The European Solomon's seal (Polygonatum verticillatum). The black bryony (Tamus communis). Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |