*bald*

a. [ OE. balled, ballid, perh. the p. p. of ball to reduce to the roundness or smoothness of a ball, by removing hair. √85. But cf. W. bali whiteness in a horse's forehead. ] 1. Destitute of the natural or common covering on the head or top, as of hair, feathers, foliage, trees, etc.; as, a bald head; a bald oak. [ 1913 Webster ]

On the bald top of an eminence. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Destitute of ornament; unadorned; bare; literal. [ 1913 Webster ]

In the preface to his own bald translation. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Undisguised. “ Bald egotism.” Lowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Destitute of dignity or value; paltry; mean. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Bot.) Destitute of a beard or awn; as, bald wheat. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Zool.) (a) Destitute of the natural covering. (b) Marked with a white spot on the head; bald-faced. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bald buzzard (Zool.), the fishhawk or osprey. --
Bald coot (Zool.), a name of the European coot (Fulica atra), alluding to the bare patch on the front of the head. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. baldachinus, baldechinus, a canopy of rich silk carried over the host; fr. Bagdad, It. Baldacco, a city in Turkish Asia from whence these rich silks came: cf. It. baldacchino. Cf. Baudekin. ] 1. A rich brocade; baudekin. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Arch.) A structure in form of a canopy, sometimes supported by columns, and sometimes suspended from the roof or projecting from the wall; generally placed over an altar; as, the baldachin in St. Peter's. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A portable canopy borne over shrines, etc., in procession. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ Written also baldachino, baldaquin, etc. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

(Zool.) The white-headed eagle (Haliæetus leucocephalus) of America. The young, until several years old, lack the white feathers on the head. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The bald eagle is represented in the coat of arms, and on the coins, of the United States. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. [ Icel. Baldr, akin to E. bold. ] (Scan. Myth.) The most beautiful and beloved of the gods; the god of peace; the son of Odin and Freya. [ Written also Baldur. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Of uncertain origin: cf. Dan. balder noise, clatter, and E. dash; hence, perhaps, unmeaning noise, then hodgepodge, mixture; or W. baldorduss a prattling, baldordd, baldorddi, to prattle. ] 1. A worthless mixture, especially of liquors. [ 1913 Webster ]

Indeed beer, by a mixture of wine, hath lost both name and nature, and is called balderdash. Taylor (Drink and Welcome). [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Senseless jargon; ribaldry; nonsense; trash. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To mix or adulterate, as liquors. [ 1913 Webster ]

The wine merchants of Nice brew and balderdash, and even
mix it with pigeon's dung and quicklime. Smollett. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having a white face or a white mark on the face, as a stag. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A person whose head is bald. 2 Kings ii. 23. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) A white-headed variety of pigeon. [ 1913 Webster ]

, a. Having a bald head; lacking hair on all or most of the scalp; -- alsp called bald and bald-pated; as, a bald-headed gentleman. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

adv. Nakedly; without reserve; inelegantly. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state or condition of being bald; as, baldness of the head; baldness of style. [ 1913 Webster ]

This gives to their syntax a peculiar character of simplicity and baldness. W. D. Whitney. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A baldheaded person. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) The American widgeon (Anas Americana). [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. Destitute of hair on the head; baldheaded. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A piece of pork cut lower down than the sparerib, and destitute of fat. [ Eng. ] Southey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. baudric, bawdrik, through OF. (cf. F. baudrier and LL. baldringus, baldrellus), from OHG. balderich, cf. balz, palz, akin to E. belt. See Belt, n. ] A broad belt, sometimes richly ornamented, worn over one shoulder, across the breast, and under the opposite arm; it is used to support a sword or bugle by the left hip; less properly, any belt. [ Also spelt bawdrick and baldrick. ] [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

A radiant baldric o'er his shoulder tied
Sustained the sword that glittered at his side. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) A kind of reddish, moderately acid, winter apple. [ U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a person who has a bald head; -- a deprecatory term.
Syn. -- baldhead, baldpate. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. 1. A jacket worn by women; -- so called from its resemblance in shape to the red shirt worn by the Italians patriot Garibaldi. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) A California market fish (Pomancentrus rubicundus) of a deep scarlet color. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pie the party-colored bird + bald. ] 1. Having spots and patches of black and white, or other colors; mottled; pied. “A piebald steed of Thracian strain.” Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Fig.: Mixed. “Piebald languages.” Hudibras. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. See Piebald. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Low; base; mean; filthy; obscene. [ 1913 Webster ]

The busy day,
Waked by the lark, hath roused the ribald crows. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. ribald, ribaud, F. ribaud, OF. ribald, ribault, LL. ribaldus, of German origin; cf. OHG hrīpa prostitute. For the ending -ald cf. E. Herald. ] A low, vulgar, brutal, foul-mouthed wretch; a lewd fellow. Spenser. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ribald was almost a class name in the feudal system . . . He was his patron's parasite, bulldog, and tool . . . It is not to be wondered at that the word rapidly became a synonym for everything ruffianly and brutal. Earle. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Like a ribald. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of a ribald quality. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. ribaldrie, ribaudrie, OF. ribalderie, ribauderie. ] The talk of a ribald; low, vulgar language; indecency; obscenity; lewdness; -- now chiefly applied to indecent language, but formerly, as by Chaucer, also to indecent acts or conduct. [ 1913 Webster ]

The ribaldry of his conversation moved &unr_;stonishment even in that age. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]