*boon*

n. [ OE. babewin, baboin, fr. F. babouin, or LL. babewynus. Of unknown origin; cf. D. baviaan, G. pavian, baboon, F. babine lip of ape, dogs, etc., dial. G. bäppe mouth. ] (Zool.) One of the Old World Quadrumana, of the genera Cynocephalus and Papio; the dog-faced ape. Baboons have dog-like muzzles and large canine teeth, cheek pouches, a short tail, and naked callosities on the buttocks. They are mostly African. See Mandrill, and Chacma, and Drill an ape. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Baboonish behavior. Marryat. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Like a baboon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. bone, boin, a petition, fr. Icel. bōn; akin to Sw. & Dan. bän, AS. bēn, and perh. to E. ban; but influenced by F. bon good, fr. L. bonus. √86. See 2d Ban, Bounty. ] 1. A prayer or petition. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

For which to God he made so many an idle boon. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which is asked or granted as a benefit or favor; a gift; a benefaction; a grant; a present. [ 1913 Webster ]

Every good gift and every perfect boon is from above. James i. 17 (Rev. Ver. ). [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. bon. See Boon, n. ] 1. Good; prosperous; as, boon voyage. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Kind; bountiful; benign. [ 1913 Webster ]

Which . . . Nature boon
Poured forth profuse on hill, and dale, and plain. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Gay; merry; jovial; convivial. [ 1913 Webster ]

A boon companion, loving his bottle. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Scot. boon, bune, been, Gael. & Ir. bunach coarse tow, fr. bun root, stubble. ] The woody portion flax, which is separated from the fiber as refuse matter by retting, braking, and scutching. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a remote and undeveloped area; -- sometimes used deprecatingly.
Syn. -- backwoods, back country, hinterland. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. 1. a braided cord made by hand by young scouts, used for various purposes, such as a hat cord or a key chain.

2. a useless, wasteful, or impractical project; -- especially one authorized by a government agency as a favor to partisans, to employ unemployed people, or in return for corrupt payments. [ PJC ]

v. to do useless, wasteful, or trivial work. [ WordNet 1.5 ]