*sbe*

a. [ L. asbestus + -form. ] Having the form or structure of asbestus. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to asbestus, or partaking of its nature; incombustible; asbestic. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ L. asbestos (NL. asbestus) a kind of mineral unaffected by fire, Gr. &unr_; (prop. an adj.) inextinguishable; 'a priv. + &unr_; to extinguish. ] (Min.) A variety of amphibole or of pyroxene, occurring in long and delicate fibers, or in fibrous masses or seams, usually of a white, gray, or green-gray color. The name is also given to a similar variety of serpentine. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The finer varieties have been wrought into gloves and cloth which are incombustible. The cloth was formerly used as a shroud for dead bodies, and has been recommended for firemen's clothes. Asbestus in also employed in the manufacture of iron safes, for fireproof roofing, and for lampwicks. Some varieties are called amianthus. Dana. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Asbestic. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a spiny evergreen shrub of southeastern U. S. (Lycium carolinianum) having spreading branches with usually blue or mauve flowers and red berries.
Syn. -- Christmas berry, Lycium carolinianum. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. an ornamental evergreen treelike shrub of US Pacific coast (Photinia arbutifolia) having large white flowers and red berrylike fruits; often placed in genus Photinia.
Syn. -- toyon, tollon, Christmas berry, Heteromeles arbutifolia, Photinia arbutifolia. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The state or conduct of a cicisbeo. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. It. Cicisbei [ It. ] 1. A professed admirer of a married woman; a dangler about women. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A knot of silk or ribbon attached to a fan, walking stick, etc. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) Same as Crossbill. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. (Arch.) A girder. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Naut.) A beam laid across the bitts, to which the cable is fastened when riding at anchor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a member of the House of Commons of Great Britain who does not vote regularly with either the Government or the Opposition. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. To misbecome. [ Obs. ] Massinger. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of disbelieving;; a state of the mind in which one is fully persuaded that an opinion, assertion, or doctrine is not true; refusal of assent, credit, or credence; denial of belief. [ 1913 Webster ]

Our belief or disbelief of a thing does not alter the nature of the thing. Tillotson. [ 1913 Webster ]

No sadder proof can be given by a man of his own littleness that disbelief in great men. Carlyle.

Syn. -- Distrust; unbelief; incredulity; doubt; skepticism. -- Disbelief, Unbelief. Unbelief is a mere failure to admit; disbelief is a positive rejection. One may be an unbeliever in Christianity from ignorance or want of inquiry; a unbeliever has the proofs before him, and incurs the guilt of setting them aside. Unbelief is usually open to conviction; disbelief is already convinced as to the falsity of that which it rejects. Men often tell a story in such a manner that we regard everything they say with unbelief. Familiarity with the worst parts of human nature often leads us into a disbelief in many good qualities which really exist among men. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Disbelieved p. pr. & vb. n. Disbelieving. ] Not to believe; to refuse belief or credence to; to hold not to be true or actual. [ 1913 Webster ]

Assertions for which there is abundant positive evidence are often disbelieved, on account of what is called their improbability or impossibility. J. S. Mill. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who disbelieves, or refuses belief; an unbeliever. Specifically, one who does not believe the Christian religion. I. Watts. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To drive from a bench or seat. [ R. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Eng. Law) To deprive (a bencher) of his privileges. Mozley & W. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To unbend. [ Obs. ] Stirling. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.), A weedy European annual with yellow flowers, of the genus Tragopogon; -- so named from the long silky beard of the seeds. One species is the salsify or oyster plant; it is naturalized in US.
Syn. -- meadow salsify, shepherd's clock, Tragopogon pratensis. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Gross + beak: cf. F. gros-bec. ] (Zool.) One of various species of finches having a large, stout beak. The common European grosbeak or hawfinch is Coccothraustes vulgaris. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Among the best known American species are the rose-breasted (Habia Ludoviciana); the blue (Guiraca cœrulea); the pine (Pinicola enucleator); and the evening grosbeak. See Hawfinch, and Cardinal grosbeak, Evening grosbeak, under Cardinal and Evening. [ Written also grossbeak. ]

[ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) See Grosbeak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ G. ] A fine white wine produced on the estate of Schloss (or Castle) Johannisberg, on the Rhine. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To carry improperly; to carry (one's self) wrongly; to misbehave. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. Not to become; to suit ill; not to befit or be adapted to. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thy father will not act what misbecomes him. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Unbecoming. Milton. -- Mis`be*com"ing*ly, adv. -- Mis`be*com"ing*ness, n. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. Misbode p. p. Misboden ] [ AS. mis-beôdan. ] To wrong; to do injury to. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Who hath you misboden or offended? Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Not befitting. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } p. a. 1. Unlawfully or irregularly begotten; of bad or disreputable origin; pernicious. “Valor misbegot.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Poorly designed or planned; badly carried out; ill-conceived. [ PJC ]

v. t. & i. [ imp. & p. p. Misbehaved p. pr. & vb. n. Misbehaving. ] To behave ill; to conduct one's self improperly; -- often used with a reciprocal pronoun. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Guilty of ill behavior; illbred; rude. “A misbehaved and sullen wench.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Improper, rude, or uncivil behavior; ill conduct. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Erroneous or false belief. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To believe erroneously, or in a false religion. “That misbelieving Moor.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who believes wrongly; one who holds a false religion. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To suit ill. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To bestow improperly. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of misbestowing. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL., fr. L. Thisbe maiden beloved by Pyramus, Gr. &unr_;. ] (Zool.) A common clearwing moth (Hemaris thysbe). [ 1913 Webster ]