in a general sense, the fastening of two or more together by a vinculum or bond.

**Book-Binding.** See **Book-Binding**.

among fencers, denotes the securing the adversary's sword, which is effected by a pressure and spring from the wrist.

Bishop's-Castle, a borough-town in Shropshire, situated on the river Ony, about 15 miles south-west of Shrewsbury, in 3° W. long. and 52° 30' N. lat.

Bishop and his clerks, some little islands and rocks on the coast of Pembroke, not far from St David's, very fatal to mariners.

Bishop's-Stortford, a market-town in Hertfordshire, 30 miles north of London, and only 10 miles northeast of Hertford; in 20° E. long. 51° 30' N. lat.

Bishoping, a term among horse-couriers, to denote the sophistifications used to make an old horse appear young, a bad one good, &c.

Bishopric, the district over which a bishop's jurisdiction extends, otherwise called a diocese.

In England there are twenty-four bishoprics, and two archbishoprics; in Scotland, none at all; in Ireland, eighteen bishoprics, and four archbishoprics.

Bisignano, a city of Hither Calabria, in the kingdom of Naples; in 16° 45' E. long. and 39° 50' N. lat.

Bisket, a kind of bread prepared by the confectioners, of fine flour, eggs, and sugar, and rose or orange-water; or of flour, eggs, and sugar, with aniseeds and citron-peel, baked again and again in the oven, in tin or paper moulds. There are divers sorts of biskets, as seed-bisket, fruit-bisket, long bisket, round bisket, naples-bisket, sponge-bisket, &c.

Sea-Bisket is a sort of bread much dried by passing the oven twice, to make it keep for sea-service. For long voyages they bake it four times, and prepare it six months before the embarkation. It will hold good a whole year.

Bismilla, a solemn form used by the Mahometans at the beginning of all their books and other writings, signifying, In the name of the most merciful God.

Bismuth, a ponderous brittle semi-metal, resembling zinc and the regulus of antimony, but differing greatly from them in quality. It dissolves with vehemence in the nitrous acid, which only corrodes the regulus of antimony; and is scarce soluble in the marine acid, which acts strongly on zinc. A calx and flowers of bismuth have been recommended as similar in virtue to certain antimonial preparations; but are at present of no other use than as a pigment or cosmetic.

Bismuth is sometimes found native, in small compact masses, of a pale lead-colour on the outside, but a filvery white within. It attenuates the parts of all other metals, and thereby promotes their fusion. When dissolved in strong acids, it yields the famous cosmetic magnesia, and is a very valuable ingredient in the mixed metals used in casting types, and for bell-metal.

Bismuth is very common in Germany, and not unfrequently found in the tin-mines of Cornwall, though little known, or at least regarded, there.

Bisnager, the capital of a province of the same name in the higher peninsula of India; in 78° E. long. and 14° N. lat.

Bisnow, or Bischnou, a sect of the Banians in the East Indies; they call their god Ram-ram, and give him a wife: They adorn his image with golden chains, necklaces of pearls, and all sorts of precious stones.

They sing hymns in honour of their god, mixing their devotion with dances and the sound of drums, flagelets, brazen basons, and other instruments. This sect lives wholly upon herbs and pulse, butter and milk.

Bisochi, or Bizoche. See Bizoche.

Bisomum, or Disomum, in Roman antiquity, a sepulchre, or vault, containing two dead bodies. On the tombs of the primitive Christians were wont to be inscribed the words bisomi, or trisomi, or quadrisomi, &c., that by these means they might the easier calculate the number of their dead.

Bison, in zoology, the trivial name of a species of bos. See Bos.

Bisquet, or Bisket. See Bisket.

Bissacramentales, a denomination given to Protestants, on account of their allowing of only two sacraments, viz. baptism and the eucharist.

Bissection, in geometry, the division of a line, angle, &c., into two equal parts.

Bissellæum, among ancient naturalists, denotes the oil of pitch, more properly called pisseleum. See Pisselæum.

Bissextile, in chronology, a year consisting of 366 days, being the same with our leap-year. See Astronomy, Of the division of time.

Bister. See Bistre.

Bisti, in commerce, a small coin of Persia: Some say that it is among the current silver coins of Persia, and worth only a little above three farthings of our money; others speak of it again as a money of account.

Bistorta, in botany, the trivial name of a species of polygonum. See Polygonum.

Bistoury, in surgery, an instrument for making incisions, of which there are different kinds, some being of the form of a lancet, others strait and fixed in the handle like a knife, and others crooked with the sharp edge on the inside. See Surgery.

Bistre, or Bister, among painters, denotes glossy foot, pulverised and made into a kind of cakes, with gum-water. It is used to wash their designs. See Washing.

Bit, or Bitt, an essential part of a bridle. Its kinds are various. 1. The mufrol, snaffle, or watering-bit. 2. The canon-mouth, jointed in the middle. 3. The canon with a fast mouth, all of a piece, only kned in the middle, to form a liberty or space for the tongue; fit for horses too sensible, or ticklish, and liable to be continually bearing on the hand. 4. The canon-mouth, with the liberty in form of a pigeon's neck; proper where a horse has too large a tongue. 5. The canon with a port mouth, and an uplet or mounting liberty; used where a horse has a good mouth, but large tongue. 6. The scatch-mouth, with an uplet; ruder but more secure than a canon-mouth. 7. The canon-mouth with a liberty; proper for a horse with a large tongue, and round bars. 8. The masticadour, or flaverling-bit, &c. The several parts of a snaffle, or curb-bit, are the mouth-piece, the cheeks and eyes, guard of the cheek, head of the cheeks, the port, the welts, the campanel or curb and hook, the bosses, the bolsters and rabbits, the water-chains, the fide-bolts, bolts, bolts, and rings, kirbles of the bit or curb, trench, top- rol, flap, and jive. The importation of bits for bridles is now prohibited.

Bit also denotes the iron part of a piercer, augre, and the like instruments.

Bit of a key, the part which contains the wards. See Wards.

Bit, or Bits, in ship-building, the name of two great timbers, usually placed abaft the manger, in the ship's loof, through which the crofs piece goes: The use of it is to belay the cable thereto, while the ship is at anchor.