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unknown1742, Jun 27
n English philologist and lexicographer. He was the author of several dictionaries, including his Universal Etymological Dictionary, which appeared in some 30 editions between 1721 and 1802. Bailey's Dictionarium Britannicum (1730 and 1736) was the primary resource mined by Samuel Johnson for his Dictionary of the English Language (1755). Bailey was a Seventh Day Baptist, admitted 1691 to a congregation in Whitechapel, London. He was probably excluded from the congregation by 1718. Later he had a school at Stepney. William Thomas Whitley attributes to him a degree of LL.D.
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 Dictionary Citations (34) • View in Dictionary
Abactor: One who steals cattle in herds. From Latin ab, away + agere, to drive. Hence, abaction, cattle-stealing. Ha...
Abarcy: A state of always desiring more. In the 1731 edition of his ETYMOLOGICAL DICTONARY, Nathan Bailey traces th...
Abarnare: To report or disclose a secret crime. The word seems another invention of the fertile Nathan Bailey in his ...
Billingsgate: Scurrilous and violent abuse. By the 16th century Billing\'s Gate, London, brought inevitably to mind the f...
Bladarius: A dealer in grain. Found only in the dictionaries (Nathan Bailey, 1751) . Blaed was Old English, from a com...
Cacafuego: A braggart; a spitfire (etymologically, the second letter of spitfire should be h: Latin cacare, Spanish ca...
Caitiff: A captive; later, a poor wretch; a despicable wretch, a villain. In many spellings, including caytive, chay...
Clepsydra: An instrument anciently used (Nathan Bailey, 1751, says by the Egyptians) to measure time by the running of...
Clyster: "A fluid medicine of different qualities," says Nathan Bailey (1751), "to be injected into t...
Commetics: "Things which give beauties not before in being, as paints to the face; differing from cosmetics, whic...
Dacryopoeos: Things, according to Nathan Bailey (1751) "which excite tears from their acrimony, as onions, horserad...
Daddock: Rotted wood. Blount (1674), and Nathan Bailey after him, call it "the heart or body of a tree thorough...
Dilling: A child born when the parents are old. So Nathan Bailey, in 1751. The O.E.D. suggests that it may be a corr...
Drosomely: Honey-dew; manna. Greek drosos, dew; meli, honey. Four syllables, accent on the second. A pleasant word, in...
Enchiridion: A handbook, a concise guide. Greek en, in + cheir, hand + -idion, a diminutive suffix. Myles Coverdale in h...
Fimble: (l)"Hemp early ripe"; so Nathan Bailey, 1751. A corruption of French femelle, female; in popular ...
Fleme: Exile, flight; a fugitive, an outlaw; to put to flight, chase, outlaw, banish. Common from the 9th to the 1...
Galingale: A mildly aromatic root of East India, used in medicines and in cookery. Nathan Bailey in 1736 listed as tas...
Javaris: A swine in America, which has its navel upon its back. So Nathan Bailey's DICTIONARY (1751) ; our folkloris...
Macaronic: Verse, usually burlesque, in which are mingled words of various languages; originally, Latin and the native...
Malapert: Saucy, impudent; a presumptuous person. Nathan Bailey (1751) suggests that the word is from Latin male, ill...
Marcescible: Liable to wither or fade. Nathan Bailey (1751) lists marcessibility, marcessibleness; marcescent (applied t...
Montigenous: Born on the hills, born amid mountains. So in Nathan Bailey (1751). From Latin montem, mountain + gignere, ...
Mulse: A liquor of honey mixed with water or wine; boiled together, says Nathan Bailey (1751). Latin mulcere, muls...
Nostoc: This is the form of the word as coined by Paracelsus; it appears also as nostoch, nostock; Nathan Bailey in...
Thelyphthoric: That corrupts or ruins women. Greek thelys, female + phthora, corruption. M. Madan in 1780 wrote a book ent...
Tintamar: A clamor, uproar, hubbub, racket -- a great confused noise. The O.E.D. says it is of obscure origin; Nathan...
Tompion: (1) A watch or clock of the sort made by Thomas Tompion, in the reign of good Queen Anne. For an instance o...
Uxorium: A fine or tax paid by a male (Spartan, also Roman) citizen for not marrying. Latin uxor, wife; whence also ...
Vafrity: Craftiness. Listed by Nathan Bailey (1751), but not in O.E.D. -- which does list vafrous, sly, crafty. Lati...
Visney: A liqueur: cherry brandy. Persian wishneh, cherry. An 18th century importation; Nathan Bailey in his HOUSEH...
Waive: As a noun, "a woman," said Nathan Bailey (1751), "outlawed for contemptuously refusing to ap...
Wayzgoose: An entertainment given by a master printer to his workmen, marking the beginning of work by candle-light; u...
Xenia: Gifts, says Nathan Bailey (1751) "bestowed upon friends, guests, and strangers, for the renewing of fr...
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