baltei

Plural of balteus. balter, v. [Early mod. E. baulter, bolter (in blood-boltered, q. v.), now only dial. bauter, So blythe of his wodbyne he balteres ther vnde[r]. Alliterative Poems (ed. Morris), iii. 459. 2. To become tangled or matted. [Prov. Eng.] It [a goat's beard] baltereth and clutter eth into knots Holland, tr. of Pliny, xii. 17. (N. E. D. ) and balls. IMG:content-1601.png:[blocks in formation] as the hair. balteus (bal'tē-us), n.; pl. baltei (-i). [L., a belt: according to Varro, a Tuscan word, but perhaps of Celtic origin: see belt.] 1. In Ro man antiq., a belt: either a girdle, or a baldric worn over the shoulder to support a sword, shield, or quiver.-2. In arch.: (a) A band perpendicular to the axis in the lateral part of the volute of an Ionic pulvinated capital. (b) One of the pa ages dividing the auditorium of ancient Roman theaters and amphitheaters horizontally into upper and lower zones, and affording acce to the different cunei, or wedge shaped divisions of the auditorium, without disturbing persons occupying seats. Such a pa age had usually the form of a wide step. Baltic (bâl'tik), a. [