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[E. dial.] A wayward child. Halli well. [Prov. Eng. (Yorkshire).] IMG:content-1499.png:[graphic] The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia: Dictionary IMG:content-1501.png:[ocr errors] 1. The second letter in order in the English al- phabet, as it was in the Phenic i an, and has been in most other alphabets derived from the Pheni- Ba. The chemical symbol of barium . cian. (See 4. ) The name ba' (ba), n. [Sc., = E. balll. Cf. a8.] A ball. ba2 (ba), v . t . [Imitative of the sound.] To lull asleep by a continuous, inarticulate, musical hum." [Scotch.] I'll ba the bairns wi' an unkenned tune. IMG:content-1502.png:[blocks in formation] The value of the character is the same in all these alphabets. It is a labial sonant (or voiced) mute (or stop, or check); that is, it is made with the lips alone, by a complete closure cutting off all exit of breath from the mouth, but with accompanying sonant vibrations of the vocal chords, the current of air nece ary to produce this being driven from the lungs into the closed cavity of the mouth. The corresponding surd (or voicele ) mute is p. (See P.) B has nothing of that variety of pronunciation shown by most English letters; but it is sometimes silent, as when final after m, in lamb, limb, tomb, thumb, and in a few other cases, as debt, doubt. In most of these cases b is a modern graphic insertion, and was never pronounced (in the English forms); e. g., limb, thumb, debt, doubt. In the fundamental or Germanic part of our language a b comes from a more original aspirate found in Sanskrit as bh, in Greek as $ ( ph ), in Latin usually as f. Examples are: E. brother = Skt. bhrātar = Gr. φράτηρ = L. frater; E. bear1 (v.) = Skt. V bhar = Gr. φέρειν = L. ferre. With the English & corresponds that of most of the other Germanic dialects. In the original Indo-European or Aryan language b was nearly or altogether wanting. 2. As a numeral, B was used by the Hebrews and Greeks, as now by the Arabians, for 2.3. As a symbol: (a) In music, the seventh tone, or "leading tone," of the model diatonic scale, or scale of C. B was the last tone to be adopted into the modern major scale. It was the first note to be modified by lowering its pitch a semitone; its two forms, the b rotundum or B flat (6) and the b quadratum or B natural (1) (see below), afterward became conventional signs which were applied as accidentals to all the notes of the scale. See accidental, n., 1. In Italian and French the same note is called si. In German use B denotes B flat, while B natural is represented by H, and is called ha. (b) In chem., the symbol of boron. (c) In ornith., the acce ory femorocaudal muscle, one of the chief cla ificatory muscles of the leg. A. Η. Garrod. (d) In math., see A, 2 (c). (e) In abstract reasoning, suppositions, etc., the second or other person or thing mentioned: as, if A strike B. (f) In general, the second in any series: as, Company B (of a regiment), schedule B, etc.; in the form b, or b, the second column of a page, in a book printed in columns.-4. As an abbreviation, B. stands for- ( a ) Bachelor (or Middle Latin Bac cal aureus ), in B. A. or A. W. Nicholson B. A. An abbreviation of -( a ) Bachelor of Arts. See A. B. and bachelor. (b) Bachelor of Agri culture: same as B. Agr. (c) British A ocia tion (for the Advancement of Science): used in such phrases as B. A. unit. See unit.