Free The Facts on File Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases (Writers Reference) by Martin H. Manser Page A

of Zoroastrianism.
    avoirdupois (avarda~0y'/.) FRENCH [to
have weight, Old French avoir de
pois goods sold by weight] noun a
series of units of weight based on a
pound of 16 ounces: 'Janet is a dear
soul and very nice looking; tall, but not
over-tall; stoutish, yet with a certain
restraint of outline suggestive of a thrifty
soul who is not going to be overlavish
even in the matter of avoirdupois" (Lucy
Maud Montgomery, Anne of the Island,
1915).
    a votre sante (a votra sonty) FRENCH
[to your health] interjection to your
health! (a drinking toast).

    ayatollah (Iatola) PERSIAN [ayatullah
sign of God, from Arabic aya sign
and allah God] noun a leader of the
Muslim Shiite religion in Iran; also
used more generally of any person
of influence or power: "The ayatollahs
have ruled that all international contact
must be subject to their scrutiny."
    Ayurveda (ah),oorv4d5) SANSKRIT
[knowledge of long life, from ayus life
and veda knowledge] noun a traditional Hindu medical system, which
is based on the belief that good health
stems from a balance of energies,
and which uses diet, herbal medicine,
yoga, and meditation.

     

    baas (bahs) DUTCH [master] noun
master, boss (especially in former use
by black employees of white Europeans in South Africa): "`Baas,' he gasped,
`Baas, how did you know?"I knew,'I replied
grandly, `in the same way that I know
everything. Show me the diamond"' (H.
Rider Haggard, Finished, 1917).
    babu (bahboo), baboo HINDI [father]
noun a courtesy title addressed to
Hindu gentlemen, or to Hindu clerks
who speak English (or derogatively
of Hindus who have only superficial
knowledge of English): "He had the
noise of the Bay of Bengal and a Bengali
Babu for company; nothing more." (Rudyard Kipling, "His Chance in Life,"
1887).
    babushka (babooshka) RUSSIAN [grandmother, baba old woman] noun an old
Russian woman, or a triangular folded
headscarf of the sort typically worn
by such women: "Ivan's daughter-in-law
replied: `You see, babushka, my hen flew into
your yard this morning. Did she not lay an
egg there?"' (Leo Tolstoy, The Kreutzer
Sonata, 1889).
    baccalaureate (bakaloreeat) FRENCH
[baccalaureat diploma, from Latin baccalaureus bachelor, itself ultimately
from bacca lauri laurel berry] noun a
bachelor's degree, as awarded by universities and colleges. -abbreviated
form Bac.
    baccarat (bakara) FRENCH [from baccara (of unknown meaning)] noun
a card game in which players gamble
against the dealer: "Here, amid the blaze
of crowded baccarat tables, he caught
sight of Lord Hubert Ducey, seated with
his habitual worn smile behind a rapidly
dwindling heap of gold" (Edith Wharton, The House of Mirth, 1905).
    bacchanalia (bakanleea) LATIN
[things connected with Bacchus, the
Greek and Roman god of wine] noun
(plural bacchanalia or bacchanalias)
a wild, festive gathering of music,
dance, and drinking originally celebrated in honor of Bacchus but now in
more general usage: "The morning after
the bacchanalia in the saloon of the palace,
the divan was covered with young patricians" (Lew Wallace, Ben Hur, 1880).

    bacillus (basilas) LATIN [small staff,
baculus staff] noun (plural bacilli,
basil-1, basilee) a rod-shaped bacterium of a class including numerous
saprophytes and parasites, many of
which cause diseases: "Scientists have
worked around the clock trying to isolate
the bacillus."
    bacl(sbeesb See BAKSHEESH.
    bacterium (bakteereeam) LATIN [from
Greek bakteria staff] noun (plural
bacteria, bakteereea) an example of
a very large, widely-distributed group
of parasitic or saprophytic single-celled
microorganisms important for their
roles in biochemical and pathenogenic
processes: "Antibiotics are used to treat
infections caused by bacteria."
    badinage (badanahzh) FRENCH [joking, from badiner to joke, itself from
badar to gape] noun humorous banter, playful repartee: "They enjoyed
listening to the badinage of the old men,
who had obviously known