from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Body \Bod"y\, n.; pl. {Bodies}. [OE. bodi, AS. bodig; akin to
OHG. botah. [root]257. Cf. {Bodice}.]
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1. The material organized substance of an animal, whether
living or dead, as distinguished from the spirit, or vital
principle; the physical person.
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Absent in body, but present in spirit. --1 Cor. v. 3
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For of the soul the body form doth take.
For soul is form, and doth the body make. --Spenser.
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2. The trunk, or main part, of a person or animal, as
distinguished from the limbs and head; the main, central,
or principal part, as of a tree, army, country, etc.
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Who set the body and the limbs
Of this great sport together? --Shak.
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The van of the king's army was led by the general; .
. . in the body was the king and the prince.
--Clarendon.
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Rivers that run up into the body of Italy.
--Addison.
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3. The real, as opposed to the symbolical; the substance, as
opposed to the shadow.
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Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body
is of Christ. --Col. ii. 17.
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4. A person; a human being; -- frequently in composition; as,
anybody, nobody.
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A dry, shrewd kind of a body. --W. Irving.
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5. A number of individuals spoken of collectively, usually as
united by some common tie, or as organized for some
purpose; a collective whole or totality; a corporation;
as, a legislative body; a clerical body.
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A numerous body led unresistingly to the slaughter.
--Prescott.
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6. A number of things or particulars embodied in a system; a
general collection; as, a great body of facts; a body of
laws or of divinity.
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7. Any mass or portion of matter; any substance distinct from
others; as, a metallic body; a moving body; an a["e]riform
body. "A body of cold air." --Huxley.
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By collision of two bodies, grind
The air attrite to fire. --Milton.
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8. Amount; quantity; extent.
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9. That part of a garment covering the body, as distinguished
from the parts covering the limbs.
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10. The bed or box of a vehicle, on or in which the load is
placed; as, a wagon body; a cart body.
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11. (Print.) The shank of a type, or the depth of the shank
(by which the size is indicated); as, a nonpareil face on
an agate body.
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12. (Geom.) A figure that has length, breadth, and thickness;
any solid figure.
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13. Consistency; thickness; substance; strength; as, this
color has body; wine of a good body.
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Note: Colors bear a body when they are capable of being
ground so fine, and of being mixed so entirely with
oil, as to seem only a very thick oil of the same
color.
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14. (A["e]ronautics) The central, longitudinal framework of a
flying machine, to which are attached the planes or
a["e]rocurves, passenger accommodations, controlling and
propelling apparatus, fuel tanks, etc. Also called
{fuselage}.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
{After body} (Naut.), the part of a ship abaft the dead flat.
{Body cavity} (Anat.), the space between the walls of the
body and the inclosed viscera; the c[ae]lum; -- in
mammals, divided by the diaphragm into thoracic and
abdominal cavities.
{Body of a church}, the nave.
{Body cloth}; pl.
{Body cloths}, a cloth or blanket for covering horses.
{Body clothes}. (pl.)
1. Clothing for the body; esp. underclothing.
2. Body cloths for horses. [Obs.] --Addison.
{Body coat}, a gentleman's dress coat.
{Body color} (Paint.), a pigment that has consistency,
thickness, or body, in distinction from a tint or wash.
{Body of a law} (Law), the main and operative part.
{Body louse} (Zool.), a species of louse ({Pediculus
vestimenti}), which sometimes infests the human body and
clothes. See {Grayback}.
{Body plan} (Shipbuilding), an end elevation, showing the
conbour of the sides of a ship at certain points of her
length.
{Body politic}, the collective body of a nation or state as
politically organized, or as exercising political
functions; also, a corporation. --Wharton.
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As to the persons who compose the body politic or
associate themselves, they take collectively the
name of "people", or "nation". --Bouvier.
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{Body servant}, a valet.
{The bodies seven} (Alchemy), the metals corresponding to the
planets. [Obs.]
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Sol gold is, and Luna silver we threpe (=call), Mars
yren (=iron), Mercurie quicksilver we clepe,
Saturnus lead, and Jupiter is tin, and Venus coper.
--Chaucer.
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{Body snatcher}, one who secretly removes without right or
authority a dead body from a grave, vault, etc.; a
resurrectionist.
{Body snatching} (Law), the unauthorized removal of a dead
body from the grave; usually for the purpose of
dissection.
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