lies right with the mark.--_To bear off from_, and _in with_ the
land, signifies standing off or going towards the coast.

BEAR A BOB, OR A FIST. Jocular for "lend a hand."

BEAR A HAND. Hasten.

BEARD. The silky filaments or byssus by which some testacea adhere to
rocks. Of an oyster, the gills.

BEARDIE. A northern name of the three-spined stickleback.

BEARDING. The angular fore-part of the rudder, in juxtaposition with the
stern-post. Also, the corresponding bevel of the stern-post. Also, the
bevelling of any piece of timber or plank to any required angle: as the
bearding of dead wood, clamps, &c.

BEARDING-LINE. In ship-building, is a curved line made by bearding the
dead-wood to the shape of the ship's body.

BEARERS. Pieces of plank placed on the bolts which are driven through
the standards or posts for the carpenters' stages to rest upon.

BEARING. An arc of the horizon intercepted between the nearest meridian
and any distant object, either discovered by the eye and referred to a
point on the compass, or resulting from finical proportion. There is the
_true_ or astronomical bearing, and the _magnetic_ bearing. It is also
the situation of any distant object, estimated with regard to the ship's
position; and in this sense the object must bear either ahead, astern,
abreast, on the bow, or on the quarter; if a ship sails with a side
wind, a distant object is said to bear to leeward or to windward, on the
lee quarter or bow, or on the weather quarter or bow.

BEARING BACKSTAYS AFT. To throw the breast backstays out of the
cross-tree horns or out-riggers and bear them aft. If not done, when
suddenly bracing up, the cross-tree horn is frequently sprung or broken
off.

BEARING BINNACLE. A small binnacle with a single compass, usually placed
before the other. In line-of-battle ships it is generally placed on the
fife-rail in the centre and foremost part of the poop.

BEARINGS. The widest part of a vessel below the plank-shear. The line of
flotation which is formed by the water upon her sides when she sits
upright with her provisions, stores, and ballast, on board in proper
trim.

BEARINGS, TO BRING TO HIS. Used in conversation for "to bring to
reason." To bring an unruly subject to his senses, to know he is under
control, to reduce to order.

BEAT. The verb means to excel, surpass, or overcome.

"And then their ships could only follow,
For we had beat them all dead hollow."

BEATEN BACK. Retur