Origin: OE. Bodi, AS. Bodig;
akin to OHG. Botah. Cf. Bodice.
1. The
material organised stuff of an animal, whether living or dead, as distinguished from the spirit, or
vital principle; the
physical face. "Absent in body,
but gift in spirit." (1 Cor. V. 3) "For of the
soul the
body form doth take. For
soul is form, and doth the
body make." (Spenser)
2. The stem, or
main part, of a
face or animal, as distinguished from the limbs and head; the main, central, or principal part, as of a wood, army, country, etc. "Who
set the
body and the limbs Of
this great
sport together?" (Shak) "The
van of the king's army was led by the common; . . . In the
body was the
king and the prince." (Clarendon) "Rivers that
run up
into the
body of Italy." (Addison)
3. The real, as opposed to the symbolical; the stuff, as opposed to the shadow. "Which are a
shadow of things to come;
but the
body is of Christ." (Col. Ii. 17)
4. A face; a
human being; frequently in composition; as, anybody, nobody. "A dry,
shrewd kind of a body." (W. Irving)
5. A
number of individuals spoken of collectively, generally as
united by some
general tie, or as organised for some purpose; a collective
intact or totality; a corporation; as, a legislative body; a clerical body. "A numerous
body led unresistingly to the slaughter." (Prescott)
6. A
number of things or particulars embodied in a system; a common collection; as, a great
body of facts; a
body of laws or of divinity.
7. Any
mass or portion of matter; any stuff distinct from others; as, a
metallic body; a
moving body; an aeriform body. "A
body of cool air." "By
collision of
two bodies, grind The
air attrite to fire." (Milton)
8. Amount; quantity; extent.
9. That
part of a garment
covering the body, as distinguished from the parts
covering the limbs.
10. The
bed or
box of a vehicle, on or in which the
load is placed; as, a
wagon body; a cart body.
11. The
shank of a type, or the
depth of the
shank (by which the
size is indicated); as, a
nonpareil person on an
agate body.
12.
A figure that has length, breadth, and thickness; any solid figure.
13. Consistency; thickness; stuff; power; as, this colour has body; wine of a good body.
Colours bear a body when they are capable of being ground so beautiful, and of being mixed so entirely with oil, as to seem only a very fat oil of the same colour. After body, an end elevation, showing the conbour of the sides of a nave at determined points of her length. Body politic, the collective body of a nation or state as politically organised, or as exercising political functions; also, a corporation. "As to the persons who compose the body politic or associate themselves, they take collectively the name of "people", or "nation"." (Bouvier) Body manservant, a valet.
The bodies seven, the metals corresponding to the planets. "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) Body snatcher, one who secretly removes without right or authority a dead body from a grave, vault, etc.; a resurrectionist. Body snatching, the unauthorised removal of a dead body from the grave; generally for the purpose of dissection.
Source: Websters Vocabulary