Ebb (eb), n. (Zoöl.) The European bunting.

Ebb, n. [AS. ebba; akin to Fries. ebba, D. eb, ebbe, Dan. & G. ebbe, Sw. ebb, cf. Goth. ibuks backward; prob. akin to E. even. ]
1. The reflux or flowing back of the tide; the return of the tidal wave toward the sea; — opposed to flood; as the boats will go out on the ebb.
"Thou shoreless flood which in thy ebb and flow Claspest the limits of morality!" Shelley.
2. The state or time of passing away; a falling from a better to a worse state; low state or condition; decline; decay. "Our ebb of life." Roscommon.
"Painting was then at its lowest ebb." Dryden. Ebb and flow, the alternate ebb and flood of the tide; often used figuratively.
"This alternation between unhealthy activity and depression, this ebb and flow of the industrial." A. T. Hadley.

Ebb, v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Ebbed p. pr. & vb. n. Ebbing.] [AS. ebbian; akin to D. & G. ebben, Dan. ebbe. See 2d Ebb.]
1. To flow back; to return, as the water of a tide toward the ocean; — opposed to flow.
"That Power who bids the ocean ebb and flow." Pope.
2. To return or fall back from a better to a worse state; to decline; to decay; to recede.
"The hours of life ebb fast." Blackmore.
Syn. — To recede; retire; withdraw; decay; decrease; wane; sink; lower.

Ebb, v. t. To cause to flow back. [Obs.] Ford.

Ebb, a. Receding; going out; falling; shallow; low.
"The water there is otherwise very low and ebb." Holland.

Ebb tide
Ebb" tide The reflux of tide water; the retiring tide; — opposed to flood tide.

Ebionite
E´bi•o•nite, n. [Heb. ebyonim poor people.] (Eccl. Hist.) One of a sect of heretics, in the first centuries of the church, whose doctrine was a mixture of Judaism and Christianity. They denied the divinity of Christ, regarding him as an inspired messenger, and rejected much of the New Testament.

Ebionitism
E´bi•o•ni•tism, n. (Eccl. Hist.) The system or doctrine of the Ebionites.

Eblanin
Eb´la•nin, n. (Chem.) See Pyroxanthin.

Eblis
Eb´lis, n. [Ar. iblis.] (Moham. Myth.) The prince of the evil spirits; Satan. [Written also Eblees.]

Ebon
Eb´on, a.
1. Consisting of ebony.
2. Like ebony, especially in color; black; dark.
"Night, sable goddess! from her ebon throne." Young.

Ebon
Eb´on, n. Ebony. [Poetic] "Framed of ebon and ivory." Sir W. Scott.

Ebonist
Eb´on•ist, n. One who works in ebony.

Ebonite
Eb´on•ite, n. (Chem.) A hard, black variety of vulcanite. It may be cut and polished, and is used for many small articles, as combs and buttons, and for insulating material in electric apparatus.

Ebonize
Eb´on•ize, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Ebonized p. pr. & vb. n. Ebonizing.] To make black, or stain black, in imitation of ebony; as to ebonize wood.

Ebony
Eb´on•y, n. ; pl. Ebonies (#). [F. ebène, L. ebenus, fr. Gr. ; prob. of Semitic origin; cf. Heb. hobnim, pl. Cf. Ebon.] A hard, heavy, and durable wood, which admits of a fine polish or gloss. The usual color is black, but it also occurs red or green. The finest black ebony is the heartwood of Diospyros reticulata, of the Mauritius. Other species of the same genus ( D. Ebenum, Melanoxylon, etc.), furnish the ebony of the East Indies and Ceylon. The West Indian green ebony is from a leguminous tree ( Brya Ebenus), and from the Excaecaria glandulosa.

Ebony
Eb´on•y, a. Made of ebony, or resembling ebony; black; as an ebony countenance.
"This ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling." Poe.

Ebracteate
E•brac´te•ate, a. [Pref. e- + bracteate.] (Bot.) Without bracts.

Ebracteolate
E•brac´te•o•late, a. [Pref. e- + bracteolate.] (Bot.) Without bracteoles, or little bracts; — said of a pedicel or flower stalk.

Ebrauke
E•brau´ke, a. [L. Hebraicus: cf. F. Hebraïque.] Hebrew. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Ebriety
E•bri´e•ty, n. ; pl. Ebrieties (#). [L. ebrietas, from. ebrius intoxicated: cf. F. ebriete. Cf. Soer.] Drunkenness; intoxication by spirituous liquors; inebriety. "Ruinous ebriety." Cowper.

Ebrillade
E•bril´lade (e•bril"lad), n. [F.] (Man.) A bridle check; a jerk of one rein, given to a horse when he refuses to turn.

Ebriosity
E•bri•os´i•ty (e•bri•os"i•ty), n. [L. ebriositas, from ebriousus given to drinking, fr. ebrius. See Ebriety.] Addiction to drink; habitual drunkenness.

Ebrious
E´bri•ous (e•bri•us), a. [L. ebrius.] Inclined to drink to excess; intoxicated; tipsy. [R.] M. Collins.

Ebulliate
E•bul´li•ate, v. i. To boil or bubble up. [Obs.] Prynne. { E•bul´lience ( 106), E•bul´lien•cy } n. A boiling up or over; effervescence. Cudworth.

Ebullient
E•bul´lient, a. [L. ebulliens, -entis, p. pr. of ebullire to boil up, bubble up; e out, from + bullire to boil. See 1st Boil.] Boiling up or over; hence, manifesting exhilaration or excitement, as of feeling; effervescing. "Ebullient with subtlety." De Quincey.
"The ebullient enthusiasm of the French." Carlyle.

Ebullioscope
E•bul´li•o•scope, n. [L. ebullire to boil up + -scope.] (Phys. Chem.) An instrument for observing the boiling point of liquids, especially for determining the alcoholic strength of a mixture by the temperature at which it boils.

Ebullition
Eb•ul•li´tion, n. [F. ebullition, L. ebullitio, fr. ebullire. See Ebullient.]
1. A boiling or bubbling up of a liquid; the motion produced in a liquid by its rapid conversion into vapor.
2. Effervescence occasioned by fermentation or by any other process which causes the liberation of a gas or an aëriform fluid, as in the mixture of an acid with a carbonated alkali. [Formerly written bullition.]
3. A sudden burst or violent display; an outburst; as an ebullition of anger or ill temper.

Eburin
Eb´ur•in, n. A composition of dust of ivory or of bone with a cement; — used for imitations of valuable stones and in making moldings, seals, etc. Knight.

Eburnation
E•bur•na´tion, n. [L. eburnus of ivory, fr. ebur ivory: cf. F. eburnation. See Ivory.] (Med.) A condition of bone cartilage occurring in certain diseases of these tissues, in which they acquire an unnatural density, and come to resemble ivory.

Eburnean
E•bur´ne•an, a. [L. eburneus, fr. ebur ivory. See Ivory.] Made of or relating to ivory.

Eburnification
E•bur•ni•fi•ca´tion, n. [L. eburnus of ivory (fr. ebur ivory) + facere to make.] The conversion of certain substances into others which have the appearance or characteristics of ivory.

Eburnine
Eb´ur•nine, a. Of or pertaining to ivory. "[She] read from tablet eburnine." Sir W. Scott.