Body politic

Body Bod"y, n.; pl. {Bodies}. [OE. bodi, AS. bodig; akin to OHG. botah. [root]257. Cf. {Bodice}.] [1913 Webster] 1. The material organized substance of an animal, whether living or dead, as distinguished from the spirit, or vital principle; the physical person. [1913 Webster]

Absent in body, but present in spirit. --1 Cor. v. 3 [1913 Webster]

For of the soul the body form doth take. For soul is form, and doth the body make. --Spenser. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

Who set the body and the limbs Of this great sport together? --Shak. [1913 Webster]

The van of the king's army was led by the general; . . . in the body was the king and the prince. --Clarendon. [1913 Webster]

Rivers that run up into the body of Italy. --Addison. [1913 Webster]

3. The real, as opposed to the symbolical; the substance, as opposed to the shadow. [1913 Webster]

Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. --Col. ii. 17. [1913 Webster]

4. A person; a human being; -- frequently in composition; as, anybody, nobody. [1913 Webster]

A dry, shrewd kind of a body. --W. Irving. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

A numerous body led unresistingly to the slaughter. --Prescott. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

By collision of two bodies, grind The air attrite to fire. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

8. Amount; quantity; extent. [1913 Webster]

9. That part of a garment covering the body, as distinguished from the parts covering the limbs. [1913 Webster]

10. The bed or box of a vehicle, on or in which the load is placed; as, a wagon body; a cart body. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

12. (Geom.) A figure that has length, breadth, and thickness; any solid figure. [1913 Webster]

13. Consistency; thickness; substance; strength; as, this color has body; wine of a good body. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

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} (Zo["o]l.), 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. [1913 Webster]

As to the persons who compose the body politic or associate themselves, they take collectively the name of ``people'', or ``nation''. --Bouvier. [1913 Webster]

{Body servant}, a valet.

{The bodies seven} (Alchemy), the metals corresponding to the planets. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

{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. [1913 Webster]