Breeches \Breech"es\ (br[i^]ch"[e^]z), n. pl. [OE. brech, brek,
AS. br[=e]k, pl. of br[=o]c breech, breeches; akin to Icel.
br[=o]k breeches, ODan. brog, D. broek, G. bruch; cf. L.
bracae, braccae, which is of Celtic origin. Cf. Brail.]
1. A garment worn by men, covering the hips and thighs;
smallclothes.
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His jacket was red, and his breeches were blue.
--Coleridge.
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2. Trousers; pantaloons. [Colloq.]
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Breeches buoy, in the life-saving service, a pair of canvas
breeches depending from an annular or beltlike life buoy
which is usually of cork. This contrivance, inclosing the
person to be rescued, is hung by short ropes from a block
which runs upon the hawser stretched from the ship to the
shore, and is drawn to land by hauling lines.
Breeches pipe, a forked pipe forming two branches united at
one end.
Knee breeches, breeches coming to the knee, and buckled or
fastened there; smallclothes.
To wear the breeches, to usurp the authority of the
husband; -- said of a wife. [Colloq.]
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Buoy \Buoy\ (bwoi or boi; 277), n. [D. boei buoy, fetter, fr.
OF. boie, buie, chain, fetter, F. bou['e]e a buoy, from L.
boia. "Boiae genus vinculorum tam ferreae quam ligneae."
--Festus. So called because chained to its place.] (Naut.)
A float; esp. a floating object moored to the bottom, to mark
a channel or to point out the position of something beneath
the water, as an anchor, shoal, rock, etc.
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Anchor buoy, a buoy attached to, or marking the position
of, an anchor.
Bell buoy, a large buoy on which a bell is mounted, to be
rung by the motion of the waves.
Breeches buoy. See under Breeches.
Cable buoy, an empty cask employed to buoy up the cable in
rocky anchorage.
Can buoy, a hollow buoy made of sheet or boiler iron,
usually conical or pear-shaped.
Life buoy, a float intended to support persons who have
fallen into the water, until a boat can be dispatched to
save them.
Nut buoy or Nun buoy, a buoy large in the middle, and
tapering nearly to a point at each end.
To stream the buoy, to let the anchor buoy fall by the
ship's side into the water, before letting go the anchor.
Whistling buoy, a buoy fitted with a whistle that is blown
by the action of the waves.
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