King James Bible Dictionary

BOT'TOM, noun

1. The lowest part of any thing; as the bottom of a well, vat or ship; the bottom of a hill.

2. The ground under any body of water; as the bottom of the sea, of a river or lake.

3. The foundation or ground work of any thing, as of an edifice, or of any system or moral subject; the base, or that which supports any superstructure.

4. A low ground; a dale; a valley; applied in the U. States to the flat lands adjoining rivers, etc. It is so used in some parts of England.

5. The deepest part; that which is most remote from the view; as, let us examine this subject to the bottom

6. Bound; limit.

There is no bottom in my voluptuousness.

7. The utmost extent or depth of cavity, or of intellect, whether deep or shallow.

I do see the bottom of justice Shallow.

8. The foundation, considered as the cause, spring or origin; the first moving cause; as, a foreign prince is at the bottom of the confederacy.

9. A ship or vessel. Goods imported in foreign bottoms pay a higher duty, than those imported in our own. Hence, a state of hazard, chance or risk; but in this sense it is used chiefly or solely in the singular. We say, venture not too much in one bottom; that is, do not hazard too much at a single risk.

10. A ball of thread.

11. The bottom of a lane or alley, is the lowest end. This phrase supposed a declivity; but it is often used for the most remote part, when there is very little declivity.

12. The bottom of beer, or other liquor, is the grounds or dregs.

13. In the language of jockeys, stamina, native strength; as a horse of good bottom

BOT'TOM, verb transitive To found or build upon; to fix upon as a support; followed by on; as, sound reasoning is bottomed on just premises.

1. To furnish with a seat or bottom; as, to bottom a chair.

2. To wind round something, as in making a ball of thread.

BOT'TOM, verb intransitive To rest upon, as its ultimate support.

Find on what foundation a proposition bottoms.

BOT'TOMED, participle passive Furnished with a bottom; having a bottom

This word is often used in composition, as a flat-bottomed boat, in which case the compound becomes an adjective.

BOT'TOMING, participle present tense Founding; building upon; furnishing with a bottom.

BOT'TOMLESS, adjective Without a bottom; applied to water, caverns etc., it signified fathomless, whose bottom cannot be found by sounding; as a bottomless abyss or ocean.

BOT'TOMRY, noun [from bottom.] The act of borrowing money, and pledging the keel or bottom of the ship, that is, the ship itself, as security for the repayment of the money. The contract of bottomry is in the nature of a mortgage; the owner of a ship borrowing money to enable him to carry on a voyage, and pledging the ship as security for the money. If the ship is lost, the lender loses the money; but if the ship arrives safe, he is to receive the money lent, with the interest or premium stipulated, although it may exceed the legal rate of interest. The tackle of the ship also is answerable for the debt, as well as the person of the borrower. When a loan is made upon the goods shipped, the borrower is said to take up money at respondentia, as he is bound personally to answer the contract.