Big

Big (?), a. [Compar. Bigger; superl. Biggest.] [Perh. from Celtic; cf. W. beichiog, beichiawg, pregnant, with child, fr. baich burden, Arm. beac'h; or cf. OE. bygly, Icel. biggiligr, (properly) habitable; (then) magnigicent, excellent, fr. OE. biggen, Icel. byggja, to dwell, build, akin to E. be.] 1. Having largeness of size; of much bulk or magnitude; of great size; large. "He's too big to go in there." Shak.

2. Great with young; pregnant; swelling; ready to give birth or produce; -- often figuratively.

[Day] big with the fate of Cato and of Rome.
Addison.

3. Having greatness, fullness, importance, inflation, distention, etc., whether in a good or a bad sense; as, a big heart; a big voice; big looks; to look big. As applied to looks, it indicates haughtiness or pride.

God hath not in heaven a bigger argument.
Jer. Taylor.

☞ Big is often used in self-explaining compounds; as, big-boned; big-sounding; big-named; big- voiced.

To talk big, to talk loudly, arrogantly, or pretentiously.

I talked big to them at first.
De Foe.

Syn. -- Bulky; large; great; massive; gross.

{ Big, Bigg }, n. [OE. bif, bigge; akin to Icel. bygg, Dan. byg, Sw. bjugg.] (Bot.) Barley, especially the hardy four-rowed kind.

"Bear interchanges in local use, now with barley, now with bigg."
New English Dict.

{ Big, Bigg }, v. t. [OE. biggen, fr. Icel. byggja to inhabit, to build, b?a (neut.) to dwell (active) to make ready. See Boor, and Bound.] To build. [Scot. & North of Eng. Dial.] Sir W. Scott.