Collins Dictionaries - Collins English Dictionary and Thesaurus Essential

BA

1Bachelor of Arts 2British Airwaysbaa vb baaing, baaed 1(of a sheep) to make a characteristic bleating sound ▸ n 2the cry made by a sheepbaas n (S African offensive) a bossbabble vb -bling, -bled 1to talk in a quick, foolish, or muddled way 2to make meaningless sounds: children first gurgle and babble at random 3to disclose secrets carelessly 4(literary) (of streams) to make a low murmuring sound ▸ n 5muddled or foolish speech 6a murmuring sound > babbler n > babbling nbabe n 1a baby 2 babe in arms(informal) a naive or inexperienced person 3(informal) an attractive person, esp. a young womanbabel ( babe-el) n 1a confusion of noises or voices 2a scene of noise and confusionbaboon n a medium-sized monkey with a long face, large teeth, and a fairly long tailbaby n, pl -bies 1a newborn child ◇ SYNONYMS: child, infant, babe, bairn (Scot & N English), newborn child, babe in arms, ankle biter (Austral slang), tacker (Austral slang) 2the youngest or smallest of a family or group 3a recently born animal 4an immature person 5(slang) a sweetheart 6a project of personal concern 7 be left holding the babyto be left with a responsibility ▸ adj 8comparatively small of its type: baby carrots ◇ SYNONYMS: small, little, minute, tiny, mini, wee, miniature, petite ▸ vb -bies, -bying, -bied 9to treat like a baby > babyhood n > babyish adjbaby-sit vb -sitting, -satto act or work as a baby-sitter > baby-sitting n, adjbaby-sitter n a person who takes care of a child while the parents are outbaccarat ( back-a-rah) n a card game in which two or more punters gamble against the bankerbacchanalian (back-a- nail-ee-an) adj (literary) (of a party) unrestrained and involving a great deal of drinking and sometimes sexual activitybach ( batch) (NZ) n 1a small holiday cottage ▸ vb 2to look after oneself when one's spouse is awaybachelor n 1an unmarried man 2a person who holds a first degree from a university or college > bachelorhood nbacillus (bass- ill-luss) n, pl -li(-lie) a rod-shaped bacterium, esp. one causing diseaseback n 1the rear part of the human body, from the neck to the pelvis 2the spinal column ◇ SYNONYMS: spine, backbone, vertebrae, spinal column, vertebral column 3the part or side of an object opposite the front ◇ SYNONYMS: rear 4the part of anything less often seen or used ◇ SYNONYMS: reverse, rear, other side, wrong side, underside, flip side 5(ball games) a defensive player or position 6 at the back of one's mindnot in one's conscious thoughts 7 behind someone's backsecretly or deceitfully 8 put or get someone's back upto annoy someone 9 turn one's back on someoneto refuse to help someone ▸ vb 10to move or cause to move backwards 11to provide money for (a person or enterprise) ◇ SYNONYMS: subsidize, help, support, sponsor, assist 12to bet on the success of: to back a horse 13to provide (a pop singer) with a musical accompaniment 14(foll. by on or onto) to have the back facing (towards): his garden backs onto a school 15(of the wind) to change direction anticlockwise ▸ adj 16situated behind: back garden ◇ SYNONYMS: rear 17owing from an earlier date: back rent 18remote: a back road ▸ adv 19at, to, or towards the rear 20to or towards the original starting point or condition: I went back home 21in reply or retaliation: to hit someone back 22in concealment or reserve: to keep something back 23 back and forthto and fro 24 back to front Ain reverse Bin disorderbackbencher n a Member of Parliament who does not hold office in the government or oppositionbackbite vb -biting, -bit, -bittenor -bitto talk spitefully about an absent person > backbiter nbackbone n 1the spinal column ◇ SYNONYMS: spinal column, spine, vertebrae, vertebral column 2strength of character ◇ SYNONYMS: strength of character, character, resolution, nerve, daring, courage, determination, pluck 3the part of something that gives it strength: they formed the backbone of the regimentbackchat n (informal) impudent repliesbackcloth n a painted curtain at the back of a stage set. Also called: backdropbackdate vb -dating, -datedto make (a document or arrangement) effective from a date earlier than its completionbacker n a person who gives financial or other support ◇ SYNONYMS: supporter, second, angel (informal), patron, promoter, subscriber, helper, benefactorbackfire vb -firing, -fired 1(of a plan or scheme) to fail to have the desired effect ◇ SYNONYMS: fail, founder, flop (informal), rebound, boomerang, miscarry, misfire 2(of an internal-combustion engine) to make a loud noise as a result of an explosion of unburnt gases in the exhaust systembackgammon n a game for two people played on a board with pieces moved according to throws of the dicebackground n 1the events or circumstances that help to explain something ◇ SYNONYMS: circumstances, history, conditions, situation, atmosphere, environment, framework, ambience 2a person's social class, education, or experience ◇ SYNONYMS: upbringing, history, culture, environment, tradition, circumstances 3the part of a scene furthest from the viewer 4an inconspicuous position: in the background 5the space behind the chief figures or objects in a picturebackhand (tennis, squash, etc.) adj 1(of a stroke) made from across the body with the back of the hand facing the direction of the stroke ▸ n 2a backhand strokebackhanded adj 1(of a blow or shot) performed with the arm moving from across the body 2ambiguous or implying criticism: a backhanded complimentbackhander n 1(slang) a bribe 2a backhanded stroke or blowbacking n 1support ◇ SYNONYMS: support, encouragement, endorsement, moral support 2something that forms or strengthens the back of something 3musical accompaniment for a pop singerbacklash n 1a sudden and adverse reaction ◇ SYNONYMS: reaction, response, resistance, retaliation, repercussion, counterblast, counteraction 2a recoil between interacting badly fitting parts in machinerybacklog n an accumulation of things to be dealt withbackpack n 1a rucksack ▸ vb 2to go hiking or travelling with a backpack > backpacker nbackside n (informal) the buttocksbackslide vb -sliding, -slidto relapse into former bad habits or vices > backslider nbackstage adv 1behind the stage in a theatre ▸ adj 2situated backstagebackstop n 1(sport) a screen or fence to prevent balls leaving the playing area 2a system that will come into effect if no other arrangement is madebackstroke n (swimming) a stroke performed on the back, using backward circular strokes of each armbacktrack vb 1to go back along the same route one has just travelled 2to retract or reverse one's opinion or policyback up vb 1to support 2(computers) to make a copy of (a data file), esp. as a security copy 3(of traffic) to become jammed behind an obstruction ▸ n backup 4support or reinforcement 5a reserve or substitute ▸ adj backup 6able to be substituted: a backup copybackward adj 1directed towards the rear 2(sometimes offensive) slow in physical or material development ◇ SYNONYMS: slow, behind, underdeveloped 3reluctant or bashful ▸ adv 4same as backwards > backwardness nbackwards or backward adv 1towards the rear ◇ SYNONYMS: towards the rear, behind you, in reverse, rearwards 2with the back foremost ◇ SYNONYMS: towards the rear, behind you, in reverse, rearwards 3in the reverse of the usual direction 4into a worse state: the Gothic novel's been going backwards since Radcliffe 5 bend over backwards(informal) to make a special effort to please someonebackwash n 1water washed backwards by the motion of oars or a ship 2an unpleasant aftereffect of an event or situationbackwater n 1an isolated or backward place or condition 2a body of stagnant water connected to a riverbackwoods pl n 1any remote, sparsely populated place 2partially cleared, sparsely populated forests > backwoodsman nbacon n 1meat from the back and sides of a pig, dried, salted, and often smoked 2 bring home the bacon(informal) Ato achieve success Bto provide material supportBACS Bankers' Automated Clearing System: a method of making payments directly to a creditor's bankbacteria pl n, sing -riuma large group of microorganisms, many of which cause disease ◇ SYNONYMS: microorganisms, viruses, bugs (slang), germs, microbes, pathogens, bacilli > bacterial adjbacteriology n the study of bacteria > bacteriologist nbad adj worse, worst 1not good; of poor quality ◇ SYNONYMS: harmful, damaging, dangerous, destructive, unhealthy, detrimental, hurtful, ruinous 2lacking skill or talent: I'm so bad at that sort of thing ◇ SYNONYMS: incompetent, poor, useless (informal), incapable, unfit, inexpert 3harmful: smoking is bad for you ◇ SYNONYMS: harmful, damaging, dangerous, destructive, unhealthy, detrimental, hurtful, ruinous 4evil or immoral ◇ SYNONYMS: wicked, criminal, evil, corrupt, immoral, sinful, depraved 5naughty or mischievous ◇ SYNONYMS: naughty, defiant, wayward, mischievous, wicked, unruly, impish, undisciplined 6rotten or decayed: a bad egg ◇ SYNONYMS: rotten, off, rank, sour, rancid, mouldy, putrid, festy (Austral slang) 7severe: a bad headache 8incorrect or faulty: bad grammar 9sorry or upset: I feel bad about saying no 10unfavourable or distressing: bad news ◇ SYNONYMS: unfavourable, distressing, unfortunate, grim, unpleasant, gloomy, adverse 11offensive or unpleasant: bad language 12not valid: a bad cheque 13not recoverable: a bad debt 14 badder, baddest(slang) good; excellent 15 not bador not so bad(informal) fairly good 16 too bad(informal) (often used dismissively) regrettable ▸ n 17unfortunate or unpleasant events: you've got to take the good with the bad ▸ adv 18(not standard) badly: to want something bad > badness nbade or bad vb a past tense of bid badge n 1a distinguishing emblem or mark worn to show membership or achievement ◇ SYNONYMS: image, brand, stamp, identification, crest, emblem, insignia 2any revealing feature or mark ◇ SYNONYMS: mark, sign, tokenbadger n 1a stocky burrowing mammal with a black and white striped head ▸ vb 2to pester or harass ◇ SYNONYMS: pester, harry, bother, bug (informal), bully, plague, hound, harassbadinage ( bad-in-nahzh) n playful and witty conversationbadly adv worse, worst 1poorly; inadequately ◇ SYNONYMS: poorly, incorrectly, carelessly, inadequately, imperfectly, ineptly 2unfavourably: our plan worked out badly ◇ SYNONYMS: unfavourably, unsuccessfully 3severely: badly damaged ◇ SYNONYMS: severely, greatly, deeply, seriously, desperately, intensely, exceedingly 4very much: he badly needed to improve his image 5 badly offpoorbadminton n a game played with rackets and a shuttlecock which is hit back and forth across a high netBafana Bafana (bah- fan-na) pl n (S African) the South African national soccer teambaffle vb -fling, -fled 1to perplex ◇ SYNONYMS: puzzle, confuse, stump, bewilder, confound, perplex, mystify, flummox ▸ n 2a mechanical device to limit or regulate the flow of fluid, light, or sound > bafflement n > baffling adjbag n 1a flexible container with an opening at one end ◇ SYNONYMS: sack, container, sac, receptacle 2the contents of such a container 3a piece of luggage 4a handbag 5a loose fold of skin under the eyes 6any sac in the body of an animal 7(derogatory, slang) an ugly or bad-tempered woman: an old bag 8the amount of game taken by a hunter 9 in the bag(slang) assured of succeeding ▸ vb bagging, bagged 10to put into a bag 11to bulge or cause to bulge 12to capture or kill, as in hunting ◇ SYNONYMS: catch, kill, shoot, capture, acquire, trap 13(informal) to succeed in securing: he bagged the best chair ◇ SYNONYMS: get, land (informal), score (slang), capture, acquire, procurebagatelle n 1something of little value 2a board game in which balls are struck into holes 3a short piece of musicbagel ( bay-gl) n a hard ring-shaped bread rollbaggage n 1suitcases packed for a journey ◇ SYNONYMS: luggage, things, cases, bags, equipment, gear, suitcases, belongings 2an army's portable equipment 3(informal) previous knowledge or experience that may have an influence in new circumstances: cultural baggagebaggy adj -gier, -giest(of clothes) hanging loosely ◇ SYNONYMS: loose, slack, bulging, sagging, sloppy, floppy, roomy, ill-fitting > bagginess nbagpipes pl n a musical wind instrument in which sounds are produced in reed pipes by air from an inflated bagbail1 (law) n 1a sum of money deposited with the court as security for a person's reappearance in court ◇ SYNONYMS: security, bond, guarantee, pledge, warranty, surety 2the person giving such security 3 jump bailto fail to reappear in court after bail has been paid 4 stand or go bailto act as surety for someone ▸ vb 5(foll. by out) to obtain the release of (a person) from custody by depositing money with the courtbail2 or bale2 vb bail outto remove water from (a boat)bail3 n 1(cricket) either of two small wooden bars across the tops of the stumps 2a partition between stalls in a stable or barn 3(Austral & NZ) a framework in a cow shed used to secure the head of a cow during milking 4a movable bar on a typewriter that holds the paper against the rollerbailey n the outermost wall or court of a castlebailiff n 1(Brit) a sheriff's officer who serves writs and summonses 2the agent of a landlord or landownerbairn n (Scot & N English) a childbait n 1something edible fixed to a hook or in a trap to attract fish or animals 2an enticement ◇ SYNONYMS: lure, attraction, incentive, carrot (informal), temptation, snare, inducement, decoy ▸ vb 3to put a piece of food on or in (a hook or trap) 4to persecute or tease ◇ SYNONYMS: tease, annoy, irritate, bother, mock, wind up (Brit slang), hound, torment 5to set dogs upon (a bear or badger)baize n a feltlike woollen fabric, usually green, which is used for the tops of billiard and card tablesbake vb baking, baked 1to cook by dry heat in an oven 2to cook bread, pastry, or cakes 3to make or become hardened by heat 4(informal) to be extremely hotbakeoff n a baking competitionbaker n a person who makes or sells bread, cakes, etc.baker's dozen n thirteenbakery n, pl -eriesa place where bread, cakes, etc. are made or soldbaking powder n a powdered mixture that contains sodium bicarbonate and cream of tartar: used in baking as a raising agentbakkie ( buck-ee) n (S African) a small truck with an enclosed cab and an open goods area at the back ◇ SYNONYMS: truck, pick-up, van, lorry, pick-up truckBalaclava or Balaclava helmet n a close-fitting woollen hood that covers the ears and neckbalalaika n a Russian musical instrument with a triangular body and three stringsbalance n 1stability of mind or body: lose one's balance ◇ SYNONYMS: equilibrium, stability, steadiness, evenness 2a state of being in balance ◇ SYNONYMS: stability, equanimity, steadiness 3harmony in the parts of a whole 4the power to influence or control: the balance of power 5something that remains: the balance of what you owe ◇ SYNONYMS: remainder, rest, difference, surplus, residue 6(accounting) Athe matching of debit and credit totals in an account Ba difference between such totals ◇ SYNONYMS: remainder, rest, difference, surplus, residue 7a weighing device 8 in the balancein an undecided condition 9 on balanceafter weighing up all the factors ▸ vb -ancing, -anced 10to weigh in or as if in a balance ◇ SYNONYMS: weigh, consider, compare, estimate, contrast, assess, evaluate, set against 11to be or come into equilibrium 12to bring into or hold in equilibrium ◇ SYNONYMS: stabilize, level, steady 13to compare the relative weight or importance of ◇ SYNONYMS: weigh, consider, compare, estimate, contrast, assess, evaluate, set against 14to arrange so as to create a state of harmony 15(accounting) to compare or equalize the credit and debit totals of (an account) ◇ SYNONYMS: calculate, total, determine, estimate, settle, count, square, reckonbalcony n, pl -nies 1a platform projecting from a building with a balustrade along its outer edge, often with access from a door ◇ SYNONYMS: terrace, veranda 2an upper tier of seats in a theatre or cinema ◇ SYNONYMS: upper circle, gods, gallerybald adj 1having no hair or fur, esp. of a person having no hair on the scalp ◇ SYNONYMS: hairless, depilated, baldheaded 2lacking natural covering 3plain or blunt: the bald facts ◇ SYNONYMS: plain, direct, frank, straightforward, blunt, rude, forthright, unadorned 4(of a tyre) having a worn tread > baldly adv > baldness nbalderdash n stupid or illogical talkbalding adj becoming baldbale1 n 1a large bundle of hay or goods bound by ropes or wires for storage or transportation ▸ vb baling, baled 2to make (hay) or put (goods) into a bale or balesbale2 vb baling, baledsame as bail baleful adj harmful, menacing, or vindictive > balefully advbalk or baulk vb 1to stop short: the horse balked at the jump 2to recoil: France balked at the parliament having a veto 3to thwart, check, or foil: he was balked in his plansBalkan adj of any of the countries of the Balkan Peninsula in SE Europe, between the Adriatic and Aegean Seasball1 n 1a spherical or nearly spherical mass: a ball of wool ◇ SYNONYMS: sphere, drop, globe, pellet, orb, globule, spheroid 2a round or roundish object used in various games 3a single delivery of the ball in a game 4any more or less rounded part of the body: the ball of the foot 5 have the ball at one's feetto have the chance of doing something 6 on the ball(informal) alert; informed 7 play ball(informal) to cooperate 8 set or keep the ball rollingto initiate or maintain the progress of an action, discussion, or project ▸ vb 9to form into a ballball2 n 1a lavish or formal social function for dancing 2 have a ball(informal) to have a very enjoyable timeballad n 1a narrative song or poem often with a chorus that is repeated 2a slow sentimental songballast n 1a substance, such as sand, used to stabilize a ship when it is not carrying cargo 2crushed rock used for the foundation of a road or railway track ▸ vb 3to give stability or weight toball cock n a device consisting of a floating ball and valve for regulating the flow of liquid into a tank or cisternballerina n a female ballet dancerballet n 1a classical style of expressive dancing based on precise conventional steps 2a theatrical representation of a story performed by ballet dancers > balletic adjballistic missile n a launched weapon which is guided automatically in flight but falls freely at its targetballistics n the study of the flight of projectiles, often in relation to firearms > ballistic adjballoon n 1an inflatable rubber bag used as a plaything or party decoration 2a large bag inflated with a lighter-than-air gas, designed to rise and float in the atmosphere with a basket for carrying passengers 3an outline containing the words or thoughts of a character in a cartoon ▸ vb 4to fly in a balloon 5to swell or increase rapidly in size: the cost of health care has ballooned ◇ SYNONYMS: expand, rise, increase, swell, blow up, inflate, bulge, billow > balloonist nballot n 1the practice of selecting a representative or course of action by voting ◇ SYNONYMS: vote, election, voting, poll, polling, referendum, show of hands 2the number of votes cast in an election 3the actual vote or paper indicating a person's choice ▸ vb -loting, -loted 4to vote or ask for a vote from: we balloted the members on this issue 5to vote for or decide on something by ballotballpoint or ballpoint pen n a pen which has a small ball bearing as a writing pointballroom n a large hall for dancingballyhoo n (informal) unnecessary or exaggerated fussbalm n 1an aromatic substance obtained from certain tropical trees and used for healing and soothing 2something comforting or soothing: her calmness was like a balm to my troubled mind 3an aromatic herb, lemon balmbalmy adj balmier, balmiest 1(of weather) mild and pleasant 2same as barmy baloney or boloney n (informal) nonsensebalsa ( bawl-sa) n 1a tree of tropical America which yields light wood 2Also: balsawoodthe light wood of this tree, used for making rafts, models, etc.balsam n 1an aromatic resin obtained from various trees and shrubs and used in medicines and perfumes 2any plant yielding balsam 3a flowering plant, such as busy lizziebaluster n a set of posts supporting a railbalustrade n an ornamental rail supported by a set of postsbamboo n a tall treelike tropical grass with hollow stems which are used to make canes, furniture, etc.bamboozle vb -zling, -zled(informal) 1to cheat; mislead 2to confuse > bamboozlement nBAME Black, Asian, and minority ethnicban vb banning, banned 1to prohibit or forbid officially ◇ SYNONYMS: prohibit, bar, block, veto, forbid, boycott, outlaw, banish ▸ n 2an official prohibition ◇ SYNONYMS: prohibition, restriction, veto, boycott, embargo, injunction, taboo, disqualification, rahui (NZ), restraining order (US, law)banal (ban- nahl) adj lacking originality > banality nbanana n a crescent-shaped fruit that grows on a tropical or subtropical treelike plantband1 n 1a group of musicians playing together, esp. on brass or percussion instruments ◇ SYNONYMS: ensemble, group, orchestra, combo 2a group of people having a common purpose: a band of revolutionaries ◇ SYNONYMS: gang, company, group, party, team, body, crowd, pack ▸ vb 3(foll. by together) to uniteband2 n 1a strip of some material, used to hold objects together: a rubber band 2a strip of fabric used as an ornament or to reinforce clothing ◇ SYNONYMS: headband, strip, ribbon 3a stripe of contrasting colour or texture 4a driving belt in machinery 5(physics) a range of frequencies or wavelengths between two limits ▸ vb 6to fasten or mark with a bandbandage n 1a piece of material used to dress a wound or wrap an injured limb ◇ SYNONYMS: dressing, plaster, compress, gauze ▸ vb -daging, -daged 2to cover or wrap with a bandage ◇ SYNONYMS: dress, cover, bind, swathebandanna or bandana n a large brightly-coloured handkerchief or neckerchiefB & B bed and breakfastbandicoot n 1an Australian marsupial with a long pointed muzzle and a long tail 2 bandicoot ratany of three burrowing rats of S and SE Asiabandit n a robber, esp. a member of an armed gang ◇ SYNONYMS: robber, outlaw, raider, plunderer, mugger (informal), looter, highwayman or woman, desperado > banditry nbandolier n a shoulder belt with small pockets for cartridgesbandsman n, pl -mena player in a musical bandbandstand n a roofed outdoor platform for a bandbandwagon n jump or climb on the bandwagonto join a popular party or movement that seems assured of successbandwidth n the range of frequencies used for transmitting electronic informationbandy adj -dier, -diest 1Also: bandy-leggedhaving legs curved outwards at the knees 2(of legs) curved outwards at the knees ▸ vb -dies, -dying, -died 3to exchange (words), sometimes in a heated manner 4 bandy aboutto use (a name, term, etc.) frequentlybane n a person or thing that causes misery or distress: the bane of my life > baneful adjbang n 1a short loud explosive noise, such as the report of a gun ◇ SYNONYMS: explosion, pop, clash, crack, blast, slam, discharge, thump 2a hard blow or loud knock ◇ SYNONYMS: blow, knock, stroke, punch, bump, sock (slang), smack, thump 3(vulgar, slang) an act of sexual intercourse 4 with a bangsuccessfully: the party went with a bang ▸ vb 5to hit or knock, esp. with a loud noise ◇ SYNONYMS: hit, strike, knock, belt (informal), slam, thump, clatter, beat or knock seven bells out of (informal) 6to close (a door) noisily 7to make or cause to make a loud noise, as of an explosion ◇ SYNONYMS: resound, boom, explode, thunder, thump, clang 8(vulgar, slang) to have sexual intercourse with ▸ adv 9with a sudden impact: the car drove bang into a lamppost 10precisely: bang in the middle ◇ SYNONYMS: exactly, straight, square, squarely, precisely, slap, smack (informal), plumb (informal)banger n 1(Brit & Austral informal) an old decrepit car 2(slang) a sausage 3a firework that explodes loudlybangle n a bracelet worn round the arm or sometimes round the anklebanish vb 1to send into exile ◇ SYNONYMS: expel, exile, outlaw, deport 2to drive away: it's the only way to banish weeds from the garden ◇ SYNONYMS: get rid of, remove > banishment nbanisters or bannisters pl n the railing and supporting balusters on a staircasebanjo n, pl -josor -joesa stringed musical instrument with a long neck and a circular drumlike body > banjoist nbank1 n 1an institution offering services, such as the safekeeping and lending of money at interest ◇ SYNONYMS: financial institution, repository, depository 2the building used by such an institution 3the funds held by a banker or dealer in some gambling games 4any supply, store, or reserve: a data bank ◇ SYNONYMS: store, fund, stock, source, supply, reserve, pool, reservoir ▸ vb 5to deposit (cash or a cheque) in a bank ◇ SYNONYMS: deposit, keep, save 6to transact business with a bank ▸ See also bank on bank2 n 1a long raised mass, esp. of earth 2a slope, as of a hill ◇ SYNONYMS: mound, banking, rise, hill, mass, pile, heap, ridge, kopje or koppie (S African) 3the sloping side and ground on either side of a river ◇ SYNONYMS: side, edge, margin, shore, brink ▸ vb 4to form into a bank or mound 5to cover (a fire) with ashes and fuel so that it will burn slowly 6(of an aircraft) to tip to one side in turning ◇ SYNONYMS: tilt, tip, pitch, heel, slope, incline, slant, cantbank3 n 1an arrangement of similar objects in a row or in tiers ◇ SYNONYMS: row, group, line, range, series, file, rank, sequence ▸ vb 2to arrange in a bankbanker n 1a person who owns or manages a bank 2the keeper of the bank in various gambling gamesbanking n the business engaged in by a bankbanknote n a piece of paper money issued by a central bankbank on vb to rely onbankrupt n 1a person, declared by a court to be unable to pay his or her debts, whose property is sold and the proceeds distributed among the creditors 2a person no longer having a particular quality: a spiritual bankrupt ▸ adj 3declared insolvent ◇ SYNONYMS: insolvent, broke (informal), ruined, wiped out (informal), impoverished, in the red, destitute, gone bust (informal) 4financially ruined ◇ SYNONYMS: insolvent, broke (informal), ruined, wiped out (informal), impoverished, in the red, destitute, gone bust (informal) 5no longer having a particular quality: morally bankrupt ▸ vb 6to make bankrupt > bankruptcy nbanksia n an Australian evergreen tree or shrubbanner n 1a long strip of material displaying a slogan, advertisement, etc. ◇ SYNONYMS: flag, standard, colours, pennant, ensign, streamer 2a placard carried in a demonstration ◇ SYNONYMS: placard 3Also called: banner headlinea large headline in a newspaper extending across the page 4an advertisement, often animated, that extends across the width of a web pagebanns pl n the public announcement of an intended marriagebanquet n 1an elaborate formal dinner often followed by speeches ◇ SYNONYMS: feast, spread (informal), dinner, meal, revel, repast, hakari (NZ) ▸ vb -queting, -queted 2to hold or take part in a banquetbanshee n (in Irish folklore) a female spirit whose wailing warns of a coming deathbantam n 1a small breed of domestic fowl 2a small but aggressive personbantamweight n a professional boxer weighing up to 118 pounds (53.5 kg) or an amateur weighing up to 119 pounds (54 kg)banter vb 1to tease jokingly ▸ n 2teasing or joking conversationBantu n 1a group of languages of Africa 2pl -tuor -tus(offensive) a Black speaker of a Bantu language ▸ adj 3of the Bantu languagesbaobab ( bay-oh-bab) n an African tree with a massive grey trunk, short angular branches, and large pulpy fruitbaptism n a Christian religious rite in which a person is immersed in or sprinkled with water as a sign of being cleansed from sin and accepted as a member of the Church > baptismal adjBaptist n 1a member of a Protestant denomination that believes in the necessity of adult baptism by immersion 2 the BaptistJohn the Baptist ▸ adj 3of the Baptist Churchbaptize or -tise vb -tizing, -tizedor -tising, -tised 1(Christianity) to immerse (a person) in water or sprinkle water on (him or her) as part of the rite of baptism 2to give a name tobar1 n 1a rigid usually straight length of metal, wood, etc. used as a barrier or structural part ◇ SYNONYMS: rod, staff, stick, stake, rail, pole, paling, shaft 2a solid usually rectangular block of any material: a bar of soap 3anything that obstructs or prevents: a bar to mobility ◇ SYNONYMS: obstacle, block, barrier, hurdle, hitch, barricade, snag, deterrent 4a counter or room where alcoholic drinks are served ◇ SYNONYMS: public house, pub (informal, chiefly Brit), counter, inn, saloon, tavern, canteen, watering hole (facetious, slang), beer parlour (Canad) 5a narrow band or stripe, as of colour or light 6a heating element in an electric fire 7See Bar 8the place in a court of law where the accused stands during trial 9(music) a group of beats that is repeated with a consistent rhythm throughout a piece of music 10(football, etc.) same as crossbar 11(heraldry) a narrow horizontal line across a shield 12 behind barsin prison ▸ vb barring, barred 13to secure with a bar: to bar the door ◇ SYNONYMS: lock, block, secure, attach, bolt, blockade, barricade, fortify 14to obstruct: the fallen tree barred the road ◇ SYNONYMS: block, restrict, restrain, hamper, thwart, hinder, obstruct, impede 15to exclude: he was barred from membership of the club ◇ SYNONYMS: exclude, ban, forbid, prohibit, keep out of, disallow, shut out of, blackball 16to mark with a bar or bars ▸ prep 17except forbar2 n a unit of pressure equal to 105 newtons per square metreBar n 1 the Barbarristers collectively 2 be called to the Bar(Brit) to become a barristerbarb n 1a cutting remark 2a point facing in the opposite direction to the main point of a fish-hook, harpoon, etc. 3a beardlike growth, hair, or projection ▸ vb 4to provide with a barb or barbs > barbed adjbarbarian n 1a member of a primitive or uncivilized people 2a coarse or vicious person ◇ SYNONYMS: lout, yahoo, bigot, philistine, hoon (Austral & NZ informal), cougan (Austral slang), scozza (Austral slang), bogan (Austral slang), boor, vulgarian ▸ adj 3uncivilized or brutalbarbaric adj primitive or brutalbarbarism n 1a brutal, coarse, or ignorant act 2the condition of being backward, coarse, or ignorant 3a substandard word or expressionbarbarity n, pl -ties 1the state of being barbaric or barbarous 2a vicious actbarbarous adj 1uncivilized: a barbarous and uninhabitable jungle 2brutal or cruel: the barbarous tortures inflicted on thembarbecue n 1a grill on which food is cooked over hot charcoal, usually out of doors 2food cooked over hot charcoal, usually out of doors 3a party or picnic at which barbecued food is served ▸ vb -cuing, -cued 4to cook on a grill, usually over charcoalbarbed wire n strong wire with sharp points protruding at close intervalsbarber n a person whose business is cutting men's hair and shaving beardsbarbiturate n a derivative of barbituric acid used in medicine as a sedativebar code n an arrangement of numbers and parallel lines on a package, which can be electronically scanned at a checkout to give the price of the goodsbard n 1(archaic, or literary) a poet 2 A(formerly) an ancient Celtic poet Ba poet who wins a verse competition at a Welsh eisteddfod 3 the BardWilliam Shakespeare, English playwright and poetbare adj 1unclothed: used esp. of a part of the body ◇ SYNONYMS: naked, nude, stripped, uncovered, undressed, unclothed, unclad, without a stitch on (informal) 2without the natural, conventional, or usual covering: bare trees ◇ SYNONYMS: simple, spare, stark, austere, spartan, unadorned, unembellished, unornamented, bare-bones 3lacking appropriate furnishings, etc.: a bare room 4simple: the bare facts ◇ SYNONYMS: plain, simple, basic, obvious, sheer, patent, evident, stark 5just sufficient: the bare minimum ▸ vb baring, bared 6to uncover > bareness nbareback adj, adv (of horse-riding) without a saddlebare-faced or barefaced adj obvious or shameless: a bare-faced liebarefoot or barefooted adj, adv with the feet uncoveredbarely adv 1only just: barely enough ◇ SYNONYMS: only just, just, hardly, scarcely, at a push 2scantily: barely furnishedbargain n 1an agreement establishing what each party will give, receive, or perform in a transaction ◇ SYNONYMS: agreement, deal (informal), promise, contract, arrangement, settlement, pledge, pact 2something acquired or received in such an agreement 3something bought or offered at a low price ◇ SYNONYMS: good buy, discount purchase, good deal, steal (informal), snip (informal), giveaway, cheap purchase 4 drive a hard bargainto forcefully pursue one's own profit in a transaction 5 into the bargainbesides ▸ vb 6to negotiate the terms of an agreement or transaction ◇ SYNONYMS: negotiate, deal, contract, mediate, covenant, stipulate, transact, cut a dealbargain for vb to anticipatebarge n 1a flat-bottomed boat, used for transporting freight, esp. on canals ◇ SYNONYMS: canal boat, lighter, narrow boat, flatboat 2a boat, often decorated, used in pageants, etc. ▸ vb barging, barged(informal) 3(foll. by into) to bump into 4to push one's way violently 5(foll. by into or in) to interrupt rudely: he barged into our conversationbarista (bar- ee-sta) n a person who makes and sells coffee in a coffee barbaritone n 1the second lowest adult male voice 2a singer with such a voicebarium ( bare-ee-um) n (chem) a soft silvery-white metallic chemical element. SYMBOL: Babark1 n 1the loud harsh cry of a dog or certain other animals ◇ SYNONYMS: yap, bay, howl, snarl, growl, yelp, woof ▸ vb 2(of a dog or other animal) to make its typical cry ◇ SYNONYMS: yap, bay, howl, snarl, growl, yelp, woof 3to shout in an angry tone: he barked an order 4 bark up the wrong tree(informal) to misdirect one's attention or effortsbark2 n 1an outer protective layer of dead corklike cells on the trunks of trees ◇ SYNONYMS: covering, casing, cover, skin, layer, crust, cortex (anatomy, botany), rind ▸ vb 2to scrape or rub off (skin), as in an injury 3to remove the bark from (a tree)barley n 1a tall grasslike plant with dense bristly flower spikes, widely cultivated for grain 2the grain of this grass used in making beer and whisky and for soupsbarman n, pl -mena man who serves in a pubbarmy adj -mier, -miest(slang) foolish or slightly crazy: a barmy ideabarn n a large farm outbuilding, chiefly for storing grain, but also for livestockbarnacle n a marine shellfish that lives attached to rocks, ship bottoms, etc. > barnacled adjbarney n (informal) a noisy fight or argumentbarometer n an instrument for measuring atmospheric pressure, used to determine weather or altitude changes > barometric adjbaron n 1a member of the lowest rank of nobility in the British Isles 2a powerful business owner or financier: a press baron > baronial adjbaroness n 1a woman holding the rank of baron 2the wife or widow of a baronbaronet n a commoner who holds the lowest hereditary British title > baronetcy nbaroque (bar- rock) n 1a highly ornate style of architecture and art, popular in Europe from the late 16th to the early 18th century 2a highly ornamented 17th-century style of music ▸ adj 3ornate in stylebarque ( bark) n 1a sailing ship, esp. one with three masts 2(poetic) any boatbarrack1 vb to house (soldiers) in barracksbarrack2 vb 1(Brit & Austral & NZ informal) to criticize loudly or shout against (a team or speaker) 2(Austral & NZ) (foll. by for) to shout encouragement for (a team)barracks pl n 1a building or group of buildings used to accommodate military personnel ◇ SYNONYMS: camp, quarters, garrison, encampment, billet 2a large and bleak buildingbarracuda (bar-rack- kew-da) n, pl -daor -dasa tropical fish which feeds on other fishesbarrage ( bar-rahzh) n 1a continuous delivery of questions, complaints, etc. ◇ SYNONYMS: torrent, mass, burst, stream, hail, spate, onslaught, deluge 2(military) the continuous firing of artillery over a wide area ◇ SYNONYMS: bombardment, attack, bombing, assault, shelling, battery, volley, blitz 3a construction built across a river to control the water levelbarramundi n an edible Australian fishbarrel n 1a cylindrical container, usually with rounded sides and flat ends, and held together by metal hoops 2a unit of capacity of varying amount in different industries 3the tube through which the bullet of a firearm is fired 4 over a barrel(informal) powerless ▸ vb -relling, -relled(US) -reling, -reled 5to put into a barrel or barrelsbarrel organ n a musical instrument played by turning a handlebarren adj 1incapable of producing offspring ◇ SYNONYMS: infertile, sterile, unproductive 2unable to support the growth of crops, fruit, etc.: barren land 3unprofitable or unsuccessful: the team has had a barren season 4dull > barrenness nbarricade n 1a barrier, esp. one erected hastily for defence ◇ SYNONYMS: barrier, wall, fence, blockade, obstruction, rampart, bulwark, palisade ▸ vb -cading, -caded 2to erect a barricade across (an entrance) ◇ SYNONYMS: bar, block, defend, secure, lock, bolt, blockade, fortifybarrier n 1anything that blocks a way or separates, such as a gate ◇ SYNONYMS: barricade, wall, bar, fence, boundary, obstacle, blockade, obstruction 2anything that prevents progress: a barrier of distrust 3anything that separates or hinders union: a language barrierbarring prep unless something occurs; except forbarrister n a lawyer who is qualified to plead in the higher courtsbarrow1 n 1same as wheelbarrow 2a handcart used by street tradersbarrow2 n a heap of earth placed over a prehistoric tombbartender n a person who serves drinks behind a barbarter vb 1to trade goods or services in exchange for other goods or services, rather than for money ▸ n 2trade by the exchange of goodsbasalt ( bass-awlt) n a dark volcanic rock > basaltic adjbase1 n 1the bottom or supporting part of anything ◇ SYNONYMS: bottom, floor, lowest part 2the fundamental principle or part: agriculture was the economic base of the city's growth ◇ SYNONYMS: foundation, institution, organization, establishment, starting point 3a centre of operations, organization, or supply ◇ SYNONYMS: centre, post, station, camp, settlement, headquarters 4a starting point: the new discovery became the base for further research 5the main ingredient of a mixture: to use rice as a base in cookery 6(chem) a compound that combines with an acid to form a salt 7the lower side or face of a geometric construction 8(maths) the number of units in a counting system that is equivalent to one in the next higher counting place: 10 is the base of the decimal system 9a starting or finishing point in any of various games ▸ vb basing, based 10(foll. by on or upon) to use as a basis for ◇ SYNONYMS: ground, found, build, establish, depend, construct, derive, hinge 11(foll. by at or in) to station, post, or place ◇ SYNONYMS: place, set, post, station, establish, locate, installbase2 adj 1dishonourable or immoral: base motives ◇ SYNONYMS: dishonourable, evil, disgraceful, shameful, immoral, wicked, sordid, despicable, scungy (Austral & NZ) 2of inferior quality or value: a base coin 3debased; counterfeit: base currencybaseball n 1a team game in which the object is to score runs by batting the ball and running round all four bases 2the ball used in this gamebaseless adj not based on factbasement n a partly or wholly underground storey of a buildingbash (informal) vb 1to strike violently or crushingly ◇ SYNONYMS: hit, beat, strike, knock, smash, belt (informal), slap, sock (slang) 2(foll. by into) to crash into ▸ n 3a heavy blow 4 have a bash(informal) to make an attemptbashful adj shy or modest > bashfully advbasic adj 1of or forming a base or basis ◇ SYNONYMS: fundamental, main, essential, primary, vital, principal, cardinal, elementary 2elementary or simple: a few basic facts ◇ SYNONYMS: plain, simple, classic, unfussy, unembellished, bare-bones, lo-fi 3excluding additions or extras: basic pay 4(chem) of or containing a base ▸ n 5 basicsfundamental principles, facts, etc. ◇ SYNONYMS: essentials, principles, fundamentals, nuts and bolts (informal), nitty-gritty (informal), rudiments, brass tacks (informal) > basically advBASIC n a computer programming language that uses common English termsbasil n an aromatic herb used for seasoning foodbasilica n 1a Roman building, used for public administration, which is rectangular with two aisles and a rounded end 2a Christian church of similar designbasilisk n (in classical legend) a serpent that could kill by its breath or glancebasin n 1a round wide container open at the top 2the amount a basin will hold 3a washbasin or sink 4any partially enclosed area of water where ships or boats may be moored 5the catchment area of a particular river 6a depression in the earth's surfacebasis n, pl bases 1something that underlies, supports, or is essential to an idea, belief, etc. ◇ SYNONYMS: foundation, support, base, ground, footing, bottom, groundwork 2a principle on which something depends ◇ SYNONYMS: foundation, support, base, ground, footing, bottom, groundworkbask vb (foll. by in) 1to lie in or be exposed (to pleasant warmth or sunshine) ◇ SYNONYMS: lie, relax, lounge, sprawl, loaf, lie about, swim in, sunbathe, outspan (S African) 2to enjoy (approval or favourable conditions)basket n 1a container made of interwoven strips of wood or cane 2the amount a basket will hold 3(basketball) Athe high horizontal hoop through which a player must throw the ball to score points Ba point scored in this waybasketball n a team game in which points are scored by throwing the ball through a high horizontal hoopbasketwork n same as wickerworkbasque n a tight-fitting bodiceBasque n 1a member of a people living in the W Pyrenees in France and Spain 2the language of the Basques ▸ adj 3of the Basquesbas-relief n sculpture in which the figures project slightly from the backgroundbass1 ( base) n 1the lowest adult male voice 2a singer with such a voice 3(informal) same as double bass▸ adj 4of the lowest range of musical notes: the system is engineered to give good bass sound from very small speakers ◇ SYNONYMS: deep, low, resonant, sonorous, low-pitched, deep-toned 5denoting a musical instrument that is lowest or second lowest in pitch in its family: bass trombone ◇ SYNONYMS: deep, low, resonant, sonorous, low-pitched, deep-toned 6of or relating to a bass guitar or double bass: the band is unusual in that it has two bass players 7of or written for a singer with the lowest adult male voice: the bass soloist in next week's performance of Handel's 'Messiah' ◇ SYNONYMS: deep, low, resonant, sonorous, low-pitched, deep-tonedbass2 (rhymes with gas) n 1any of various Australian freshwater and sea fish 2a European spiny-finned freshwater fishbasset hound n a smooth-haired dog with short legs and long earsbassoon n a woodwind instrument that produces a range of low sounds > bassoonist nbastard n 1(informal, derogatory) an obnoxious or despicable person 2(old-fashioned, or offensive) a person born of parents not married to each other 3(informal) something extremely difficult or unpleasant ▸ adj 4(old-fashioned, or offensive) illegitimate by birth 5counterfeit; spurious > bastardy nbaste1 vb basting, bastedto sew with loose temporary stitchesbaste2 vb basting, bastedto moisten (meat) during cooking with hot fatbastion n 1a projecting part of a fortification 2a thing or person regarded as defending a principle or way of life: a bastion of anti-communism