Collins Dictionaries - Collins English Dictionary and Thesaurus Essential

blot n

1a stain or spot, esp. of ink 2something that spoils 3a stain on one's character ▸ vb blotting, blotted 4to stain or spot 5to cause a blemish in or on: he blotted his copybook by missing a penalty 6to soak up (excess ink, etc.) by using blotting paper 7 blot out Ato darken or hide completely: the mist blotted out the sea Bto block from one's mind: to blot out the memoriesblotch n 1an irregular spot or discoloration ▸ vb 2to become or cause to become marked by such discoloration > blotchy adjblotter n a sheet of blotting paperblotting paper n a soft absorbent paper, used for soaking up surplus inkblotto adj (Brit & Austral & NZ slang) extremely drunkblouse n 1a woman's shirtlike garment 2a waist-length belted jacket worn by soldiers ▸ vb blousing, bloused 3to hang or cause to hang in full loose foldsblow1 vb blowing, blew, blown 1(of a current of air, the wind, etc.) to be or cause to be in motion 2to move or be carried by or as if by wind ◇ SYNONYMS: be carried, flutter 3to expel (air, etc.) through the mouth or nose ◇ SYNONYMS: exhale, breathe, pant, puff 4to breathe hard; pant 5to inflate with air or the breath 6(of wind, etc.) to make a roaring sound 7to cause (a musical instrument) to sound by forcing air into it ◇ SYNONYMS: play, sound, pipe, trumpet, blare, toot 8(often foll. by up or in etc) to explode, break, or disintegrate completely ◇ SYNONYMS blow up: explode, burst, shatter, erupt, detonate 9(electronics) (of a fuse or valve) to burn out because of excessive current 10to shape (glass, etc.) by forcing air or gas through the material when molten 11(slang) to spend (money) freely 12(slang) to use (an opportunity) ineffectively 13(slang) to expose or betray (a secret) 14past participle blowed(informal) same as damn 15 blow hot and cold(informal) to keep changing one's attitude towards someone or something 16 blow one's top(informal) to lose one's temper ▸ n 17the act or an instance of blowing 18the sound produced by blowing 19a blast of air or wind 20(Brit slang) cannabis ▸ See also blow out etcblow2 n 1a powerful or heavy stroke with the fist, a weapon, etc. ◇ SYNONYMS: knock, stroke, punch, bang, sock (slang), smack, thump, clout (informal) 2a sudden setback: the scheme was dealt a blow by the introduction of martial law ◇ SYNONYMS: setback, shock, disaster, reverse, disappointment, catastrophe, misfortune, bombshell 3an attacking action: a blow for freedom 4 come to blows Ato fight Bto result in a fightblow-dry vb -dries, -drying, -dried 1to style (the hair) while drying it with a hand-held hair dryer ▸ n 2this method of styling hairblower n 1a mechanical device, such as a fan, that blows 2(informal) a telephoneblowie n (Austral informal) a bluebottleblown vb a past participle of blow blow out vb 1(of a flame) to extinguish or be extinguished 2(of a tyre) to puncture suddenly 3(of an oil or gas well) to lose oil or gas in an uncontrolled manner ▸ n blowout 4a sudden burst in a tyre 5the uncontrolled escape of oil or gas from a well 6(slang) a large filling meal 7(Austral) a sudden large increaseblowsy adj blowsier, blowsiest 1(of a woman) untidy in appearance 2(of a woman) ruddy in complexionblow up vb 1to explode or cause to explode ◇ SYNONYMS blow something up: explode, bomb, blast, detonate, blow sky-high 2to inflate with air ◇ SYNONYMS blow something up: inflate, pump up, fill, expand, swell, enlarge, puff up, distend 3to increase the importance of (something): an affair blown up out of all proportion 4(informal) to lose one's temper ◇ SYNONYMS blow up: lose your temper, rage, erupt, see red (informal), become angry, hit the roof (informal), fly off the handle (informal), go crook (Austral & NZ slang), blow your top 5(informal) to reprimand (someone) 6(informal) to enlarge (a photograph) ◇ SYNONYMS blow something up: magnify, increase, extend, expand, widen, broaden, amplify 7to come into existence with sudden force: a crisis had blown up ▸ n blow-up 8(informal) an enlarged photographblowy adj blowier, blowiestwindyblubber n 1the fatty tissue of aquatic mammals such as the whale 2(informal) flabby body fat ▸ vb 3to sob without restraintbludge (Austral & NZ informal) vb bludging, bludged 1(foll. by on) to scrounge from 2to evade work ◇ SYNONYMS: slack, skive (Brit informal), idle, shirk ▸ n 3a very easy task > bludger nbludgeon n 1a stout heavy club, typically thicker at one end ▸ vb 2to hit as if with a bludgeon 3to force; bully; coerceblue n 1the colour of a clear unclouded sky 2anything blue, such as blue clothing or blue paint: she is clothed in blue 3a sportsperson who represents or has represented Oxford or Cambridge University 4(Brit informal) a Tory 5(Austral & NZ slang) an argument or fight 6Also: bluey(Austral & NZ slang) a court summons 7(Austral & NZ informal) a mistake 8 out of the blueunexpectedly ▸ adj bluer, bluest 9of the colour blue; of the colour of a clear unclouded sky 10(of the flesh) having a purple tinge from cold 11depressed or unhappy ◇ SYNONYMS: depressed, low, sad, unhappy, melancholy, dejected, despondent, downcast 12pornographic: blue movies ▸ vb blueingor bluing, blued 13to make or become blue or bluer 14(old-fashioned, informal) to spend extravagantly or wastefully: I consoled myself by blueing my royalty cheque > blueness nbluebell n a woodland plant with blue bell-shaped flowersbluebottle n 1a large fly with a dark-blue body; blowfly 2(Austral & NZ informal) a Portuguese man-of-warblue-collar adj denoting manual industrial workersblue heeler n (Austral & NZ informal) a dog that controls cattle by biting their heelsblueprint n 1an original description of a plan or idea that explains how it is expected to work ◇ SYNONYMS: scheme, plan, design, system, programme, proposal, strategy, pattern 2a photographic print of plans, technical drawings, etc. consisting of white lines on a blue background ◇ SYNONYMS: plan, scheme, pattern, draft, outline, sketchbluetongue n an Australian lizard with a blue tongueBluetooth n (trademark) a short-range radio technology that allows wireless communication between computers, mobile phones, etc.bluff1 vb 1to pretend to be confident in order to influence (someone) ◇ SYNONYMS: deceive, trick, fool, pretend, cheat, con, fake, mislead ▸ n 2deliberate deception to create the impression of a strong position ◇ SYNONYMS: deception, fraud, sham, pretence, deceit, bravado, bluster, humbug 3 call someone's bluffto challenge someone to give proof of his or her claimsbluff2 n 1a steep promontory, bank, or cliff ◇ SYNONYMS: precipice, bank, peak, cliff, ridge, crag, escarpment, promontory 2(Canad) a clump of trees on the prairie; copse ▸ adj 3good-naturedly frank and hearty ◇ SYNONYMS: hearty, open, blunt, outspoken, genial, ebullient, jovial, plain-spokenbluish or blueish adj slightly blueblunder n 1a stupid or clumsy mistake ◇ SYNONYMS: mistake, slip, fault, error, oversight, gaffe, slip-up (informal), indiscretion, barry or Barry Crocker (Austral slang) ▸ vb 2to make stupid or clumsy mistakes ◇ SYNONYMS: make a mistake, blow it (slang), err, slip up (informal), foul up, put your foot in it (informal) 3to act clumsily; stumble ◇ SYNONYMS: stumble, fall, reel, stagger, lurch > blundering n, adjblunderbuss n an obsolete gun with wide barrel and flared muzzleblunt adj 1(esp. of a knife) lacking sharpness ◇ SYNONYMS: dull, rounded, dulled, edgeless, unsharpened 2not having a sharp edge or point: a blunt instrument ◇ SYNONYMS: dull, rounded, dulled, edgeless, unsharpened 3(of people, manner of speaking, etc.) straightforward and uncomplicated ◇ SYNONYMS: frank, forthright, straightforward, rude, outspoken, bluff, brusque, plain-spoken ▸ vb 4to make less sharp 5to diminish the sensitivity or perception of: prison life has blunted his mind > bluntly advblur vb blurring, blurred 1to make or become vague or less distinct ◇ SYNONYMS: become indistinct, become vague, become hazy, become fuzzy 2to smear or smudge 3to make (the judgment, memory, or perception) less clear; dim ▸ n 4something vague, hazy, or indistinct ◇ SYNONYMS: haze, confusion, fog, obscurity, indistinctness 5a smear or smudge > blurred adj > blurry adjblurb n a promotional description, such as on the jackets of booksblurt vb (foll. by out) to utter suddenly and involuntarilyblush vb 1to become suddenly red in the face, esp. from embarrassment or shame ◇ SYNONYMS: turn red, colour, glow, flush, redden, go red (as a beetroot), turn scarlet ▸ n 2a sudden reddening of the face, esp. from embarrassment or shame 3a rosy glow ◇ SYNONYMS: reddening, colour, glow, flush, pink tinge, rosiness, ruddiness, rosy tint 4same as rosébluster vb 1to speak loudly or in a bullying way 2(of the wind) to be gusty ▸ n 3empty threats or protests > blustery adjBMA British Medical AssociationBMI body mass index: an index used to indicate whether or not a person is a healthy weight for his or her heightBO 1(informal) body odour 2box officeboa n 1a large nonvenomous snake of Central and South America that kills its prey by constriction 2a long thin scarf of feathers or furboab ( boh-ab) n (Austral informal) short for baobab boa constrictor n a very large snake of tropical America and the West Indies that kills its prey by constrictionboar n 1an uncastrated male pig 2a wild pigboard n 1a long wide flat piece of sawn timber ◇ SYNONYMS: plank, panel, timber, slat, piece of timber 2a smaller flat piece of rigid material for a specific purpose: ironing board 3 Aa group of people who officially administer a company, trust, etc. Bany other official group, such as examiners or interviewers ◇ SYNONYMS: council, directors, committee, congress, advisers, panel, assembly, trustees 4a person's meals, provided regularly for money ◇ SYNONYMS: meals, provisions, victuals, daily meals 5stiff cardboard or similar material, used for the outside covers of a book 6a flat thin rectangular sheet of composite material, such as chipboard 7(naut) the side of a ship 8a portable surface for indoor games such as chess or backgammon 9 go by the board(informal) to be in disuse, neglected, or lost 10 on boardon or in a ship, aeroplane, etc. ▸ vb 11to go aboard (a train or other vehicle) ◇ SYNONYMS: get on, enter, mount, embark 12to attack (a ship) by forcing one's way aboard 13(foll. by up or in etc) to cover with boards 14to receive meals and lodging in return for money 15 board outto arrange for (someone, esp. a child) to receive food and lodging away from home 16(in ice hockey and box lacrosse) to bodycheck an opponent against the boardsboarder n (Brit) a pupil who lives at school during term timeboarding house n a private house that provides accommodation and meals for paying guestsboardroom n a room where the board of directors of a company meetsboast vb 1to speak in excessively proud terms of one's possessions, talents, etc. ◇ SYNONYMS: brag, crow, vaunt, talk big (slang), blow your own trumpet, show off, be proud of, congratulate yourself on, skite (Austral & NZ informal) 2to possess (something to be proud of): a team which boasts five current world record holders ◇ SYNONYMS: possess, exhibit ▸ n 3a bragging statement 4something that is bragged about: this proved to be a false boastboastful adj tending to boastboat n 1a small vessel propelled by oars, paddle, sails, or motor 2(informal) a ship 3 in the same boatsharing the same problems 4 miss the boatto lose an opportunity 5 rock the boat(informal) to cause a disturbance in the existing situation ▸ vb 6to travel or go in a boat, esp. as recreationboater n a stiff straw hat with a straight brim and flat crownboating n rowing, sailing, or cruising in boats as a form of recreationboatswain ( boh-sn) n (naut) same as bosun bob1 vb bobbing, bobbed 1to move or cause to move up and down repeatedly, such as while floating in water ◇ SYNONYMS: bounce, duck, hop, oscillate 2to move or cause to move with a short abrupt movement, esp. of the head 3 bob upto appear or emerge suddenly ▸ n 4a short abrupt movement, as of the headbob2 n 1a hairstyle in which the hair is cut short evenly all round the head 2a dangling weight on a pendulum or plumb line ▸ vb bobbing, bobbed 3to cut (the hair) in a bobbobbin n a reel on which thread or yarn is woundbobble n 1a tufted ball, usually woollen, that is used for decoration ▸ vb -bling, -bled 2(of a ball) to bounce erratically because of an uneven playing surfacebobby n, pl -bies(Brit informal) a British police officerbobotie (ba- boot-ee) n (S African) a traditional Cape dish of curried minced meatbobsleigh n 1a sledge for racing down a steeply banked ice-covered run ▸ vb 2to ride on a bobsleighbode vb boding, bodedto be an omen of (good or ill); portendbodice n 1the upper part of a dress, from the shoulder to the waist 2a tight-fitting corset worn laced over a blouse, or (formerly) as a woman's undergarmentbodily adj 1relating to the human body ◇ SYNONYMS: physical, material, actual, substantial (formal), tangible, corporal, carnal, corporeal ▸ adv 2by taking hold of the body: he threw him bodily from the platform 3in person; in the fleshbodkin n a blunt large-eyed needlebody n, pl bodies 1the entire physical structure of an animal or human. RELATED ADJECTIVE: corporal◇ SYNONYMS: physique, build, form, figure, shape, frame, constitution 2the trunk or torso ◇ SYNONYMS: torso, trunk 3a corpse ◇ SYNONYMS: corpse, dead body, remains, carcass, cadaver, stiff (slang) 4a group regarded as a single entity: a local voluntary body ◇ SYNONYMS: organization, company, group, society, association, band, congress, institution 5the main part of anything: the body of a car ◇ SYNONYMS: main part, matter, material, mass, substance, bulk, essence 6a separate mass of water or land ◇ SYNONYMS: expanse, mass 7the flesh as opposed to the spirit 8fullness in the appearance of the hair 9the characteristic full quality of certain wines 10(informal) a person: all the important bodies from the council were present 11a woman's one-piece undergarment 12 keep body and soul togetherto manage to survivebodyguard n a person or group of people employed to protect someonebody mass indexbodywork n the external shell of a motor vehicleBoer n a descendant of any of the Dutch or Huguenot colonists who settled in South Africaboerewors ( boor-a-vorss) n (S African) a traditional home-made farmer's sausageboffin n (old-fashioned, informal) a scientist or expertbog n 1a wet spongy area of land ◇ SYNONYMS: marsh, swamp, slough, wetlands, fen, mire, quagmire, morass, pakihi (NZ), muskeg (Canad) 2(slang) a toilet > boggy adj > bogginess nbog down vb bogging, boggedto impede physically or mentallybogey or bogy n 1an evil or mischievous spirit 2something that worries or annoys ◇ SYNONYMS: bugbear, bête noire, horror, nightmare, bugaboo 3(golf) a score of one stroke over par on a hole 4(slang) a piece of dried mucus from the noseboggle vb -gling, -gled 1to be surprised, confused, or alarmed: the mind boggles at the idea 2to hesitate or be evasive when confronted with a problembogie or bogy n an assembly of wheels forming a pivoted support at either end of a railway coachbogus ( boh-guss) adj not genuine ◇ SYNONYMS: fake, false, artificial, forged, imitation, sham, fraudulent, counterfeitbogy n, pl -giessame as bogey , bogie bohemian n 1a person, esp. an artist or writer, who lives an unconventional life ▸ adj 2unconventional in appearance, behaviour, etc. > bohemianism nboil1 vb 1to change or cause to change from a liquid to a vapour so rapidly that bubbles of vapour are formed in the liquid 2to reach or cause to reach boiling point 3to cook or be cooked by the process of boiling 4to bubble and be agitated like something boiling: the sea was boiling ◇ SYNONYMS: simmer, bubble, foam, seethe, fizz, froth, effervesce 5to be extremely angry ▸ n 6the state or action of boilingboil2 n a red painful swelling with a hard pus-filled core caused by infection of the skin ◇ SYNONYMS: pustule, gathering (informal), swelling, blister, carbuncleboiler n 1a closed vessel in which water is heated to provide steam to drive machinery 2a domestic device to provide hot water, esp. for central heatingboilerplate n a standard text, esp. for a contract or letter, that can be modified to cover different situationsboisterous adj 1noisy and lively; unruly 2(of the sea, etc.) turbulent or stormybold adj 1courageous, confident, and fearless ◇ SYNONYMS: fearless, enterprising, brave, daring, heroic, adventurous, courageous, audacious 2immodest or impudent: she gave him a bold look ◇ SYNONYMS: impudent, forward, confident, rude, cheeky, feisty (informal), brazen, shameless, insolent 3(Irish) (of a child) naughty; badly behaved 4standing out distinctly; conspicuous: a figure carved in bold relief > boldly adv > boldness nbole n the trunk of a treebolero n, pl -ros 1a Spanish dance, usually in triple time 2music for this dance 3a short open jacket not reaching the waistbollard n 1(Brit & Austral) a small post marking a kerb or traffic island or barring cars from entering 2a strong wooden or metal post on a wharf, quay, etc., used for securing mooring linesBolshevik n 1(formerly) a Russian Communist 2any Communist 3(informal, derogatory) any political radical, esp. a revolutionary > Bolshevism n > Bolshevist adj, nbolshie or bolshy (Brit & NZ informal) adj 1difficult to manage; rebellious 2politically radical or left-wing ▸ n, pl -shies 3any political radicalbolster vb 1to support or strengthen: the government were unwilling to bolster sterling ◇ SYNONYMS: support, help, boost, strengthen, reinforce, shore up, augment ▸ n 2a long narrow pillow 3any pad or supportbolt n 1a bar that can be slid into a socket to lock a door, gate, etc. ◇ SYNONYMS: bar, catch, lock, latch, fastener, sliding bar 2a metal rod or pin that has a head and a screw thread to take a nut ◇ SYNONYMS: pin, rod, peg, rivet 3a flash (of lightning) 4a sudden movement, esp. in order to escape 5an arrow, esp. for a crossbow 6 a bolt from the bluea sudden, unexpected, and usually unwelcome event 7 shoot one's boltto exhaust one's efforts ▸ vb 8to run away suddenly 9to secure or lock with or as if with a bolt ◇ SYNONYMS: lock, close, bar, secure, fasten, latch 10to attach firmly (one thing to another) by means of a nut and bolt 11to eat hurriedly: bolting your food may lead to indigestion ◇ SYNONYMS: gobble, stuff, wolf, cram, gorge, devour, gulp, guzzle 12(of a horse) to run away without control 13(of vegetables) to produce flowers and seeds too soon ▸ adv 14 bolt uprightstiff and rigidbolt hole n a place of escapebomb n 1a hollow projectile containing explosive, incendiary, or other destructive substance ◇ SYNONYMS: explosive, mine, shell, missile, device, rocket, grenade, torpedo 2an object in which an explosive device has been planted: a car bomb 3(chiefly Brit slang) a large sum of money: it cost a bomb 4(slang) a disastrous failure: the new play was a total bomb 5 like a bomb(informal) with great speed or success 6 the bomba hydrogen or an atom bomb considered as the ultimate destructive weapon ▸ vb 7to attack with a bomb or bombs; drop bombs (on) ◇ SYNONYMS: blow up, attack, destroy, assault, shell, blitz, bombard, torpedo 8(foll. by along) (informal) to move or drive very quickly 9(slang) to fail disastrously ▸ See also bomb out > bombing nbombard vb 1to attack with concentrated artillery fire or bombs ◇ SYNONYMS: bomb, shell, blitz, open fire, strafe, fire upon 2to attack persistently ◇ SYNONYMS: attack, assault, besiege, beset, assail 3to attack verbally, esp. with questions 4(physics) to direct high-energy particles or photons against (atoms, nuclei, etc.) > bombardment nbombast n pompous and flowery language > bombastic adjbomber n 1a military aircraft designed to carry out bombing missions 2a person who plants bombsbomb out vb (informal) to fail disastrouslybombshell n a shocking or unwelcome surprisebona fide (bone-a fide-ee) adj 1genuine: a bona fide manuscript 2undertaken in good faith: a bona fide agreementbonanza n 1sudden and unexpected luck or wealth 2(US & Canad) a mine or vein rich in orebond n 1something that binds, fastens, or holds together ◇ SYNONYMS: fastening, tie, chain, cord, shackle, fetter, manacle 2something that brings or holds people together; tie: a bond of friendship ◇ SYNONYMS: tie, union, coupling, link, association, relation, connection, alliance 3 bondssomething that restrains or imprisons 4a written or spoken agreement, esp. a promise: a marriage bond ◇ SYNONYMS: agreement, word, promise, contract, guarantee, pledge, obligation, covenant 5(chem) a means by which atoms are combined in a molecule 6(finance) a certificate of debt issued in order to raise funds 7(S African) the conditional pledging of property, esp. a house, as security for the repayment of a loan 8(law) a written acknowledgment of an obligation to pay a sum or to perform a contract 9 in bond(commerce) securely stored until duty is paid ▸ vb 10to hold or be held together; bind ◇ SYNONYMS: fix, hold, bind, connect, glue, stick, paste, fasten 11to form a friendship ◇ SYNONYMS: form friendships, connect 12to put or hold (goods) in bondbondage n 1a sexual practice in which one partner is tied or chained up 2slavery 3subjection to some influence or dutybonded adj 1(finance) consisting of, secured by, or operating under a bond or bonds 2(commerce) in bondbone n 1any of the various structures that make up the skeleton in most vertebrates 2the porous rigid tissue of which these parts are made 3something consisting of bone or a bonelike substance 4 bonesthe human skeleton 5a thin strip of plastic, etc. used to stiffen corsets and brassieres 6 close to or near the bonerisqué or indecent 7 have a bone to pickto have grounds for a quarrel 8 make no bones about Ato be direct and candid about Bto have no scruples about 9 the bare bonesthe essentials ▸ vb boning, boned 10to remove the bones from (meat for cooking, etc.) 11to stiffen (a corset, etc.) by inserting bones > boneless adjbone-dry adj (informal) completely drybone-idle adj extremely lazybonfire n a large outdoor firebongo n, pl -gosor -goesa small bucket-shaped drum, usually one of a pair, played by beating with the fingersbonhomie (bon-om- mee) n exuberant friendlinessbonito (ba- nee-toh) n, pl -os 1a small tunny-like marine food fish 2a related fish, whose flesh is dried and flaked and used in Japanese cookerybonk vb (informal) 1to have sexual intercourse 2to hit > bonking nbonnet n 1(Brit) the hinged metal cover over a motor vehicle's engine 2any of various hats tied with ribbons under the chin 3(in Scotland) a soft cloth capbonny adj -nier, -niest 1(Scot & N English dialect) beautiful: a bonny lass 2good or finebonsai n, pl -saian ornamental tree or shrub grown in a small shallow pot in order to stunt its growthbonus n something given, paid, or received above what is due or expected ◇ SYNONYMS: extra, prize, gift, reward, premium, dividendbony adj bonier, boniest 1resembling or consisting of bone 2thin 3having many bonesboo interj 1a shout uttered to express dissatisfaction or contempt 2an exclamation uttered to startle someone ▸ vb booing, booed 3to shout 'boo' at (someone or something) as an expression of disapprovalboob (slang) n 1(Brit & Austral & NZ) an embarrassing mistake; blunder 2a female breast 3(Austral) a prison ▸ vb 4(Brit & Austral & NZ) to make a blunderboobook ( boo-book) n a small spotted Australian brown owlbooby n, pl -bies 1(old-fashioned) an ignorant or foolish person 2a tropical marine bird related to the gannetbooby prize n a mock prize given to the person with the lowest score in a competitionbooby trap n 1a hidden explosive device primed so as to be set off by an unsuspecting victim 2a trap for an unsuspecting person, esp. one intended as a practical jokeboogie vb -gieing, -gied(slang) to dance to fast pop musicbook n 1a number of printed pages bound together along one edge and protected by covers ◇ SYNONYMS: work, title, volume, publication, tract, tome, e-book or ebook, blook 2a written work or composition, such as a novel ◇ SYNONYMS: work, title, volume, publication, tract, tome, e-book or ebook, blook 3a number of sheets of paper bound together: an account book ◇ SYNONYMS: notebook, album, journal, diary, pad, notepad, exercise book, jotter 4 booksa record of the transactions of a business or society 5the libretto of an opera or musical 6a major division of a written composition, such as of a long novel or of the Bible 7a number of tickets, stamps, etc. fastened together along one edge 8a record of betting transactions 9 a closed booka subject that is beyond comprehension: art remains a closed book to him 10 bring to bookto reprimand or require (someone) to give an explanation of his or her conduct 11 by the bookaccording to the rules 12 in someone's good or bad booksregarded by someone with favour or disfavour 13 throw the book at someone Ato charge someone with every relevant offence Bto inflict the most severe punishment on someone ▸ vb 14to reserve (a place, passage, etc.) or engage the services of (someone) in advance ◇ SYNONYMS: reserve, schedule, engage, organize, charter, arrange for, make reservations, e-book or ebook 15(of a police officer) to take the name and address of (a person) for an alleged offence with a view to prosecution 16(of a football referee) to take the name of (a player) who has broken the rules seriouslybookie n (informal) short for bookmaker book-keeping n the skill or occupation of systematically recording business transactions > book-keeper nbooklet n a thin book with paper covers ◇ SYNONYMS: brochure, leaflet, hand-out, pamphlet, folder, mailshot, handbillbookmaker n a person who as an occupation accepts bets, esp. on horse racing > bookmaking nbookmark n 1a strip of some material put between the pages of a book to mark a place 2an identifier put on a website that enables the user to return to it quickly and easily ▸ vb 3to identify and store (a website) so that one can return to it quickly and easilybookworm n 1a person devoted to reading 2a small insect that feeds on the binding paste of booksboom1 vb 1to make a loud deep echoing sound ◇ SYNONYMS: bang, roll, crash, blast, explode, roar, thunder, rumble 2to prosper vigorously and rapidly: business boomed ◇ SYNONYMS: increase, flourish, grow, develop, expand, strengthen, swell, thrive ▸ n 3a loud deep echoing sound ◇ SYNONYMS: bang, crash, clash, blast, burst, explosion, roar, thunder 4a period of high economic growth ◇ SYNONYMS: expansion, increase, development, growth, jump, boost, improvement, upsurgeboom2 n 1(naut) a spar to which the foot of a sail is fastened to control its position 2a pole carrying an overhead microphone and projected over a film or television set 3a barrier across a waterwayboomer n (Austral) a large male kangarooboomerang n 1a curved wooden missile of Australian Aborigines which can be made to return to the thrower 2an action or statement that recoils on its originator ▸ vb 3(of a plan) to recoil unexpectedly, harming its originatorboon n something extremely useful, helpful, or beneficial ◇ SYNONYMS: benefit, blessing, godsend, giftboongary ( boong-gar-ree) n a tree kangaroo of NE Queensland, Australiaboor n an ill-mannered, clumsy, or insensitive person > boorish adjboost n 1encouragement or help: a boost to morale ◇ SYNONYMS: encouragement, help 2an upward thrust or push 3an increase or rise ◇ SYNONYMS: rise, increase, jump, addition, improvement, expansion, upsurge, upturn ▸ vb 4to encourage or improve: to boost morale 5to cause to rise; increase: we significantly boosted our market share ◇ SYNONYMS: increase, develop, raise, expand, add to, heighten, enlarge, amplify 6to advertise on a big scalebooster n 1a supplementary injection of a vaccine given to ensure that the first injection will remain effective 2a radio-frequency amplifier to strengthen signals 3the first stage of a multistage rocketboot1 n 1an outer covering for the foot that extends above the ankle 2(Brit) an enclosed compartment of a car for holding luggage 3(informal) a kick: he gave the door a boot 4 lick someone's bootsto behave flatteringly towards someone 5 put the boot in(slang) Ato kick a person when already down Bto finish something off with unnecessary brutality 6 the boot(slang) dismissal from employment ▸ vb 7to kick ◇ SYNONYMS: kick, punt, put the boot in(to) (slang), drop-kick 8to start up (a computer) 9 boot out(informal) Ato eject forcibly Bto dismiss from employmentboot2 n to bootas well; in additionboot camp n a centre for juvenile offenders, with strict discipline and hard physical exercisebootee n a soft boot for a baby, esp. a knitted onebooth n, pl booths 1a small partially enclosed cubicle 2a stall, esp. a temporary one at a fair or marketbootleg vb -legging, -legged 1to make, carry, or sell (illicit goods, esp. alcohol) ▸ adj 2produced, distributed, or sold illicitly ▸ n 3something that is produced, distributed, or sold illicitly > bootlegger nbooty n, pl -tiesany valuable article or articles obtained as plunderbooze (informal) n 1alcoholic drink ▸ vb boozing, boozed 2to drink alcohol, esp. in excess > boozy adjbooze bus n (Austral & NZ informal) a mobile police unit used to conduct drug and alcohol tests on driversboozer n (informal) 1a person who is fond of drinking 2(Brit & Austral & NZ) a bar or pubbooze-up n (Brit & Austral & NZ slang) a drinking spreebop n 1a form of jazz with complex rhythms and harmonies ▸ vb bopping, bopped 2(informal) to dance to pop music > bopper nbora n (Austral) an Aboriginal ceremonyborax n a white mineral in crystalline form used in making glass, soap, etc.border n 1the dividing line between political or geographic regions ◇ SYNONYMS: frontier, line, limit, bounds, boundary, perimeter, borderline 2a band or margin around or along the edge of something ◇ SYNONYMS: edge, margin, verge (Brit), rim 3a design around the edge of something ◇ SYNONYMS: edge, margin, verge (Brit), rim 4a narrow strip of ground planted with flowers or shrubs: a herbaceous border ▸ vb 5to provide with a border ◇ SYNONYMS: edge, bound, decorate, trim, fringe, rim, hem 6 Ato be adjacent to; lie along the boundary of Bto be nearly the same as; verge on: a story that borders on the unbelievablebore1 vb boring, bored 1to produce (a hole) with a drill, etc. ◇ SYNONYMS: drill, mine, sink, tunnel, pierce, penetrate, burrow, puncture 2to produce (a tunnel, mine shaft, etc.) by drilling ◇ SYNONYMS: drill, mine, sink, tunnel, pierce, penetrate, burrow, puncture ▸ n 3a hole or tunnel in the ground drilled in search of minerals, oil, etc. 4 Athe hollow of a gun barrel Bthe diameter of this hollow; calibrebore2 vb boring, bored 1to tire or make weary by being dull, repetitious, or uninteresting ◇ SYNONYMS: tire, fatigue, weary, wear out, jade, be tedious, pall on, send to sleep ▸ n 2a dull or repetitious person, activity, or state ◇ SYNONYMS: nuisance, pain (informal), yawn (informal), anorak (informal) > bored adj > boring adjbore3 n a high wave moving up a narrow estuary, caused by the tidebore4 vb the past tense of bear boredom n the state of being bored ◇ SYNONYMS: tedium, apathy, weariness, monotony, sameness, ennui (literary), flatness, world-wearinessboree ( baw-ree) n (Austral) same as myallborn vb 1a past participle of bear 2 not have been born yesterdaynot to be gullible or foolish ▸ adj 3possessing certain qualities from birth: a born musician 4being in a particular social status at birth: ignobly bornborne vb a past participle of bear boron n (chem) a hard almost colourless crystalline metalloid element that is used in hardening steel. SYMBOL: Bboronia n an Australian aromatic flowering shrubborough n 1a town, esp. (in Britain) one that forms the constituency of an MP or that was originally incorporated by royal charter 2any of the constituent divisions of Greater London or New York Cityborrow vb 1to obtain (something, such as money) on the understanding that it will be returned to the lender ◇ SYNONYMS: take on loan, touch (someone) for (slang), scrounge (informal), cadge, use temporarily 2to adopt (ideas, words, etc.) from another source ◇ SYNONYMS: steal, take, copy, adopt, pinch (informal) > borrower n > borrowing nborscht or borsch n a Russian soup based on beetrootborstal n (formerly, in Britain) a prison for offenders aged 15 to 21borzoi n a tall dog with a narrow head and a long coatbosh n (Brit & Austral & NZ informal) meaningless talk or opinions; nonsenseBosnian adj 1from Bosnia ▸ n 2a person from Bosniabosom n 1the chest or breast of a person, esp. the female breasts 2a protective centre or part: the bosom of the family 3the breast considered as the seat of emotions ▸ adj 4very dear: a bosom friendboss1 (informal) n 1a person in charge of or employing others ◇ SYNONYMS: manager, head, leader, director, chief, master, employer, supervisor, sherang (Austral & NZ) ▸ vb 2to employ, supervise, or be in charge of 3 boss around or aboutto be domineering or overbearing towards ◇ SYNONYMS boss someone around: order around, dominate, bully, oppress, push around (slang)boss2 n a raised knob or stud, esp. an ornamental one on a vault, shield, etc.bossy adj bossier, bossiest(informal) domineering, overbearing, or authoritarian > bossiness nbosun or boatswain ( boh-sn) n an officer who is responsible for the maintenance of a ship and its equipmentbot n a computer program that carries out tasks for other programs or usersbotany n, pl -niesthe study of plants, including their classification, structure, etc. > botanical or botanic adj > botanist nbotch vb 1to spoil through clumsiness or ineptitude 2to repair badly or clumsily ▸ n also botch-up 3a badly done piece of work or repairboth adj 1two considered together: both parents were killed during the war ▸ pron 2two considered together: both are to blame ▸ conj 3not just one but also the other of two (people or things): both she and her sister enjoyed the showbother vb 1to take the time or trouble: don't bother to come with me 2to give annoyance, pain, or trouble to ◇ SYNONYMS: trouble, concern, worry, alarm, disturb, disconcert, perturb 3to trouble (a person) by repeatedly disturbing; pester ◇ SYNONYMS: pester, plague, harass, hassle (informal), inconvenience ▸ n 4a state of worry, trouble, or confusion ◇ SYNONYMS: trouble, problem, worry, difficulty, fuss, irritation, hassle (informal), nuisance, uphill (S African) 5a person or thing that causes fuss, trouble, or annoyance 6(informal) a disturbance or fight: a spot of bother ▸ interj 7(Brit & Austral & NZ) an exclamation of slight annoyancebothersome adj causing botherBotox n (trademark) 1a preparation of botulinum toxin used to treat muscle spasm and to remove wrinkles ▸ vb 2to apply Botox to (a person or a part of the body)bottle n 1a container, often of glass and usually cylindrical with a narrow neck, for holding liquids 2the amount such a container will hold 3(Brit slang) courage; nerve: you don't have the bottle 4 the bottle(informal) drinking of alcohol, esp. to excess ▸ vb -tling, -tled 5to put or place in a bottle or bottles ▸ See also bottle up bottleneck n 1a narrow stretch of road or a junction at which traffic is or may be held up 2something that holds up progressbottle shop n (Austral & NZ) a shop licensed to sell alcohol for drinking elsewhere ◇ SYNONYMS: off-licence (Brit), liquor store (US & Canad), bottle store (S African), package store (US & Canad), offie or offy (Brit informal)bottle store n (S African) a shop licensed to sell alcohol for drinking elsewhere ◇ SYNONYMS: off-licence (Brit), liquor store (US & Canad), bottle shop (Austral & NZ), package store (US & Canad), offie or offy (Brit informal)bottle tree n an Australian tree with a bottle-shaped swollen trunkbottle up vb to restrain (powerful emotion)bottom n 1the lowest, deepest, or farthest removed part of a thing: the bottom of a hill ◇ SYNONYMS: lowest part, base, foot, bed, floor, foundation, depths 2the least important or successful position: the bottom of a class 3the ground underneath a sea, lake, or river 4the underneath part of a thing ◇ SYNONYMS: underside, sole, underneath, lower side 5the buttocks ◇ SYNONYMS: buttocks, behind (informal), rear, backside, rump, seat, posterior 6 at bottomin reality; basically 7 be at the bottom ofto be the ultimate cause of 8 get to the bottom ofto discover the real truth about ▸ adj 9lowest or last ◇ SYNONYMS: lowest, lastbottomless adj 1unlimited; inexhaustible: bottomless resources 2very deep: bottomless valleysbotulism n severe food poisoning resulting from the toxin botulin,produced in imperfectly preserved foodboudoir ( boo-dwahr) n a woman's bedroom or private sitting roombougainvillea n a tropical climbing plant with flowers surrounded by showy red or purple bractsbough n any of the main branches of a treebought vb the past of buy boulder n a smooth rounded mass of rock shaped by erosionboulevard n a wide usually tree-lined road in a citybounce vb bouncing, bounced 1(of a ball, etc.) to rebound from an impact ◇ SYNONYMS: rebound, recoil, ricochet 2to cause (a ball, etc.) to hit a solid surface and spring back 3to move or cause to move suddenly; spring: I bounced down the stairs ◇ SYNONYMS: bound, spring, jump, leap, skip, gambol 4(slang) (of a bank) to send (a cheque) back or (of a cheque) to be sent back unredeemed because of lack of funds in the account ▸ n 5the action of rebounding from an impact 6a leap or jump 7springiness ◇ SYNONYMS: springiness, give, spring, resilience, elasticity, recoil 8(informal) vitality; vigour ◇ SYNONYMS: life, go (informal), energy, zip (informal), vigour, exuberance, dynamism, vivacity 9(informal) a temporary increase or rise: a sales bounce > bouncy adjbouncer n 1(slang) a person employed at a nightclub, etc. to prevent unwanted people from entering and to eject drunks or troublemakers 2(cricket) a ball bowled so that it bounces high on pitchingbouncing adj vigorous and robust: a bouncing babybound1 vb 1the past of bind ▸ adj 2tied as if with a rope ◇ SYNONYMS: tied, fixed, secured, attached, tied up, fastened, pinioned 3restricted or confined: housebound 4certain: it's bound to happen ◇ SYNONYMS: certain, sure, fated, doomed, destined 5compelled or obliged: they agreed to be bound by the board's recommendations ◇ SYNONYMS: compelled, obliged, forced, committed, pledged, constrained, beholden, duty-bound 6(of a book) secured within a cover or binding 7 bound up withclosely or inextricably linked withbound2 vb 1to move forwards by leaps or jumps ◇ SYNONYMS: leap, bob, spring, jump, bounce, skip, vault 2to bounce; spring away from an impact ◇ SYNONYMS: leap, bob, spring, jump, bounce, skip, vault ▸ n 3a jump upwards or forwards ◇ SYNONYMS: leap, bob, spring, jump, bounce, hurdle, skip, vault 4a bounce, as of a ballbound3 vb 1to place restrictions on; limit: bounded by tradition ◇ SYNONYMS: limit, restrict, confine, restrain, circumscribe 2to form a boundary of ◇ SYNONYMS: surround, confine, enclose, encircle, hem in, demarcate > boundless adjbound4 adj going or intending to go towards: homeward boundboundary n, pl -ries 1something that indicates the farthest limit, such as of an area ◇ SYNONYMS: frontier, edge, border, barrier, margin, brink 2(cricket) Athe marked limit of the playing area Ba stroke that hits the ball beyond this limit, scoring four or six runsbountiful or bounteous adj (literary) 1plentiful; ample: a bountiful harvest 2giving freely; generousbounty n, pl -ties 1(literary) generosity; liberality 2something provided in generous amounts: nature's bounty 3a reward or premium by a governmentbouquet n 1a bunch of flowers, esp. a large carefully arranged one ◇ SYNONYMS: bunch of flowers, spray, garland, wreath, posy, buttonhole, corsage, nosegay 2the aroma of wine ◇ SYNONYMS: aroma, smell, scent, perfume, fragrance, savour, odour, redolencebourbon ( bur-bn) n a whiskey distilled, chiefly in the US, from maizebourgeois ( boor-zhwah) (often derogatory) adj 1characteristic of or comprising the middle class ◇ SYNONYMS: middle-class, traditional, conventional, materialistic, hidebound 2conservative or materialistic in outlook ◇ SYNONYMS: middle-class, traditional, conventional, materialistic, hidebound 3(in Marxist thought) dominated by capitalism ▸ n, pl -geois 4a member of the middle class, esp. one regarded as being conservative and materialisticbout n 1 Aa period of time spent doing something, such as drinking alcohol ◇ SYNONYMS: period, term, fit, spell, turn, interval Ba period of illness: a bad bout of flu 2a boxing, wrestling, or fencing match ◇ SYNONYMS: fight, match, competition, struggle, contest, set-to (informal), encounter, engagementboutique n a small shop, esp. one that sells fashionable clothesboutique hotel n a small, high-quality, fashionable hotelbovine adj 1of or relating to cattle 2dull, sluggish, or uglybow1 (rhymes with cow) vb 1to lower (one's head) or bend (one's knee or body) as a sign of respect, greeting, agreement, or shame ◇ SYNONYMS: bend, bob, nod, stoop, droop, genuflect 2to comply or accept: bow to the inevitable 3 bow and scrapeto behave in a slavish manner ▸ n 4a lowering or bending of the head or body as a mark of respect, etc. ◇ SYNONYMS: bending, bob, nod, obeisance, kowtow, genuflection 5 take a bowto acknowledge applausebow2 (rhymes with know) n 1a decorative knot usually having two loops and two loose ends 2a long stick across which are stretched strands of horsehair, used for playing a violin, viola, cello, etc. 3a weapon for shooting arrows, consisting of an arch of flexible wood, plastic, etc. bent by a string fastened at each end 4something that is curved, bent, or arched ▸ vb 5to form or cause to form a curve or curvesbow3 (rhymes with cow) n 1(chiefly naut) the front end or part of a vessel ◇ SYNONYMS: prow, head, stem, fore, beak 2(rowing) the oarsman at the bowbowdlerize or -ise vb -izing, -izedor -ising, -isedto remove passages or words regarded as indecent from (a play, novel, etc.) > bowdlerization or -isation nbowel n 1an intestine, esp. the large intestine in humans 2 bowelsentrails ◇ SYNONYMS: guts, insides (informal), intestines, innards (informal), entrails, viscera, vitals 3 bowelsthe innermost part: the bowels of the earth ◇ SYNONYMS: depths, hold, inside (informal), deep, interior, core, bellybower n a shady leafy shelter in a wood or gardenbowerbird n a brightly coloured songbird of Australia and New Guineabowl1 n 1a round container open at the top, used for holding liquid or serving food ◇ SYNONYMS: basin, plate, dish, vessel 2the amount a bowl will hold 3the hollow part of an object, esp. of a spoon or tobacco pipebowl2 n 1 Aa wooden ball used in the game of bowls Ba large heavy ball with holes for gripping used in the game of bowling ▸ vb 2to roll smoothly or cause to roll smoothly along the ground 3(cricket) Ato send (a ball) from one's hand towards the batsman ◇ SYNONYMS: throw, hurl, launch, cast, pitch, toss, fling, chuck (informal) BAlso: bowl outto dismiss (a batsman) by delivering a ball that breaks his wicket 4to play bowls 5 bowl alongto move easily and rapidly, as in a carbow-legged adj having legs that curve outwards at the kneesbowler1 n 1a person who bowls in cricket 2a player at the game of bowlsbowler2 n a stiff felt hat with a rounded crown and narrow curved brimbowling n 1a game in which a heavy ball is rolled down a long narrow alley at a group of wooden pins 2(cricket) the act of delivering the ball to the batsmanbox1 n 1a container with a firm base and sides and sometimes a removable or hinged lid ◇ SYNONYMS: container, case, chest, trunk, pack, package, carton, casket 2the contents of such a container 3a separate compartment for a small group of people, as in a theatre 4a compartment for a horse in a stable or a vehicle 5a section of printed matter on a page, enclosed by lines or a border 6a central agency to which mail is addressed and from which it is collected or redistributed: a post-office box 7 the box(Brit informal) television ▸ vb 8to put into a box ◇ SYNONYMS: pack, package, wrap, encase, bundle up > boxlike adjbox2 vb 1to fight (an opponent) in a boxing match 2to engage in boxing ◇ SYNONYMS: fight, spar, exchange blows 3to hit (esp. a person's ears) with the fist ▸ n 4a punch with the fist, esp. on the earbox3 n a slow-growing evergreen tree or shrub with small shiny leavesboxer n 1a person who boxes ◇ SYNONYMS: fighter, pugilist, prizefighter 2a medium-sized dog with smooth hair and a short noseboxer shorts or boxers pl n men's underpants shaped like shorts but with a front openingboxing n the act, art, or profession of fighting with the fistsbox jellyfish n a highly venomous jellyfish with a cuboid body that lives in Australian tropical watersbox office n 1an office at a theatre, cinema, etc. where tickets are sold 2the public appeal of an actor or production ▸ adj box-office 3relating to the sales at the box office: a box-office successbox set n 1a collection of items of the same type, packaged together for sale in a presentation box 2a set of episodes of a television series made available to watch or listen to at the same timeboy n 1a male child ◇ SYNONYMS: lad, kid (informal), youth, fellow (old-fashioned), youngster, schoolboy, junior, stripling 2a man regarded as immature or inexperienced 3(S African offensive) a Black male servant > boyhood n > boyish adjboycott vb 1to refuse to deal with (an organization or country) as a protest against its actions or policy ◇ SYNONYMS: embargo, reject, snub, black ▸ n 2an instance or the use of boycottingboyfriend n a male friend with whom a person is romantically or sexually involved ◇ SYNONYMS: sweetheart, man, lover, beloved, admirer, suitor, beau (old-fashioned), date