Collins Dictionaries - Collins Junior Illustrated Dictionary

balcony balconies NOUN

A balcony is a platform on the outside of a building. Balconies have a railing or wall around them.

bald balder, baldest ADJECTIVE

People who are bald have no hair on the top of their head.

ball balls NOUN

Anything round can be called a ball. You need a ball for lots of games, like tennis and football.

ballet ballets NOUN

A ballet is a sort of play where the story is told with dancing and music.

balloon balloons NOUN

A balloon is a small rubber bag. If you blow hard into it, it gets bigger and makes a very light toy or decoration.

bamboo NOUN

Bamboo is a kind of grass with strong hollow stems which are useful as garden canes or for making furniture.

ban bans, banning, banned VERB

If someone is banned from doing something, they are told by people in charge that they must not do it.

banana bananas NOUN

A banana is a long yellow fruit which grows on trees in hot countries.

See Fruit on page 260

band bands

NOUN 1 A band is a small number of people, like a gang of robbers or a group of musicians.

NOUN 2 A band can also be a strip of material such as iron, cloth or rubber.

bandage bandages NOUN

A bandage is a strip of cloth used to cover a wound.

bang bangs, banging, banged

NOUN 1 A bang is a sudden loud noise.

VERB 2 If something bangs, or you bang it, it makes a loud noise.

bank banks

NOUN 1 A bank is a business that looks after people’s money.

NOUN 2 The bank of a river is the ground either side of the water.

banner banners NOUN

A banner is a long strip of cloth or paper with a message written on it.

bar bars

NOUN 1 A bar is a long piece of something hard, like metal or wood.

NOUN 2 A bar can also be a counter where people can buy drink.

barbecue barbecues NOUN

A barbecue is a grill on which food is cooked outdoors over hot charcoal.

barber barbers NOUN

A barber is someone who cuts men’s hair.

bar code bar codes NOUN

A bar code is a pattern of numbers and lines printed on something that is for sale, so that the price can be read by a machine.

bare barer, barest

ADJECTIVE 1 If part of your body is bare, it is not covered by clothes.

ADJECTIVE 2 If something is bare, it has nothing in it or on it. It was winter and the trees were bare.

bargain bargains NOUN

A bargain is something which is sold at a low price, and which you think is good value.

bark barks, barking, barked

VERB 1 When a dog barks, it makes a sudden rough, loud noise.

NOUN 2 Bark is the outside covering of a tree.

barley NOUN

Barley is a cereal that is grown for food and drink.

bar mitzvah NOUN

A Jewish boy’s bar mitzvah is a ceremony that takes place on his 13th birthday. After this he is regarded as an adult.

barn barns NOUN

A barn is a large building where a farmer stores hay and other crops.

barrel barrels NOUN

A barrel is a large wooden, metal or plastic container for holding liquids.

barrier barriers NOUN

A barrier is something like a fence or wall, that stops people getting past.

base bases

NOUN 1 The base is the bottom of something.

NOUN 2 Number bases are a whole pattern of counting. A base ten counting system uses units, tens and hundreds.

basement basements NOUN

The basement of a building is a floor below ground level.

basic

ADJECTIVE 1 Basic is used to describe things like the food and equipment that people really need in their lives.

ADJECTIVE 2 Basic also means the simplest things you need to know about a subject. I’m not good at this yet, but I’ve got the basic idea.

basically ADVERB

basin basins NOUN

A basin is a wide round container which is open at the top.

basket baskets NOUN

A basket is used for holding or carrying things. It is usually made from strips of thin wood or cane.

basketball NOUN

Basketball is a game between two teams of five players. Each team tries to score by throwing a ball through a circular net fixed to a high board.

bat bats, batting, batted

NOUN 1 In some games, like table tennis, you use a wooden bat to hit the ball.

NOUN 2 A bat is also a small animal like a mouse with leathery wings. Bats fly at night, and sleep hanging upside down.

VERB 3 If you are batting, you are having a turn at hitting the ball with a bat in cricket, baseball or rounders.

bath baths NOUN

A bath is a container for water. It is big enough to sit or lie in, so that you can wash yourself all over.

bathroom bathrooms NOUN

The bathroom is the room where the bath or shower is.

battery batteries NOUN

A battery is an object which stores electric power. There are tiny batteries for things like watches, and larger batteries for torches.

battle battles NOUN

A battle is a fight between enemy forces, on land, at sea or in the air.

bawl bawls, bawling, bawled VERB

If a child is bawling, it is crying very loudly and angrily.

bay bays NOUN

A bay is a deep curve in a coastline.

be am, is, are, being, was, were, been

VERB 1 You use be to say what a person or thing is like. She is very young.

VERB 2 You also use be to say that something is there. There is a tree in the garden.

beach beaches NOUN

The beach is the land covered with sand or pebbles that is next to the sea.

bead beads NOUN

A bead is a small piece of glass or plastic with a hole through it. Beads can be threaded together to make a necklace or bracelet.

beak beaks NOUN

A beak is the hard outside part of a bird’s mouth.

beam beams, beaming, beamed

NOUN 1 A beam is a long thick bar of wood, metal or concrete, used to support part of a building.

NOUN 2 A beam is also a line of light from an object such as a torch or the sun.

VERB 3 If you beam, you give a big smile.

bean beans NOUN

A bean is a vegetable. Its outer covering is called a pod, and inside it has large seeds, also called beans.

See Vegetables on page 260

bear bears, bearing, bore

NOUN 1 A bear is a large, strong animal with thick fur and sharp claws.

VERB 2 If you bear something, you put up with it. I can’t bear all this homework.

beard beards NOUN

A beard is the hair which grows on the lower part of a man’s face.

beat beats, beating, beat, beaten

VERB 1 If you beat someone in a race or competition, you do better than they do.

VERB 2 If someone beats another person or an animal, they hit them hard.

VERB 3 If you beat eggs, you stir them very fast.

VERB 4 Your heart beats with a regular rhythm all the time.

beautiful

ADJECTIVE 1 You say something is beautiful if it gives you great pleasure to look at it or listen to it.

ADJECTIVE 2 You say someone is beautiful if they are lovely to look at.

beaver beavers NOUN

A beaver is a furry animal which lives in or near water.

because CONJUNCTION

You say because when you are going to give a reason for something. I left the party because they were playing silly games.

become becomes, becoming, became, become VERB

To become means to start being different in some way. The smell became stronger.

bed beds

NOUN 1 A bed is a piece of furniture to lie down on when you rest or sleep.