Collins Dictionaries - Collins Junior Illustrated Dictionary

blindness NOUN

blindfold blindfolds NOUN

A blindfold is a strip of cloth tied over someone’s eyes so that they cannot see.

blink blinks, blinking, blinked VERB

When you blink, you shut your eyes and open them again quickly.

blister blisters NOUN

A blister is a small bubble on your skin, containing watery liquid. Blisters are caused by a burn or rubbing.

blizzard blizzards NOUN

A blizzard is a bad snowstorm with strong winds.

block blocks, blocking, blocked

NOUN 1 A block of flats or offices is a large tall building.

NOUN 2 A block of something like stone or wood is a large rectangular piece of it.

VERB 3 To block means to get in the way.

blog blogs NOUN

A blog is a website that describes the daily life of the person who writes it.

blonde or blond ADJECTIVE

Blonde hair is pale yellow in colour. The spelling blond is used when referring to men.

blood NOUN

Blood is the red liquid that your heart pumps round inside your body.

bloom blooms, blooming, bloomed VERB

When a plant blooms, its flowers open.

blossom NOUN

Blossom is the flowers that appear on a tree or bush.

blot blots NOUN

A blot is a mark made by a drop of liquid, especially ink.

blouse blouses NOUN

A blouse is a kind of shirt worn by a girl or a woman.

blow blows, blowing, blew, blown

VERB 1 When the wind blows, the air moves faster.

VERB 2 If you blow, you send out a stream of air from your mouth.

NOUN 3 A blow is a hard hit.

blue bluer, bluest ADJECTIVE

Something that is blue is the colour of the sky on a sunny day.

See Colours and shapes on page 266

bluebell bluebells NOUN

A bluebell is a flower that often grows wild in woods in Europe.

blunt blunter, bluntest

ADJECTIVE 1 A blunt knife is not sharp.

ADJECTIVE 2 Something that is blunt has a rounded, rather than pointed, end.

My pencil’s blunt.

blur blurs NOUN

A blur is a shape that you cannot see clearly.

The car went past so fast it was just a blur.

blurred ADJECTIVE blurry ADJECTIVE

blush blushes, blushing, blushed VERB

When you blush you become red in the face, usually because you are embarrassed.

board boards NOUN

A board is a flat, thin piece of wood.

boast boasts, boasting, boasted VERB

If you boast, you talk too proudly about something.

boat boats NOUN

A boat is a small vessel for travelling on water.

See ship

body bodies

NOUN 1 Your body is every part of you. Some animals, like elephants, have very large bodies.

See The body on page 256

NOUN 2 You can say body when you mean just the main part of a person, not counting head, arms and legs.

NOUN 3 A body is a dead person.

bog bogs NOUN

A bog is an area of land that is always wet and spongy.

boil boils, boiling, boiled

VERB 1 When liquid boils it gets very hot. It bubbles and steam rises from it.

VERB 2 If you boil food, you cook it in boiling water.

NOUN 3 A boil is a painful red swelling on the skin.

bold bolder, boldest

ADJECTIVE 1 Someone who is bold is not afraid of risk or danger.

ADJECTIVE 2 Letters that are in bold type are thicker than ordinary printed letters.

bolt bolts, bolting, bolted

NOUN 1 A bolt is a long round metal pin with a flat end. It screws into a nut to fasten things.

NOUN 2 A bolt is a metal bar that you can slide across to keep a door shut.

VERB 3 If you bolt a door or window, you lock it with a bolt.

VERB 4 When a person or animal bolts, they suddenly run very fast.

bomb bombs NOUN

A bomb is a weapon which explodes and damages a large area.

bone bones NOUN

Your bones are the hard parts inside your body which make up your skeleton.

bonfire bonfires NOUN

A bonfire is a fire lit outdoors, usually to burn garden rubbish.

bonnet bonnets

NOUN 1 A bonnet is the metal cover over a car’s engine.

NOUN 2 A bonnet is also a baby’s or woman’s hat tied under the chin.

book books, booking, booked

NOUN 1 A book is a number of pages held together inside a cover.

VERB 2 If you book something, you ask someone to keep it for you. We booked seats at the cinema.

boot boots

NOUN 1 Boots are strong shoes that cover your ankle and sometimes your calf.

NOUN 2 The boot of a car is a space for luggage.

border borders

NOUN 1 A border is the line dividing two countries.

NOUN 2 A border is a strip along the edge of something, usually as a decoration.

bore bores, boring, bored

VERB 1 If somebody bores you, you do not find them interesting.

VERB 2 If you bore a hole in something, you make a hole with a drill.

VERB 3 Bore is the past tense of bear.

bored ADJECTIVE

When you are bored, you feel tired and impatient because you have nothing interesting to do.

boredom NOUN

boring ADJECTIVE

Something boring is so dull that you have no interest in it.

born VERB

When a baby is born, it comes out of its mother’s body.

borrow borrows, borrowing, borrowed VERB

When you borrow something, someone lets you have it for a while but they expect you to give it back later.

boss bosses NOUN

Someone’s boss is the head of the place where they work.

bossy ADJECTIVE

A bossy person likes to tell others what to do.

both ADJECTIVE OR PRONOUN

You use both when you are talking about two things or people. He put both books in the drawer.

bother bothers, bothering, bothered

VERB 1 If something bothers you, it annoys you or makes you feel worried.

VERB 2 If you bother about something, you care about it and take trouble over it.

bottle bottles NOUN

A bottle is a container for keeping liquids in. Bottles are usually made of glass or plastic.

bottom bottoms

NOUN 1 The bottom of something is the lowest part of it.

NOUN 2 Your bottom is the part of your body that you sit on.

bought VERB

Bought is the past tense of buy.

boulder boulders NOUN

A boulder is a big rounded rock.

bounce bounces, bouncing, bounced VERB

When something bounces, it springs back in the opposite direction as soon as it hits something hard.

bound bounds, bounding, bounded

VERB 1 When animals or people bound, they move quickly with large leaps.

ADJECTIVE 2 If something is bound to happen, it is sure to happen.

boundary boundaries NOUN

The boundary of an area of land is its outer limit.

bow bows, bowing, bowed

(rhymes with low) NOUN 1 A bow is a kind of knot with two loops used to tie laces and ribbons.

NOUN 2 A bow is also a weapon used for shooting arrows.

NOUN 3 The bow for a stringed musical instrument is a long piece of wood with horsehair stretched along it.

(rhymes with now) VERB 4 When you bow, you bend your body forward.

bowl bowls NOUN

A bowl is an open container used for holding liquid or serving food.

box boxes NOUN

A box is a container with straight sides, made from something stiff, like cardboard, wood or plastic.

boy boys NOUN

A boy is a male child.

bracelet bracelets NOUN

A bracelet is a band or chain which is worn round the wrist or arm as an ornament.

bracket brackets NOUN

Brackets are a pair of written marks ( ) placed round words that are not part of the main text.