Collins Dictionaries - Collins Primary Illustrated Dictionary

bait baits, baiting, baited

NOUN 1 a small amount of food placed on a hook, or in a trap, to attract and catch a fish or wild animal

VERB 2 If you bait a hook or a trap, you put some food on it to catch a fish or wild animal.

bake bakes, baking, baked

VERB 1 When you bake food, you cook it in an oven without using extra liquid or fat.

2 If you bake earth or clay, you heat it until it becomes hard.

baker bakers

NOUN a person who makes and sells bread and cakes

balance balances, balancing, balanced

VERB 1 When someone or something balances, they remain steady and do not fall over.

2 used in mathematics when weighing and comparing two weights. If two weights are equal, they balance.

NOUN 3 the state of being upright and steady • She lost her balance and fell.

4 the amount of money in someone’s bank account

balcony balconies

NOUN 1 a platform on the outside of a building, with a wall or railing round it

2 an area of upstairs seats in a theatre or cinema

bald balder, baldest

ADJECTIVE A bald person has little or no hair on their head.

[from Middle English ballede meaning having a white patch]

bale bales, baling, baled

NOUN 1 a large bundle of something, such as paper or hay, tied tightly

VERB 2 If you bale water from a boat, you remove it using a container; also spelt bail.

ball balls

NOUN 1 a round object used in games such as tennis, soccer, and hockey

2 The ball of your foot or thumb is the rounded part where your toes join your foot or your thumb joins your hand.

ballad ballads

NOUN 1 a long song or poem that tells a story

2 a slow, romantic pop song

ballerina ballerinas

NOUN a female ballet dancer

ballet

NOUN a type of artistic dancing based on precise steps

[from Italian balletto meaning little dance]

balloon balloons

NOUN 1 a small bag made of thin rubber that you blow into until it becomes larger. Balloons are often used as party decorations.

2 a large, strong bag filled with gas or hot air, that travels through the air carrying passengers in a basket underneath it • They went on a hot air balloon flight over the city.

ballpoint ballpoints

NOUN a pen with a small, metal ball at the writing point

bamboo

NOUN a tall tropical grass with hard, hollow stems used for making furniture

ban bans, banning, banned

VERB 1 If you ban something, you forbid it to be done.

SYNONYMS: forbid, prohibit

NOUN 2 If there is a ban on something, it is not allowed.

banana bananas

NOUN a long, curved fruit with a yellow skin

band bands

NOUN 1 a group of musicians who play jazz or pop music together

2 a group of people who share a common purpose

3 a narrow strip of something used to hold things together • She tied her hair back with an elastic band.

bandage bandages

NOUN a strip of cloth wrapped round a wound to protect it

bang bangs, banging, banged

NOUN 1 a sudden, short, loud noise

2 a hard, painful bump against something

VERB 3 If you bang something, you hit it or put it down violently so that it makes a loud noise.

4 If you bang a part of your body against something, you accidentally bump it.

banish banishes, banishing, banished

VERB 1 If someone is banished, they are sent away and never allowed to return.

2 If you banish something from your thoughts, you try not to think about it.

banishment NOUN

banister banisters

NOUN a rail supported by posts up the side of a staircase

banjo banjos or banjoes

NOUN a musical instrument, like a small guitar with a round body

bank banks, banking, banked

NOUN 1 a business that looks after people’s money

2 the raised ground along the edge of a river or lake

VERB 3 If you bank on something happening, you rely on it. • I know we said we’d go swimming, but don’t bank on it.

banner banners

NOUN 1 a long strip of cloth with a message or slogan on it • We saw banners advertising the fair.

ADJECTIVE 2 A banner headline is a headline printed right across the page of a newspaper.

banquet banquets

NOUN a grand, formal dinner, often followed by speeches

[from Old French banquet, originally meaning little bench]

baptism baptisms

NOUN the ceremony in which someone has water sprinkled on them, or they are immersed in water, as a sign that they have become a Christian

baptize baptizes, baptizing, baptized; also spelt baptise

VERB When a church official baptizes someone, they sprinkle water on them, or immerse them in water, as a sign that they have become a Christian.

bar bars, barring, barred

NOUN 1 a long, straight piece of metal

VERB 2 If you bar someone’s way, you stop them going somewhere by standing in front of them.

NOUN 3 a counter or room where alcoholic drinks are served

4 a piece of something made in a rectangular shape • a bar of soap

barbecue barbecues

NOUN 1 a grill with a charcoal fire on which you cook food, usually outdoors

2 an outdoor party where you eat food cooked on a barbecue

[from a Caribbean word meaning framework]

barber barbers

NOUN a man who cuts men’s hair

bar chart bar charts

NOUN a kind of graph where the information is shown in rows or bars

bar code bar codes

NOUN a pattern of lines and numbers on something that is for sale, so that the price can be read by a machine

bare barer, barest

ADJECTIVE 1 If a part of your body is bare, it is not covered by any clothing. • bare feet

SYNONYMS: naked, uncovered

2 If something is bare, it is not covered or decorated with anything. • bare wooden floors

3 The bare minimum, or the bare essentials, means the very least that is needed.

barely

ADVERB If you barely manage to do something, you only just succeed in doing it.

bargain bargains, bargaining, bargained

NOUN 1 an agreement in which two people or groups discuss and agree what each will do, pay or receive

2 something that is sold at a low price and that is good value • The apples are a bargain at this price.

VERB 3 When people bargain with each other, they discuss and agree terms about what each will do, pay or receive.

barge barges, barging, barged

NOUN 1 a boat with a flat bottom used for carrying heavy loads, especially on canals

VERB 2 INFORMAL If you barge into a place, you push into it in a rough or rude way.

bark barks, barking, barked

VERB 1 When a dog barks, it makes a short, loud noise, once or several times.

NOUN 2 the tough material that covers the outside of a tree

barley

NOUN a cereal that is grown for food and is also used for making beer and whisky

bar mitzvah

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

barn barns

NOUN a large farm building used for storing crops or animal food

[from Old English beren meaning barley room]

barnacle barnacles

NOUN a small shellfish that fixes itself to rocks and to the bottom of boats

barometer barometers

NOUN an instrument that measures air pressure and shows when the weather is changing

barrel barrels

NOUN 1 a wooden container with rounded sides and flat ends

2 The barrel of a gun is the long tube through which the bullet is fired.

barricade barricades, barricading, barricaded

NOUN 1 a temporary barrier put up to stop people getting past