Collins Dictionaries - Collins Primary Illustrated Dictionary

bowling

NOUN a game in which you roll a heavy ball down a narrow track towards a set of wooden objects called pins, and try to knock them down

bowls

NOUN a game in which the players try to roll large wooden balls as near as possible to a small ball

box boxes, boxing, boxed

NOUN 1 a container with a firm base and sides, and usually a lid

VERB 2 If someone boxes, they fight according to special rules.

boxer boxers

NOUN 1 a person who boxes

2 a medium-sized, smooth-haired dog with a flat face

Boxing Day

NOUN the day after Christmas Day

boy boys

NOUN a male child

boyfriend boyfriends

NOUN Someone’s boyfriend is the man or boy with whom they are having a romantic relationship.

bra bras

NOUN a piece of underwear worn by a woman to support her breasts

brace braces, bracing, braced

NOUN 1 an object fixed to something to straighten or support it • I wore a brace on my teeth for two years.

PLURAL NOUN 2 Braces are elastic straps worn over the shoulders to hold trousers up.

VERB 3 If you brace yourself, you stiffen your body to steady yourself. • We braced ourselves as the bus went round the corner.

4 If you brace yourself for something unpleasant, you prepare yourself to deal with it.

bracelet bracelets

NOUN a chain or band worn around someone’s wrist as an ornament

[from Old French bracel meaning little arm]

bracken

NOUN a plant like a large fern that grows on hills and in woods

bracket brackets

NOUN a pair of written marks, ( ), { } or [ ], placed round a word or sentence that is not part of the main text, or to show that the items inside the brackets belong together

brag brags, bragging, bragged

VERB If you brag, you boast about something.

Braille

NOUN a system of printing for blind people in which letters are represented by raised dots that can be felt with the fingers

brain brains

NOUN the organ inside your head that controls your body and enables you to think and feel

brainstorm brainstorms

NOUN 1 a clever idea that you think of suddenly

2 If you have a brainstorm, you become confused and cannot think clearly.

brainy brainier, brainiest

ADJECTIVE clever and good at learning things

brake brakes, braking, braked

NOUN 1 a device for making a vehicle stop or slow down

VERB 2 When drivers brake, they make a vehicle stop or slow down by using its brakes.

bramble brambles

NOUN a wild, trailing bush with thorns, which produces blackberries

branch branches, branching, branched

NOUN 1 part of a tree that grows out from the trunk

2 A branch of a business or organization is one of its offices or shops.

VERB 3 A road that branches off from another road splits off from it to lead in a different direction.

brand brands

NOUN a particular kind or make of something

brandy

NOUN a strong, alcoholic drink, often drunk after a meal

[from Dutch brandewijn meaning burnt wine]

brass

NOUN OR ADJECTIVE 1 a yellow-coloured metal made from copper and zinc

2 In an orchestra, the brass section consists of instruments such as trumpets and trombones.

brave braver, bravest; braves, braving, braved

ADJECTIVE 1 A brave person is willing to do dangerous things and does not show any fear.

SYNONYMS: courageous, daring

VERB 2 If you brave an unpleasant or dangerous situation, you face up to it in order to do something. • We braved the snow to go to the party.

[from Italian bravo meaning courageous or wild]

brawl brawls, brawling, brawled

NOUN 1 a rough fight

VERB 2 When people brawl, they take part in a rough fight.

bread

NOUN a very common food made from flour, and baked in an oven

breadth breadths

NOUN the distance between two sides of something • I can swim the breadth of the pool.

See width

break breaks, breaking, broke, broken

VERB 1 When an object breaks, or when you break it, it becomes damaged or separates into pieces.

2 If you break a rule or promise, you fail to keep it.

3 To break a record means to do better than the previous recorded best. • She broke the record for the long jump.

NOUN 4 a short period during which you rest or do something different

break down

VERB When a machine or a vehicle breaks down, it stops working.

break up

VERB When schools break up, the term ends. • We break up on Thursday.

breakable

ADJECTIVE easy to break

breakdown breakdowns

NOUN If there is a breakdown in a system, it stops working.

breakfast breakfasts

NOUN the first meal of the day

breast breasts

NOUN A woman’s breasts are the two soft, fleshy parts on her chest, which produce milk after she has had a baby.

breast-feed breast-feeds, breast-feeding, breast-fed

VERB If a woman breast-feeds her baby, she feeds it with milk from her breasts.

breath breaths

NOUN 1 the air you take into your lungs and let out again when you breathe • He took a deep breath before jumping into the pool.

PHRASE 2 If you are out of breath, you are breathing with difficulty after doing something energetic.

breathe breathes, breathing, breathed

VERB When you breathe, you take air into your lungs and let it out again.

breathless

ADJECTIVE If you are breathless, you are breathing very fast or with difficulty. • I was breathless after running to catch the bus.

breathlessly ADVERB

breathlessness NOUN

breed breeds, breeding, bred

NOUN 1 a particular type of animal. For example, an Alsatian is a breed of dog.

VERB 2 Someone who breeds animals or plants keeps them in order to produce more animals or plants with particular qualities. • He used to breed dogs for the police.

3 When animals breed, they produce young.

SYNONYM: reproduce

breeze breezes

NOUN a gentle wind

breezy ADJECTIVE

brewery breweries

NOUN a place where beer is made, or a company that makes beer

bribe bribes, bribing, bribed

NOUN 1 a gift or money given to an official to persuade them to allow you to do something

VERB 2 If someone bribes someone else, they give them a bribe.

brick bricks

NOUN a rectangular block of baked clay used in building

bride brides

NOUN a woman who is getting married or who has just got married

bridegroom bridegrooms

NOUN a man on or near his wedding day

bridesmaid bridesmaids

NOUN a woman or girl who helps a bride on her wedding day

bridge bridges

NOUN 1 a structure built over a river, road or railway so that vehicles and people can cross

2 a card game for four players

bridle bridles

NOUN a set of straps round a horse’s head and mouth, which the rider uses to control the horse

brief briefer, briefest; briefs, briefing, briefed

ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is brief lasts only a short time. • We only had time for a brief visit.

VERB 2 When you brief someone on a task, you give them all the necessary instructions or information about it.

briefcase briefcases

NOUN a small, flat case for carrying papers

bright brighter, brightest

ADJECTIVE 1 strong and startling • a bright light

SYNONYMS: brilliant, dazzling

2 clever • That’s a bright idea.

SYNONYMS: intelligent, quick

brighten brightens, brightening, brightened

VERB If something brightens, it becomes brighter.

brighten up

VERB If you brighten up something, you make it look brighter and more attractive.

brilliant

ADJECTIVE 1 A brilliant person is extremely clever.

2 INFORMAL Something that is brilliant is extremely good or enjoyable.