2 N‑COUNT A boa is the same as a boa constrictor .
bo a con|stri c|tor (boa constrictors ) N‑COUNT A boa constrictor is a large snake that kills animals by wrapping itself round their bodies and squeezing them to death. Boa constrictors are found mainly in South and Central America and the West Indies.
boar /bɔː r / (boars ) The plural boar can also be used for meaning 1 . 1 N‑COUNT A boar or a wild boar is a wild pig. □ Wild boar are numerous in the valleys.
2 N‑COUNT A boar is a male pig.
board ◆◆◇ /bɔː r d/ (boards , boarding , boarded )
1 N‑COUNT [usu n N ] A board is a flat, thin, rectangular piece of wood or plastic which is used for a particular purpose. □ …a chopping board.
2 N‑COUNT A board is a square piece of wood or stiff cardboard that you use for playing games such as chess. □ …a draughts board.
3 N‑COUNT You can refer to a blackboard or a noticeboard as a board . □ He wrote a few more notes on the board.
4 N‑COUNT Boards are long flat pieces of wood which are used, for example, to make floors or walls. □ The floor was draughty bare boards.
5 N‑COUNT The board of a company or organization is the group of people who control it and direct it. [BUSINESS ] □ Arthur wants to put his recommendation before the board at a meeting tomorrow. □ …the agenda for the September 12 board meeting.
6 → see also board of directors
7 N‑COUNT Board is used in the names of various organizations which are involved in dealing with a particular kind of activity. □ A booklet listing all types of accommodation is published each year by the Spanish Tourist Board. □ …the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.
8 VERB When you board a train, ship, or aircraft, you get on it in order to travel somewhere. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] I boarded the plane bound for England. [Also V ]
9 N‑UNCOUNT Board is the food which is provided when you stay somewhere, for example in a hotel. □ Free room and board are provided for all hotel staff.
10 → see also bulletin board
11 PHRASE An arrangement or deal that is above board is legal and is being carried out honestly and openly. □ All I knew about were Antony's own financial dealings, which were always above board.
12 PHRASE If a policy or a situation applies across the board , it affects everything or everyone in a particular group. □ There are hefty charges across the board for one-way rental. □ The President promised across-the-board tax cuts if re-elected.
13 PHRASE If something goes by the board , it is rejected or ignored, or is no longer possible. □ There was certainty in employment, which has completely gone by the board now.
14 PHRASE When you are on board a train, ship, or aircraft, you are on it or in it. □ They arrived at Gatwick airport on board a plane chartered by the Italian government. □ …a naval task force with two thousand marines on board.
15 PHRASE If someone sweeps the board in a competition or election, they win nearly everything that it is possible to win. □ Spain swept the board in boys' team competitions.
16 PHRASE If you take on board an idea or a problem, you begin to accept it or understand it. □ I hope that they will take on board some of what you have said.
▸ board up PHRASAL VERB If you board up a door or window, you fix pieces of wood over it so that it is covered up. □ [V P n] Shopkeepers have boarded up their windows. [Also V n P ] ● board|ed up ADJ □ Half the shops are boarded up on the estate's small shopping street.
boa rd and lo dg|ing N‑UNCOUNT If you are provided with board and lodging , you are provided with food and a place to sleep, especially as part of the conditions of a job. □ You get a big salary incentive and free board and lodging too.
board|er /bɔː r də r / (boarders ) N‑COUNT A boarder is a pupil who lives at school during the term. [BRIT ] □ Sue was a boarder at Benenden.
boa rd game (board games ) also board-game N‑COUNT A board game is a game such as chess or backgammon, which people play by moving small objects around on a board. □ …a new board game played with dice.
board|ing /bɔː r d I ŋ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Boarding is an arrangement by which children live at school during the school term. □ …the master in charge of boarding. □ Average boarding fees are £10,350.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Boarding is long, flat pieces of wood which can be used to make walls, doors, and fences. □ …the white-painted boarding in the sitting room.
boa rd|ing card (boarding cards ) N‑COUNT A boarding card is a card which a passenger must have when boarding a plane or a boat.
boa rd|ing house (boarding houses ) The spellings boardinghouse in American English, and boarding-house in British English are also used. N‑COUNT A boarding house is a house which people pay to stay in for a short time.
boa rd|ing school (boarding schools ) also boarding-school N‑VAR A boarding school is a school which some or all of the pupils live in during the school term. Compare day school .
boa rd of di|re c|tors (boards of directors ) N‑COUNT A company's board of directors is the group of people elected by its shareholders to manage the company. [BUSINESS ] □ The Board of Directors has approved the decision unanimously.
board|room /bɔː r druːm/ (boardrooms ) also board room N‑COUNT The boardroom is a room where the board of a company meets. [BUSINESS ] □ Everyone had already assembled in the boardroom for the 9:00 a.m. session.
board|walk /bɔː r dwɔːk/ (boardwalks ) N‑COUNT A boardwalk is a path made of wooden boards, especially one along a beach. [AM ]
boast /boʊ st/ (boasts , boasting , boasted )
1 VERB If someone boasts about something that they have done or that they own, they talk about it very proudly, in a way that other people may find irritating or offensive. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V that] Witnesses said Furci boasted that he took part in killing them. □ [V + about/of ] Carol boasted about her costume. □ [V + about/of ] He's boasted of being involved in the arms theft. □ [V ] We remember our mother's stern instructions not to boast. [Also V with quote] ● N‑COUNT [oft N that] Boast is also a noun. □ It is the charity's proud boast that it has never yet turned anyone away.
2 VERB If someone or something can boast a particular achievement or possession, they have achieved or possess that thing. □ [V n] The houses will boast the latest energy-saving technology.
boast|ful /boʊ stfʊl/ ADJ If someone is boastful , they talk too proudly about something that they have done or that they own. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ I'm not being boastful. □ …boastful predictions.
boat ◆◆◇ /boʊ t/ (boats )
1 N‑COUNT [oft by N ] A boat is something in which people can travel across water. □ One of the best ways to see the area is in a small boat. □ The island may be reached by boat from the mainland.
2 N‑COUNT You can refer to a passenger ship as a boat . □ When the boat reached Cape Town, we said a temporary goodbye.
3 → see also gravy boat , rowing boat
4 PHRASE If you say that someone has missed the boat , you mean that they have missed an opportunity and may not get another.
5 PHRASE If you push the boat out , you spend a lot of money on something, especially in order to celebrate. [BRIT ] □ I earn enough to push the boat out now and again.
6 PHRASE If you say that someone is rocking the boat , you mean that they are upsetting a calm situation and causing trouble. □ I said I didn't want to rock the boat in any way.
7 PHRASE If two or more people are in the same boat , they are in the same unpleasant situation. COLLOCATIONS boat NOUN 1
noun + boat : canal, patrol, pleasure, rescue; fishing, sailing
adjective + boat : inflatable, wooden
verb + boat : moor; sail, steer; capsize
boat|builder /boʊ tb I ldə r / (boatbuilders ) also boat builder N‑COUNT A boatbuilder is a person or company that makes boats.
boat|building /boʊ tb I ld I ŋ/ also boat-building N‑UNCOUNT Boatbuilding is the craft or industry of making boats. □ Sunbeam Yachts started boatbuilding in 1870.
boat|er /boʊ tə r / (boaters ) N‑COUNT A boater or a straw boater is a hard straw hat with a flat top and brim which is often worn for certain social occasions in the summer.
boat|house /boʊ thaʊs/ (boathouses ) also boat house N‑COUNT A boathouse is a building at the edge of a lake, in which boats are kept.
boat|ing /boʊ t I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Boating is travelling on a lake or river in a small boat for pleasure. □ You can go boating or play tennis. □ They were killed in a boating accident.
boat|load /boʊ tloʊd/ (boatloads ) also boat load N‑COUNT A boatload of people or things is a lot of people or things that are, or were, in a boat. □ …a boatload of rice.
boat|man /boʊ tmən/ (boatmen ) N‑COUNT A boatman is a man who is paid by people to take them across an area of water in a small boat, or a man who hires boats out to them for a short time.
bo at peo|ple N‑PLURAL Boat people are people who escape from their country in small boats to travel to another country in the hope that they will be able to live there. □ …50,000 Vietnamese boat people.
boa t train (boat trains ) N‑COUNT A boat train is a train that takes you to or from a port.
boat|yard /boʊ tjɑː r d/ (boatyards ) N‑COUNT A boatyard is a place where boats are built and repaired or kept.
bob /bɒ b/ (bobs , bobbing , bobbed )
1 VERB If something bobs , it moves up and down, like something does when it is floating on water. □ [V prep/adv] Huge balloons bobbed about in the sky above.
2 VERB If you bob somewhere, you move there quickly so that you disappear from view or come into view. □ [V adv/prep] She handed over a form, then bobbed down again behind a typewriter.
3 VERB When you bob your head, you move it quickly up and down once, for example when you greet someone. □ [V n] A hostess stood at the top of the steps and bobbed her head at each passenger. ● N‑COUNT Bob is also a noun. □ The young man smiled with a bob of his head.
4 N‑COUNT A bob is a fairly short hair style for women in which the hair is the same length all the way round, except for the front.
5 PHRASE Bits and bobs are small objects or parts of something. [mainly BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ The microscope contains a few hundred dollars-worth of electronic bits and bobs.
bobbed /bɒ bd/ ADJ If a woman's hair is bobbed , it is cut in a bob.
bob|bin /bɒ b I n/ (bobbins ) N‑COUNT A bobbin is a small round object on which thread or wool is wound to hold it, for example on a sewing machine.
bob|ble /bɒ b ə l/ (bobbles ) N‑COUNT A bobble is a small ball of material, usually made of wool, which is used for decorating clothes. [BRIT ] □ …the bobble on his nightcap. in AM, usually use tassel
bo b|ble hat (bobble hats ) N‑COUNT A bobble hat is a woollen hat with a bobble on it. [BRIT ]
bob|by /bɒ bi/ (bobbies ) N‑COUNT A bobby is a British police officer, usually of the lowest rank. [BRIT , INFORMAL , OLD-FASHIONED ] □ These days, the bobby on the beat is a rare sight.
bo b|by pin (bobby pins ) N‑COUNT A bobby pin is a small piece of metal or plastic bent back on itself, which someone uses to hold their hair in position. [AM ] in BRIT, use hairgrip
bob|cat /bɒ bkæt/ (bobcats ) N‑COUNT A bobcat is an animal in the cat family which has reddish-brown fur with dark spots or stripes and a short tail. Bobcats live in North America. □ Bobcats roam wild in the mountains.
bob|sled /bɒ bsled/ (bobsleds ) N‑COUNT A bobsled is the same as a bobsleigh . [mainly AM ]
bob|sleigh /bɒ bsle I / (bobsleighs ) N‑COUNT A bobsleigh is a vehicle with long thin strips of metal fixed to the bottom, which is used for racing downhill on ice. [BRIT ] in AM, use bobsled
bod /bɒ d/ (bods ) N‑COUNT A bod is a person. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ He was definitely a bit of an odd bod.
bode /boʊ d/ (bodes , boding , boded ) VERB If something bodes ill, it makes you think that something bad will happen in the future. If something bodes well, it makes you think that something good will happen. [FORMAL ] □ [V adv + for ] She says the way the bill was passed bodes ill for democracy. □ [V adv] Grace had dried her eyes. That boded well.
bodge /bɒ dʒ/ (bodges , bodging , bodged ) VERB If you bodge something, you make it or mend it in a way that is not as good as it should be. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [V n] I thought he had bodged the repair.
bod|ice /bɒ d I s/ (bodices ) N‑COUNT The bodice of a dress is the part above the waist. □ …a dress with a fitted bodice and circle skirt.
bo d|ice rip|per (bodice rippers ) N‑COUNT You can refer to a film or novel which is set in the past and which includes a lot of sex scenes as a bodice ripper , especially if you do not think it is very good and is just intended to entertain people. [DISAPPROVAL ]
bo dice-ripping ADJ [ADJ n] A bodice-ripping film or novel is one which is set in the past and which includes a lot of sex scenes. You use this word especially if you do not think it is very good and is just intended to entertain people. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …bodice-ripping yarns on TV.
bodi|ly /bɒ d I li/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] Your bodily needs and functions are the needs and functions of your body. □ There's more to eating than just bodily needs.
2 → see also grievous bodily harm
3 ADV [ADV with v] You use bodily to indicate that an action involves the whole of someone's body. □ I was hurled bodily to the deck.
bo di|ly fu nc|tion (bodily functions ) N‑COUNT A person's bodily functions are the normal physical processes that regularly occur in their body, particularly the ability to urinate and defecate. □ The child was not able to speak, walk properly or control bodily functions.
body ◆◆◆ /bɒ di/ (bodies )
1 N‑COUNT Your body is all your physical parts, including your head, arms, and legs. □ The largest organ in the body is the liver.
2 N‑COUNT You can also refer to the main part of your body, except for your arms, head, and legs, as your body . □ Lying flat on the floor, twist your body on to one hip and cross your upper leg over your body.
3 N‑COUNT You can refer to a person's dead body as a body . □ Officials said they had found no traces of violence on the body of the politician.
4 N‑COUNT A body is an organized group of people who deal with something officially. □ …the Chairman of the police representative body, the Police Federation. □ …the main trade union body, COSATU, Congress of South African Trade Unions.
5 N‑COUNT A body of people is a group of people who are together or who are connected in some way. □ [+ of ] …that large body of people which teaches other people how to teach.
6 N‑SING The body of something such as a building or a document is the main part of it or the largest part of it. □ [+ of ] The main body of the church had been turned into a massive television studio.
7 N‑COUNT The body of a car or aeroplane is the main part of it, not including its engine, wheels, or wings. □ [+ of ] The only shade was under the body of the plane.
8 N‑COUNT A body of water is a large area of water, such as a lake or a sea. □ [+ of ] It is probably the most polluted body of water in the world.
9 N‑COUNT A body of information is a large amount of it. □ [+ of ] An increasing body of evidence suggests that all of us have cancer cells in our bodies at times during our lives.
10 N‑UNCOUNT If you say that an alcoholic drink has body , you mean that it has a full and strong flavour. □ …a dry wine with good body.
11 → see also foreign body , heavenly body COLLOCATIONS body NOUN 4
noun + body : government, industry, tourism, trade; review
adjective + body : independent, professional, public, representative; advisory, governing, regulatory, ruling, statutory
verb + body : create, establish, set up
bo dy ar|mour in AM, use body armor N‑UNCOUNT Body armour is special protective clothing which people such as soldiers and police officers sometimes wear when they are in danger of being attacked with guns or other weapons.
bo dy bag (body bags ) N‑COUNT A body bag is a specially designed large plastic bag which is used to carry a dead body away, for example when someone has been killed in an accident or in battle. □ …the prospect of young soldiers coming home in body bags.
bo dy blow (body blows ) also body-blow N‑COUNT A body blow is something that causes great disappointment and difficulty to someone who is trying to achieve something. □ His resignation was a body blow to the team.
body|builder /bɒ dib I ldə r / (bodybuilders ) also body builder N‑COUNT A bodybuilder is a person who does special exercises regularly in order to make his or her muscles grow bigger.
body|building /bɒ dib I ld I ŋ/ also body building N‑UNCOUNT Bodybuilding is the activity of doing special exercises regularly in order to make your muscles grow bigger.
bo dy clock (body clocks ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] Your body clock is the internal biological mechanism which causes your body to automatically behave in particular ways at particular times of the day. □ Jet lag is caused because the body clock does not readjust immediately to the time change.
body|guard /bɒ digɑː r d/ (bodyguards ) N‑COUNT A bodyguard is a person or a group of people employed to protect someone. □ Three of his bodyguards were injured in the attack. □ The King had brought his own bodyguard of twenty armed men.
bo dy lan|guage also body-language N‑UNCOUNT Your body language is the way in which you show your feelings or thoughts to other people by means of the position or movements of your body, rather than with words.
bo dy mass in|dex N‑SING A person's body mass index is a measurement that represents the relationship between their weight and their height. [MEDICAL ] □ …those with a body mass index of 30 and over.
bo dy odour in AM, use body odor N‑UNCOUNT Body odour is an unpleasant smell caused by sweat on a person's body.
bo dy po li|tic N‑SING The body politic is all the people of a nation when they are considered as a complete political group. [FORMAL ] □ …the king was the head of the body politic.
bo dy search (body searches , body searching , body searched ) also body-search VERB If a person is body searched , someone such as a police officer searches them while they remain clothed. Compare strip-search . □ [be V -ed] Foreign journalists were body-searched by airport police. [Also V n] ● N‑COUNT Body search is also a noun. □ Fans may undergo body searches by security guards.
bo dy stock|ing (body stockings ) N‑COUNT A body stocking is a piece of clothing that covers the whole of someone's body and fits tightly. Body stockings are often worn by dancers.
body|suit /bɒ disuːt/ (bodysuits ) N‑COUNT A bodysuit is a piece of women's clothing that fits tightly over the top part of the body and fastens between the legs.
body|work /bɒ diwɜː r k/ N‑UNCOUNT The bodywork of a motor vehicle is the outside part of it. □ A second hand car dealer will always look at the bodywork rather than the engine.
Boer /boʊ ə r , bɔː r / (Boers ) N‑COUNT The Boers are the descendants of the Dutch people who went to live in South Africa.
bof|fin /bɒ f I n/ (boffins )
1 N‑COUNT A boffin is a scientist, especially one who is doing research. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ The boffins of Imperial College in London think they may have found a solution.
2 N‑COUNT Very clever people are sometimes called boffins . [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ A computer boffin is set to make £5million from his revolutionary photo technology.
bog /bɒ g/ (bogs , bogging , bogged ) N‑COUNT A bog is an area of land which is very wet and muddy.
▸ bog down
1 PHRASAL VERB If a plan or process bogs down or if something bogs it down , it is delayed and no progress is made. □ [V n P ] We intended from the very beginning to bog the prosecution down over who did this. □ [V P ] The talks have bogged down over the issue of military reform.
2 → see also bogged down
bo|gey /boʊ gi/ (bogeys ) The spelling bogy and the plural form bogies are also used. N‑COUNT A bogey is something or someone that people are worried about, perhaps without much cause or reason. □ Age is another bogey for actresses. ● ADJ [ADJ n] Bogey is also an adjective. □ Did people still tell their kids scare stories about bogey policewomen?
bogey|man /boʊ gimæn/ (bogeymen ) The spellings bogey man , and in American English boogeyman are also used. 1 N‑COUNT A bogeyman is someone whose ideas or actions are disapproved of by some people, and who is described by them as evil or unpleasant in order to make other people afraid. [mainly BRIT , DISAPPROVAL ] □ The media depict him as a left-wing bogeyman.
2 N‑COUNT A bogeyman is an imaginary evil spirit. Some parents tell their children that the bogeyman will catch them if they behave badly.
bo gged do wn ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you get bogged down in something, it prevents you from making progress or getting something done. □ [+ in ] But why get bogged down in legal details? □ Sometimes this fact is obscured because churches get so bogged down by unimportant rules.
bog|gle /bɒ g ə l/ (boggles , boggling , boggled )
1 VERB If you say that the mind boggles at something or that something boggles the mind, you mean that it is so strange or amazing that it is difficult to imagine or understand. □ [V + at ] The mind boggles at the possibilities that could be in store for us. □ [V ] The good grace with which they face the latest privations makes the mind boggle. □ [V n] The management group's decision still boggled his mind.
2 → see also mind-boggling
bog|gy /bɒ gi/ ADJ Boggy land is very wet and muddy land.
bo g-sta ndard ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe something as bog-standard you mean that is an ordinary example of its kind, with no exciting or interesting features. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ It's a fairly bog-standard thriller.
bo|gus /boʊ gəs/ ADJ If you describe something as bogus , you mean that it is not genuine. □ …their bogus insurance claim. □ He said these figures were bogus and totally inaccurate.
bogy /boʊ gi/ (bogies ) → see bogey
bo|he|mian /boʊhiː miən/ (bohemians ) ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can use bohemian to describe artistic people who live in an unconventional way. □ …a bohemian writer. □ …the bohemian lifestyle of the French capital. ● N‑COUNT A bohemian is someone who lives in a bohemian way. □ I am a bohemian. I have no roots.
Bo|he|mian /bəhiː miən/ ADJ Bohemian means belonging or relating to Bohemia or its people.
boil ◆◇◇ /bɔ I l/ (boils , boiling , boiled )
1 VERB When a hot liquid boils or when you boil it, bubbles appear in it and it starts to change into steam or vapour. □ [V ] I stood in the kitchen, waiting for the water to boil. □ [V n] Boil the water in the saucepan and add the sage. □ [V -ing] …a saucepan of boiling water.
2 VERB When you boil a kettle or pan, or put it on to boil , you heat the water inside it until it boils. □ [V n] He had nothing to do but boil the kettle and make the tea. □ [V ] Marianne put the kettle on to boil.
3 VERB [only cont] When a kettle or pan is boiling , the water inside it has reached boiling point. □ [V ] Is the kettle boiling?
4 VERB When you boil food, or when it boils , it is cooked in boiling water. □ [V n] Boil the chick peas, add garlic and lemon juice. □ [V ] I'd peel potatoes and put them on to boil. □ [V -ed] …boiled eggs and toast.
5 VERB [usu cont] If you are boiling with anger, you are very angry. □ [V + with ] I used to be all sweetness and light on the outside, but inside I would be boiling with rage.
6 N‑COUNT A boil is a red, painful swelling on your skin, which contains a thick yellow liquid called pus.
7 → see also boiling
8 PHRASE When you bring a liquid to the boil , you heat it until it boils. When it comes to the boil , it begins to boil. □ Put water, butter and lard into a saucepan and bring slowly to the boil.
9 to make someone's blood boil → see blood
▸ boil down PHRASAL VERB When you boil down a liquid or food, or when it boils down , it is boiled until there is less of it because some of the water in it has changed into steam or vapour. □ [V P n] He boils down the sauce and uses what's left.
▸ boil down to PHRASAL VERB If you say that a situation or problem boils down to a particular thing or can be boiled down to a particular thing, you mean that this is the most important or the most basic aspect of it. □ [V P P n] What they want boils down to just one thing. It is land.
▸ boil over
1 PHRASAL VERB When a liquid that is being heated boils over , it rises and flows over the edge of the container. □ [V P ] Heat the liquid in a large, wide container rather than a high narrow one, or it can boil over.
2 PHRASAL VERB When someone's feelings boil over , they lose their temper or become violent. □ [V P ] Sometimes frustration and anger can boil over into direct and violent action.
boi led swee t (boiled sweets ) N‑COUNT Boiled sweets are hard sweets that are made from boiled sugar. [BRIT ] in AM, use hard candy
boil|er /bɔ I lə r / (boilers ) N‑COUNT A boiler is a device which burns gas, oil, electricity, or coal in order to provide hot water, especially for the central heating in a building.
boil|er|plate /bɔ I lə r ple I t/ (boilerplates ) N‑VAR A boilerplate is a basic written contract that can be used to make many different kinds of contracts. □ …a predictable boilerplate of tax-relief proposals.
boi l|er suit (boiler suits ) N‑COUNT A boiler suit consists of a single piece of clothing that combines trousers and a jacket. You wear it over your clothes in order to protect them from dirt while you are working. [BRIT ] in AM, use overalls
boil|ing /bɔ I l I ŋ/
1 ADJ Something that is boiling or boiling hot is very hot. □ 'It's boiling in here,' complained Miriam. □ Often the food may be bubbling and boiling hot on the top, but the inside may still be cold.
2 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you say that you are boiling or boiling hot , you mean that you feel very hot, usually unpleasantly hot. □ When everybody else is boiling hot, I'm freezing!
boi l|ing point also boiling-point
1 N‑UNCOUNT The boiling point of a liquid is the temperature at which it starts to change into steam or vapour. For example, the boiling point of water is 100° centigrade. □ The boiling point of water is mercury is 356.7° C. □ Heat the cream to boiling point and pour three quarters of it over the chocolate.
2 N‑UNCOUNT If a situation reaches boiling point , the people involved have become so angry that they can no longer remain calm and in control of themselves. □ The situation is rapidly reaching boiling point, and the army has been put on stand-by.
bois|ter|ous /bɔ I stərəs/ ADJ Someone who is boisterous is noisy, lively, and full of energy. □ …a boisterous but good-natured crowd. □ Most of the children were noisy and boisterous. ● bois|ter|ous|ly ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □ Her friends laughed boisterously, too.
bold /boʊ ld/ (bolder , boldest )
1 ADJ Someone who is bold is not afraid to do things which involve risk or danger. □ Amrita becomes a bold, daring rebel. □ In 1960 this was a bold move. □ Poland was already making bold economic reforms. ● bold|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ You can and must act boldly and confidently. ● bold|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ Don't forget the boldness of his economic programme.
2 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] Someone who is bold is not shy or embarrassed in the company of other people. □ I don't feel I'm being bold, because it's always been natural for me to just speak out. ● bold|ly ADV □ 'You should do it,' the girl said, boldly.
3 ADJ A bold colour or pattern is very bright and noticeable. □ …bold flowers in various shades of red, blue or white. □ …bold, dramatic colours. ● bold|ly ADV □ The design is pretty startling and very boldly coloured.
4 ADJ Bold lines or designs are drawn in a clear, strong way. □ Each picture is shown in colour on one page and as a bold outline on the opposite page.
5 N‑UNCOUNT [usu N n] Bold is print which is thicker and looks blacker than ordinary printed letters. [TECHNICAL ]
bo|lero (boleros ) Pronounced /bɒ ləroʊ, [AM ] bəle roʊ/ for meaning 1 , and /bəleə roʊ/ for meaning 2 . 1 N‑COUNT A bolero is a very short jacket, sometimes without sleeves. Boleros are worn mainly by women.
2 N‑COUNT The bolero is a traditional Spanish dance. □ They danced a romantic bolero together.
Bo|liv|ian /bəl I viən/ (Bolivians ) ADJ Bolivian means belonging or relating to Bolivia or its people. ● N‑COUNT A Bolivian is a person who comes from Bolivia.
bol|lard /bɒ lɑː r d/ (bollards )
1 N‑COUNT Bollards are short thick concrete posts that are used to prevent cars from going on to someone's land or on to part of a road. [BRIT ]
2 N‑COUNT Bollards are strong wooden or metal posts on the side of a river or harbour. Boats are tied to them.
bol|locks /bɒ ləks/
1 EXCLAM ; N‑UNCOUNT Bollocks is used by some people to express disagreement, dislike, or annoyance. [BRIT , INFORMAL , RUDE , FEELINGS ]
2 N‑PLURAL A man's bollocks are his testicles. [BRIT , INFORMAL , RUDE ]
Bol|she|vik /bɒ lʃ I v I k/ (Bolsheviks )
1 ADJ Bolshevik is used to describe the political system and ideas that Lenin and his supporters introduced in Russia after the Russian Revolution of 1917. □ Seventy-four years after the Bolshevik Revolution, the Soviet era ended. □ …anti-Bolshevik forces.
2 N‑COUNT A Bolshevik was a person who supported Lenin and his political ideas.
Bol|she|vism /bɒ lʃ I v I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Bolshevism is the political system and ideas that Lenin and his supporters introduced in Russia after the Russian Revolution of 1917.
bol|shy /bɒ lʃi/ also bolshie ADJ If you say that someone is bolshy , you mean that they easily get angry and often do not do what other people want them to do. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ Carol is bolshy at not getting a promotion.
bol|ster /boʊ lstə r / (bolsters , bolstering , bolstered )
1 VERB If you bolster something such as someone's confidence or courage, you increase it. □ [V n] Hopes of an early cut in interest rates bolstered confidence.
2 VERB If someone tries to bolster their position in a situation, they try to strengthen it. □ [V n] Britain is free to adopt policies to bolster its economy. ● PHRASAL VERB Bolster up means the same as bolster . □ [V P n] …an aid programme to bolster up their troubled economy. [Also V n P ]
3 N‑COUNT A bolster is a firm pillow shaped like a long tube which is sometimes put across a bed under the ordinary pillows.
▸ bolster up → see bolster 2
bolt /boʊ lt/ (bolts , bolting , bolted )
1 N‑COUNT A bolt is a long metal object which screws into a nut and is used to fasten things together.
2 VERB When you bolt one thing to another, you fasten them firmly together, using a bolt. □ [V n + to ] The safety belt is easy to fit as there's no need to bolt it to seat belt anchorage points. □ [V n with together/on ] Bolt the components together. □ [V -ed] …a wooden bench which was bolted to the floor.
3 N‑COUNT A bolt on a door or window is a metal bar that you can slide across in order to fasten the door or window. □ I heard the sound of a bolt being slowly and reluctantly slid open.
4 VERB When you bolt a door or window, you slide the bolt across to fasten it. □ [V n] He reminded her that he would have to lock and bolt the kitchen door after her. □ [V -ed] …the heavy bolted doors .
5 VERB If a person or animal bolts , they suddenly start to run very fast, often because something has frightened them. □ [V ] The horse bolted when a gun went off. □ [V prep/adv] I made some excuse and bolted for the exit.
6 VERB If you bolt your food, you eat it so quickly that you hardly chew it or taste it. □ [V n] Being under stress can cause you to miss meals, eat on the move, or bolt your food. ● PHRASAL VERB Bolt down means the same as bolt . □ [V P n] Back then I could bolt down three or four burgers and a pile of French fries. [Also V n P ]
7 N‑COUNT A bolt of lightning is a flash of lightning that is seen as a white line in the sky. □ [+ of ] Suddenly a bolt of lightning crackled through the sky.
8 PHRASE If someone is sitting or standing bolt upright , they are sitting or standing very straight. □ When I pushed his door open, Trevor was sitting bolt upright in bed.
9 nuts and bolts → see nut
▸ bolt down → see bolt 6
bo lt-hole (bolt-holes ) also bolthole N‑COUNT If you say that someone has a bolt-hole to go to, you mean that there is somewhere that they can go when they want to get away from people that they know. [BRIT ] □ The hotel is an ideal bolt-hole for Londoners.
bo lt-on ADJ [ADJ n] Bolt-on buys are purchases of other companies that a company makes in order to add them to its existing business. [BUSINESS ] □ Mr Hand said the company would make further bolt-on acquisitions in the U.S…
bomb ◆◆◇ /bɒ m/ (bombs , bombing , bombed )
1 N‑COUNT A bomb is a device which explodes and damages or destroys a large area. □ Bombs went off at two London train stations. □ It's not known who planted the bomb. □ Most of the bombs fell in the south. □ There were two bomb explosions in the city overnight.
2 N‑SING Nuclear weapons are sometimes referred to as the bomb . □ They are generally thought to have the bomb.
3 VERB When people bomb a place, they attack it with bombs. □ [V n] Airforce jets bombed the airport. ● bomb|ing (bombings ) N‑VAR □ [+ of ] Aerial bombing of rebel positions is continuing. □ There has been a series of car bombings.
4 → see also petrol bomb , pipe bomb
▸ bomb out
1 PHRASAL VERB If a building or area is bombed out , it is destroyed by bombs. If people are bombed out , their houses are destroyed by bombs. □ [be V -ed P ] London had been bombed out.
2 → see also bombed-out SYNONYMS bomb NOUN 1
explosive: There were traces of explosives in the bedroom.
mine: He stepped on an unexploded mine.
missile: …nuclear missiles.
grenade: A hand grenade was thrown at an army patrol.
bom|bard /bɒ mbɑː r d/ (bombards , bombarding , bombarded )
1 VERB If you bombard someone with something, you make them face a great deal of it. For example, if you bombard them with questions or criticism, you keep asking them a lot of questions or you keep criticizing them. □ [V n + with ] He bombarded Catherine with questions to which he should have known the answers. □ [be V -ed + by ] I've been bombarded by the press and television since I came back from Norway.
2 VERB When soldiers bombard a place, they attack it with continuous heavy gunfire or bombs. □ [V n] Rebel artillery units have regularly bombarded the airport.
bom|bard|ment /bɒ mbɑː r dmənt/ (bombardments )
1 N‑VAR A bombardment is a strong and continuous attack of gunfire or bombing. □ The city has been flattened by heavy artillery bombardments. □ The capital is still under constant bombardment by the rebel forces.
2 N‑VAR A bombardment of ideas, demands, questions, or criticisms is an aggressive and exhausting stream of them. □ [+ of ] …the constant bombardment of images urging that work was important.
bom|bast /bɒ mbæst/ N‑UNCOUNT Bombast is trying to impress people by saying things that sound impressive but have little meaning. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ There was no bombast or conceit in his speech.
bom|bas|tic /bɒ mbæ st I k/ ADJ If you describe someone as bombastic , you are criticizing them for trying to impress other people by saying things that sound impressive but have little meaning. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ He was vain and bombastic. □ …the bombastic style adopted by his predecessor.
bo mb dis|pos|al N‑UNCOUNT [usu N n] Bomb disposal is the job of dealing with bombs which have not exploded, by taking out the fuse or by blowing them up in a controlled explosion. □ …an Army bomb disposal squad.
bo mbed-ou t ADJ [ADJ n] A bombed-out building has been damaged or destroyed by a bomb. □ …a bombed-out hospital.
bomb|er /bɒ mə r / (bombers )
1 N‑COUNT A bomber is a military aircraft which drops bombs. □ …a high speed bomber with twin engines.
2 N‑COUNT Bombers are people who cause bombs to explode in public places. □ Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.
bo mb|er jack|et (bomber jackets ) N‑COUNT A bomber jacket is a short jacket which is gathered into a band at the waist or hips. □ …a black leather bomber jacket.
bomb|shell /bɒ mʃel/ (bombshells )
1 N‑COUNT A bombshell is a sudden piece of bad or unexpected news. □ His resignation after thirteen years is a political bombshell. ● PHRASE If someone drops a bombshell , they give you a sudden piece of bad or unexpected news. □ He dropped the bombshell. He told me he was dying.
2 → see also blonde bombshell
bo mb site (bomb sites ) also bombsite N‑COUNT A bomb site is an empty area where a bomb has destroyed all the buildings. □ In London, where I grew up, we were surrounded by bomb sites.
bona fide /boʊ nə fa I di/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If something or someone is bona fide , they are genuine or real. [FORMAL ] □ We are happy to donate to bona fide charitable causes.
bona fi|des /boʊ nə fa I diz/ N‑PLURAL [usu with poss] Someone's bona fides are their good or sincere intentions. [LEGAL , FORMAL ] □ Mr Perks questioned them at length to establish their bona fides.
bo|nan|za /bənæ nzə/ (bonanzas ) N‑COUNT You can refer to a sudden great increase in wealth, success, or luck as a bonanza . □ The expected sales bonanza hadn't materialised.
bonce /bɒ ns/ (bonces ) N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Your bonce is your head. [BRIT , INFORMAL ]
bond ◆◆◇ /bɒ nd/ (bonds , bonding , bonded )
1 N‑COUNT A bond between people is a strong feeling of friendship, love, or shared beliefs and experiences that unites them. □ [+ between ] The experience created a very special bond between us. □ …the bond that linked them.
2 VERB When people bond with each other, they form a relationship based on love or shared beliefs and experiences. You can also say that people bond or that something bonds them. □ [V + with ] Belinda was having difficulty bonding with the baby. □ [V ] They all bonded while writing graffiti together. □ [V n] What had bonded them instantly and so completely was their similar background. □ [V -ed] The players are bonded by a spirit that is rarely seen in an English team. [Also V n + with ] ● bond|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ They expect bonding to occur naturally.
3 N‑COUNT A bond between people or groups is a close connection that they have with each other, for example because they have a special agreement. □ [+ between ] …the strong bond between church and nation. □ [+ with ] …her political bond with the American president.
4 N‑COUNT A bond between two things is the way in which they stick to one another or are joined in some way. □ The superglue may not create a bond with some plastics.
5 VERB When one thing bonds with another, it sticks to it or becomes joined to it in some way. You can also say that two things bond together , or that something bonds them together . □ [V + with ] Diamond may be strong in itself, but it does not bond well with other materials. □ [V with together ] In graphite sheets, carbon atoms bond together in rings. □ [be V -ed + together ] Strips of wood are bonded together and moulded by machine. [Also V n + with ]
6 N‑COUNT When a government or company issues a bond , it borrows money from investors. The certificate which is issued to investors who lend money is also called a bond . [BUSINESS ] □ Most of it will be financed by government bonds. □ …the recent sharp decline in bond prices.
7 → see also junk bond , premium bond COLLOCATIONS bond NOUN 1
adjective + bond : close, special, strong, unbreakable; common
verb + bond : create, forge, form; cement, strengthen
bond|age /bɒ nd I dʒ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Bondage is the condition of being someone's property and having to work for them. □ Masters sometimes allowed their slaves to buy their way out of bondage.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Bondage is the condition of not being free because you are strongly influenced by something or someone. [FORMAL ] □ [+ to ] All people, she said, lived their lives in bondage to hunger, pain and lust.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Bondage is the practice of being tied up or tying your partner up in order to gain sexual pleasure.
bond|ed /bɒ nd I d/ ADJ A bonded company has entered into a legal agreement which offers its customers some protection if the company does not fulfil its contract with them. [BUSINESS ] □ The company is a fully bonded member of the Association of British Travel Agents.
bond|holder /bɒ ndhoʊldə r / (bondholders ) also bond holder N‑COUNT A bondholder is a person who owns one or more investment bonds. [BUSINESS ]
bone ◆◇◇ /boʊ n/ (bones , boning , boned )
1 N‑VAR Your bones are the hard parts inside your body which together form your skeleton. □ Many passengers suffered broken bones. □ Stephen fractured a thigh bone. □ The body is made up primarily of bone, muscle, and fat. □ She scooped the chicken bones back into the stewpot.
2 VERB If you bone a piece of meat or fish, you remove the bones from it before cooking it. □ [V n] Make sure that you do not pierce the skin when boning the chicken thighs.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A bone tool or ornament is made of bone. □ …a small, expensive pocketknife with a bone handle.
4 → see also marrow bone , T-bone steak
5 PHRASE The bare bones of something are its most basic parts or details. □ There are not even the bare bones of a garden here–I've got nothing.
6 PHRASE If something is too close to the bone , it makes you feel uncomfortable because it is very close to the truth or to the real nature of something.
7 PHRASE If you make no bones about something, you talk openly about it, rather than trying to keep it a secret. □ Some of them make no bones about their political views.
8 PHRASE If you make no bones about doing something that is unpleasant or difficult or that might upset someone else, you do it without hesitating. □ [+ about ] He makes no bones about being on a revenge mission.
9 PHRASE If something such as costs are cut to the bone , they are reduced to the minimum possible. □ It has survived by cutting its costs to the bone. □ Profit margins have been slashed to the bone in an attempt to keep turnover moving.
10 PHRASE You use to the bone to indicate that you are very deeply affected by something. For example, if you feel chilled to the bone , your whole body feels extremely cold, often because you have had a shock. □ What I saw chilled me to the bone.
bo ne chi |na N‑UNCOUNT Bone china is a kind of thin china that contains powdered bone.
-boned /-boʊnd/ COMB -boned combines with adjectives such as 'big' and 'fine' to form adjectives which describe a person as having a particular type of bone structure or build. □ He was about seven years old, small and fine-boned like his mother.
bo ne dry also bone-dry ADJ If you say that something is bone dry , you are emphasizing that it is very dry indeed. [EMPHASIS ] □ Now the river bed is bone dry.
bo ne mar|row N‑UNCOUNT Bone marrow is the soft fatty substance inside human or animal bones. □ There are 2,000 children worldwide who need a bone marrow transplant.
bo ne meal also bonemeal N‑UNCOUNT Bone meal is a substance made from animal bones which is used as a fertilizer.
bo ne of con|te n|tion (bones of contention ) N‑COUNT If a particular matter or issue is a bone of contention , it is the subject of a disagreement or argument. □ The main bone of contention is the temperature level of the air-conditioners.
bon|fire /bɒ nfa I ə r / (bonfires ) N‑COUNT A bonfire is a fire that is made outdoors, usually to burn rubbish. Bonfires are also sometimes lit as part of a celebration. □ With bonfires outlawed in urban areas, gardeners must cart their refuse to a dump. WORD HISTORY bonfire
A bonfire is literally a 'bonefire'. Bones were used as fuel in the Middle Ages.
Bo n|fire Night also bonfire night N‑UNCOUNT Bonfire Night is the popular name for Guy Fawkes Night .
bong /bɒ ŋ/ (bongs ) N‑COUNT A bong is a long, deep sound such as the sound made by a big bell.
bon|go /bɒ ŋgoʊ/ (bongos ) N‑COUNT A bongo is a small drum that you play with your hands.
bon|ho|mie /bɒ nəmi/ N‑UNCOUNT Bonhomie is happy, good-natured friendliness. [FORMAL ] □ He was full of bonhomie.
bonk /bɒ ŋk/ (bonks , bonking , bonked ) VERB If two people bonk , they have sexual intercourse. [BRIT , INFORMAL ]
bonk|ers /bɒ ŋkə r z/ ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you say that someone is bonkers , you mean that they are silly or act in a crazy way. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ The man must be bonkers to take such a risk. □ I nearly went bonkers with frustration.
bon mot /bɒ n moʊ / (bons mots or bon mots ) N‑COUNT A bon mot is a clever, witty remark. [WRITTEN ] □ …a cheeky bon mot.
bon|net /bɒ n I t/ (bonnets )
1 N‑COUNT The bonnet of a car is the metal cover over the engine at the front. [BRIT ] □ When I lifted the bonnet, the noise seemed to be coming from the alternator. in AM, use hood 2 N‑COUNT A bonnet is a hat with ribbons that are tied under the chin. Bonnets are now worn by babies. In the past, they were also worn by women.
bon|ny /bɒ ni/ (bonnier , bonniest ) ADJ Someone or something that is bonny is attractive and nice to look at. [mainly SCOTTISH or NORTHERN ENGLISH ] □ Jemima was a bonny Highland lassie of 15.
bon|sai /bɒ nsa I / (bonsai )
1 N‑COUNT [oft N n] A bonsai or a bonsai tree is a tree or shrub that has been kept very small by growing it in a little pot and cutting it in a special way. □ …a beautiful Japanese bonsai tree.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Bonsai is the art of growing very small shrubs and trees.
bo|nus ◆◇◇ /boʊ nəs/ (bonuses )
1 N‑COUNT A bonus is an extra amount of money that is added to someone's pay, usually because they have worked very hard. □ Workers receive a large part of their pay in the form of bonuses and overtime. □ …a £15 bonus. □ …a special bonus payment.
2 N‑COUNT A bonus is something good that you get in addition to something else, and which you would not usually expect. □ We felt we might finish third. Any better would be a bonus. □ It has the added bonus of containing 30 per cent less fat than ordinary cheese.
3 N‑COUNT A bonus is a sum of money that an insurance company pays to its policyholders, for example a percentage of the company's profits. □ These returns will not be enough to meet the payment of annual bonuses to policyholders.
bon voy|age /bɒ n vɔ I ɑː ʒ/ CONVENTION You say ' bon voyage ' to someone who is going on a journey, as a way of saying goodbye and wishing them good luck. [FORMULAE ] □ Goodbye! Bon voyage!
bony /boʊ ni/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Someone who has a bony face or bony hands, for example, has a very thin face or very thin hands, with very little flesh covering their bones. □ …an old man with a bony face and white hair. □ He poked a long bony finger in Billy's chest.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] The bony parts of a person's or animal's body are the parts made of bone. □ …the bony ridge of the eye socket.
boo /buː / (boos , booing , booed )
1 VERB If you boo a speaker or performer, you shout 'boo' or make other loud sounds to indicate that you do not like them, their opinions, or their performance. □ [V ] People were booing and throwing things at them. □ [V n] Demonstrators booed and jeered him. □ [be V -ed] He was booed off the stage. ● N‑COUNT [usu pl] Boo is also a noun. □ She was greeted with boos and hisses. ● boo|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ The fans are entitled to their opinion but booing doesn't help anyone.
2 EXCLAM You say ' Boo! ' loudly and suddenly when you want to surprise someone who does not know that you are there.
3 → see also peekaboo
boob /buː b/ (boobs , boobing , boobed )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] A woman's boobs are her breasts. [INFORMAL , RUDE ]
2 VERB If you boob , you make a mistake. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [V ] Is their timing right, or have they boobed again? ● N‑COUNT Boob is also a noun. □ The government once again has made a big boob.
boo b tube (boob tubes )
1 N‑SING The boob tube is the television. [mainly AM , INFORMAL ] □ …hours spent in front of the boob tube. in BRIT, use idiot box 2 N‑COUNT A boob tube is a piece of women's clothing made of stretchy material that covers only her chest. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] in AM, use tube top
boo|by prize /buː bi pra I z/ (booby prizes ) N‑COUNT The booby prize is a prize given as a joke to the person who comes last in a competition.
booby-trap /buː bi træp/ (booby-traps , booby-trapping , booby-trapped ) also booby trap
1 N‑COUNT A booby-trap is something such as a bomb which is hidden or disguised and which causes death or injury when it is touched. □ Police were checking the area for booby traps.
2 VERB [usu passive] If something is booby-trapped , a booby-trap is placed in it or on it. □ [be V -ed] …fears that the area may have been booby trapped. □ [V -ed] His booby-trapped car exploded.
boogey|man /buː gimæn/ (boogeymen ) → see bogeyman
boo|gie /buː gi/ (boogies , boogying or boogieing , boogied ) VERB When you boogie , you dance to fast pop music. [INFORMAL , OLD-FASHIONED ] □ [V ] At night, a good place to boogie through till sunrise is the Pink Panther Bar.
book ◆◆◆ /bʊ k/ (books , booking , booked )
1 N‑COUNT A book is a number of pieces of paper, usually with words printed on them, which are fastened together and fixed inside a cover of stronger paper or cardboard. Books contain information, stories, or poetry, for example. □ His eighth book came out earlier this year and was an instant best-seller. □ …the author of a book on politics. □ …reference books.
2 N‑COUNT A book of something such as stamps, matches, or tickets is a small number of them fastened together between thin cardboard covers. □ [+ of ] Can I have a book of first class stamps please?
3 VERB When you book something such as a hotel room or a ticket, you arrange to have it or use it at a particular time. □ [V n] British officials have booked hotel rooms for the women and children. □ [V n n] Laurie revealed she had booked herself a flight home last night. □ [V -ed] …three-star restaurants that are normally booked for months in advance.
4 N‑PLURAL A company's or organization's books are its records of money that has been spent and earned or of the names of people who belong to it. [BUSINESS ] □ For the most part he left the books to his managers and accountants. □ Around 12 per cent of the people on our books are in the computing industry.
5 VERB When a referee books a football player who has seriously broken the rules of the game, he or she officially writes down the player's name. □ [V n] The referee booked him in the first half for a tussle with the goalie.
6 VERB When a police officer books someone, he or she officially records their name and the offence that they may be charged with. □ [V n] They took him to the station and booked him for assault with a deadly weapon.
7 N‑COUNT In a very long written work such as the Bible, a book is one of the sections into which it is divided.
8 → see also booking , cheque book , phone book
9 PHRASE If you bring someone to book , you punish them for an offence or make them explain their behaviour officially. □ Police should be asked to investigate so that the guilty can be brought to book soon.
10 PHRASE If you say that someone or something is a closed book , you mean that you do not know anything about them. □ Frank Spriggs was a very able man but something of a closed book. □ Economics was a closed book to him.
11 PHRASE If a hotel, restaurant, theatre, or transport service is fully booked , or booked solid , it is booked up. □ The car ferries from the mainland are often fully booked by February.
12 PHRASE In my book means 'in my opinion' or 'according to my beliefs'. □ The greatest manager there has ever been, or ever will be in my book, is retiring.
13 to cook the books → see cook
14 to take a leaf from someone's book → see leaf
▸ book in or book into PHRASAL VERB When you book into a hotel or when you book in , you officially state that you have arrived to stay there, usually by signing your name in a register. [BRIT ] □ [V P n] He was happy to book into the Royal Pavilion Hotel. □ [V n P n] Today Mahoney booked himself into one of the best hotels in Sydney. [Also V n P ] in AM, use check in , check into
book|able /bʊ kəb ə l/
1 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If something such as a theatre seat or plane ticket is bookable , it can be booked in advance. [mainly BRIT ] □ Tours leave from Palma and are bookable at some hotels or any travel agency.
2 ADJ In sports such as football, a bookable offence is an action for which a player can be officially warned by the referee. □ Both men were dismissed for a second bookable offence.
book|binder /bʊ kba I ndə r / (bookbinders ) also book-binder N‑COUNT A bookbinder is a person whose job is fastening books together and putting covers on them.
book|bind|ing /bʊ kba I nd I ŋ/ also book-binding N‑UNCOUNT Bookbinding is the work of fastening books together and putting covers on them.
book|case /bʊ kke I s/ (bookcases ) N‑COUNT A bookcase is a piece of furniture with shelves that you keep books on.
boo k club (book clubs ) N‑COUNT A book club is an organization that offers books at reduced prices to its members.
boo ked u p
1 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If a hotel, restaurant, theatre, or transport service is booked up , it has no rooms, tables, or tickets left for a time or date. [mainly BRIT ] □ Some restaurants are so booked up and so elitist that who you are and who you know really does matter if you want a table.
2 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If someone is booked up , they have made so many arrangements that they have no more time to do things. [mainly BRIT ] □ Mr Wilson's diary is booked up for months ahead.
book|end /bʊ kend/ (bookends ) also book-end N‑COUNT [usu pl] Bookends are a pair of supports used to hold a row of books in an upright position by placing one at each end of the row.
bookie /bʊ ki/ (bookies ) N‑COUNT A bookie is the same as a bookmaker . [INFORMAL ]
book|ing /bʊ k I ŋ/ (bookings ) N‑COUNT A booking is the arrangement that you make when you book something such as a hotel room, a table at a restaurant, a theatre seat, or a place on public transport. □ I suggest you tell him there was a mistake over his late booking.
boo k|ing clerk (booking clerks ) N‑COUNT A booking clerk is a person who sells tickets, especially in a railway station. [BRIT ] □ …a railway booking clerk.
boo k|ing of|fice (booking offices ) N‑COUNT A booking office is a room where tickets are sold and booked, especially in a theatre or station. [BRIT ] in AM, use ticket office
book|ish /bʊ k I ʃ/ ADJ Someone who is bookish spends a lot of time reading serious books. [DISAPPROVAL ]
book|keeper /bʊ kkiːpə r / (bookkeepers ) also book-keeper N‑COUNT A bookkeeper is a person whose job is to keep an accurate record of the money that is spent and received by a business or other organization. [BUSINESS ]
book|keeping /bʊ kkiːp I ŋ/ also book-keeping N‑UNCOUNT Bookkeeping is the job or activity of keeping an accurate record of the money that is spent and received by a business or other organization. [BUSINESS ]
book|let /bʊ klət/ (booklets ) N‑COUNT A booklet is a small, thin book that has a paper cover and that gives you information about something.
book|maker /bʊ kme I kə r / (bookmakers ) N‑COUNT A bookmaker is a person whose job is to take your money when you bet and to pay you money if you win.
book|making /bʊ kme I k I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Bookmaking is the activity of taking people's money when they bet and paying them money if they win. □ …an internet bookmaking business.
book|mark /bʊ kmɑː r k/ (bookmarks , bookmarking , bookmarked )
1 N‑COUNT A bookmark is a narrow piece of card or leather that you put between the pages of a book so that you can find a particular page easily.
2 N‑COUNT In computing, a bookmark is the address of an internet site that you put into a list on your computer so that you can return to it easily. [COMPUTING ] □ Save what you find with an electronic bookmark so you can return to it later. ● VERB Bookmark is also a verb. [COMPUTING ] □ [V n] But this site is definitely worth bookmarking.
book|plate /bʊ kple I t/ (bookplates ) N‑COUNT A bookplate is a piece of decorated paper which is stuck in the front of a book and on which the owner's name is printed or written.
book|sell|er /bʊ kselə r / (booksellers ) N‑COUNT A bookseller is a person who sells books.
book|shelf /bʊ kʃelf/ (bookshelves ) N‑COUNT A bookshelf is a shelf on which you keep books.
book|shop /bʊ kʃɒp/ (bookshops ) N‑COUNT A bookshop is a shop where books are sold. [BRIT ] in AM, use bookstore
book|stall /bʊ kstɔːl/ (bookstalls )
1 N‑COUNT A bookstall is a long table from which books and magazines are sold, for example at a conference or in a street market.
2 N‑COUNT A bookstall is a small shop with an open front where books and magazines are sold. Bookstalls are usually found in railway stations and airports. [BRIT ] in AM, usually use newsstand
book|store /bʊ kstɔː r / (bookstores ) N‑COUNT A bookstore is the same as a bookshop . [mainly AM ]
boo k value (book values ) N‑COUNT In business, the book value of an asset is the value it is given in the account books of the company that owns it. [BUSINESS ] □ The insured value of the airplane was greater than its book value.
book|worm /bʊ kwɜː r m/ (bookworms ) N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a bookworm , you mean they are very fond of reading. [INFORMAL ]
boom ◆◇◇ /buː m/ (booms , booming , boomed )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If there is a boom in the economy, there is an increase in economic activity, for example in the amount of things that are being bought and sold. □ An economic boom followed, especially in housing and construction. □ The 1980s were indeed boom years. □ …the cycle of boom and bust which has damaged us for 40 years.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A boom in something is an increase in its amount, frequency, or success. □ [+ in ] The boom in the sport's popularity has meant more calls for stricter safety regulations. □ Public transport has not been able to cope adequately with the travel boom.
3 VERB If the economy or a business is booming , the amount of things being bought or sold is increasing. □ [V ] When the economy is booming, people buy new cars. □ [V -ing] It has a booming tourist industry.
4 N‑COUNT [usu sing] On a boat, the boom is the long pole which is attached to the bottom of the sail and to the mast and which you move when you want to alter the direction in which you are sailing.
5 VERB When something such as someone's voice, a cannon, or a big drum booms , it makes a loud, deep sound that lasts for several seconds. □ [V with quote] 'Ladies,' boomed Helena, without a microphone, 'we all know why we're here tonight.' □ [V prep/adv] Thunder boomed like battlefield cannons over Crooked Mountain. [Also V ] ● PHRASAL VERB Boom out means the same as boom . □ [V P prep/adv] Music boomed out from loudspeakers. □ [V P with quote] A megaphone boomed out, 'This is the police.' □ [V P n] He turned his sightless eyes their way and boomed out a greeting. [Also V P ] ● N‑COUNT Boom is also a noun. □ The stillness of night was broken by the boom of a cannon.
6 → see also baby boom
▸ boom out → see boom 6 COLLOCATIONS boom NOUN
1
noun + boom : building, construction, housing; commodities, dotcom, tech
adjective + boom : economic; speculative, unprecedented, unsustainable; postwar
verb + boom : fuel, stoke
2
noun + boom : baby, population, tourism
boo m box (boom boxes ) N‑COUNT A boom box is a large portable machine for playing music, especially one that is played loudly in public by young people. [mainly AM , INFORMAL ] in BRIT, use ghetto-blaster
boo m-bu st cy|cle (boom-bust cycles ) N‑COUNT A boom-bust cycle is a series of events in which a rapid increase in business activity in the economy is followed by a rapid decrease in business activity, and this process is repeated again and again. [BUSINESS ] □ We must avoid the damaging boom-bust cycles which characterised the 1980s.
boom|er|ang /buː məræŋ/ (boomerangs , boomeranging , boomeranged )
1 N‑COUNT A boomerang is a curved piece of wood which comes back to you if you throw it in the correct way. Boomerangs were first used by the people who were living in Australia when Europeans arrived there.
2 VERB If a plan boomerangs , its result is not the one that was intended and is harmful to the person who made the plan. □ [V ] The trick boomeranged, though. □ [V + on/against ] Criticism can sometimes boomerang against the accusers.
boo m town (boom towns ) N‑COUNT A boom town is a town which has rapidly become very rich and full of people, usually because industry or business has developed there. □ Brisbane has become the boom town for Australian film and television.
boon /buː n/ (boons ) N‑COUNT You can describe something as a boon when it makes life better or easier for someone. □ This battery booster is a boon for photographers.
boon|dog|gle /buː ndɒgl/ (boondoggles ) N‑COUNT People sometimes refer to an official organization or activity as a boondoggle when they think it wastes a lot of time and money and does not achieve much. [AM , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ The new runway is a billion-dollar boondoggle.
boor /bʊə r / (boors ) N‑COUNT If you refer to someone as a boor , you think their behaviour and attitudes are rough, uneducated, and rude. [DISAPPROVAL ]
boor|ish /bʊə r I ʃ/ ADJ Boorish behaviour is rough, uneducated, and rude. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …their boorish rejection of the ageing movie star.
boost ◆◇◇ /buː st/ (boosts , boosting , boosted )
1 VERB If one thing boosts another, it causes it to increase, improve, or be more successful. □ [V n] It wants the government to take action to boost the economy. □ [V n] The move is designed to boost sales during the peak booking months of January and February. ● N‑COUNT [usu sing] Boost is also a noun. □ It would get the economy going and give us the boost that we need.
2 VERB If something boosts your confidence or morale, it improves it. □ [V n] We need a big win to boost our confidence. ● N‑COUNT [usu sing] Boost is also a noun. □ It did give me a boost to win such a big event. SYNONYMS boost VERB 1
increase: The increased investment will help stabilise the economy.
build: The encouragement that young boys receive builds a greater self-confidence.
develop: …weekly workshops that are designed to develop acting and theatre skills.
bolster: Hopes of an early cut in interest rates bolstered confidence. COLLOCATIONS boost NOUN
1
noun + boost : cash
adjective + boost : huge, major, timely, welcome
verb + boost : provide; receive
2
noun + boost : confidence, ego, morale VERB
1
boost + noun : economy, growth, profit, sales
2
boost + noun : confidence, morale
boost|er /buː stə r / (boosters )
1 N‑COUNT [usu n N ] A booster is something that increases a positive or desirable quality. □ It was amazing what a morale booster her visits proved. □ Praise is a great confidence booster.
2 N‑COUNT A booster is an extra engine in a machine such as a space rocket, which provides an extra amount of power at certain times. □ Ground controllers will then fire the booster, sending the satellite into its proper orbit.
3 N‑COUNT A booster is a small injection of a drug that you have some time after a larger injection, in order to make sure that the first injection will remain effective.
4 N‑COUNT [N n] A booster is someone who supports a sports team, organization, person, or place very enthusiastically. [AM ] □ A former associate of Mr. Pierce's was among the project's boosters.
boo st|er seat (booster seats ) also booster cushion N‑COUNT A booster seat or a booster cushion is a special seat which allows a small child to sit in a higher position, for example at a table or in a car.
boot ◆◇◇ /buː t/ (boots , booting , booted )
1 N‑COUNT Boots are shoes that cover your whole foot and the lower part of your leg. □ He sat in a kitchen chair, reached down and pulled off his boots. □ He was wearing riding pants, high boots, and spurs.
2 → see also wellington
3 N‑COUNT Boots are strong, heavy shoes which cover your ankle and which have thick soles. You wear them to protect your feet, for example when you are walking or taking part in sport. □ The soldiers' boots resounded in the street.
4 VERB If you boot something such as a ball, you kick it hard. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n adv/prep] He booted the ball 40 yards back up field.
5 N‑COUNT The boot of a car is a covered space at the back or front, in which you carry things such as luggage and shopping. [BRIT ] □ He opened the boot to put my bags in. in AM, use trunk
6 PHRASE If you get the boot or are given the boot , you are told that you are not wanted any more, either in your job or by someone you are having a relationship with. [INFORMAL ] □ She was a disruptive influence, and after a year or two she got the boot.
7 PHRASE If someone puts the boot in , they attack another person by saying something cruel, often when the person is already feeling weak or upset. [BRIT , INFORMAL ]
8 PHRASE You can say to boot to emphasize that you have added something else to something or to a list of things that you have just said. [FORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ He is making money and receiving free advertising to boot!
▸ boot out PHRASAL VERB If someone boots you out of a job, organization, or place, you are forced to leave it. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P n] Schools are booting out record numbers of unruly pupils. [Also V n P ]
▸ boot up PHRASAL VERB When you boot up a computer, you make it ready to use by putting in the instructions which it needs in order to start working. [COMPUTING ] □ [V P + from/with ] I can boot up from the CD. □ [V n P ] Go over to your PC and boot it up.
boo t camp (boot camps )
1 N‑VAR In the United States, a boot camp is a camp where people who have just joined the army, navy, or marines are trained. [AM ]
2 N‑VAR A boot camp is a set of intensive exercises done on a regular basis and designed to improve strength and fitness. [AM ]
bootee /buː tiː / (bootees or booties )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Bootees are short woollen socks that babies wear instead of shoes.
2 N‑COUNT Bootees are short boots which come to just above the ankle. They are worn especially by women and girls.
booth /buː ð/ (booths )
1 N‑COUNT [usu n N ] A booth is a small area separated from a larger public area by screens or thin walls where, for example, people can make a phone call or vote in private. □ I called her from a public phone booth near the entrance to the bar. □ In Darlington, queues formed at some polling booths.
2 N‑COUNT A booth in a restaurant or café consists of a table with long fixed seats on two or sometimes three sides of it. □ They sat in a corner booth, away from other diners.
boot|lace /buː tle I s/ (bootlaces ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] A bootlace is a long thin cord which is used to fasten a boot.
boot|leg /buː tleg/ (bootlegs , bootlegging , bootlegged )
1 ADJ [ADJ n] Bootleg is used to describe something that is made secretly and sold illegally. □ …a bootleg recording of the band's tour of Scandinavia. □ …bootleg liquor.
2 VERB To bootleg something such as a recording means to make and sell it illegally. □ [V n] He has sued a fan for bootlegging his concerts. □ [V -ed] Avid Bob Dylan fans treasure bootlegged recordings. ● N‑COUNT Bootleg is also a noun. □ The record was a bootleg. ● boot|leg|ger (bootleggers ) N‑COUNT □ Bootleggers sold 75 million dollars-worth of copies.
boot|strap /buː tstræp/ (bootstraps , bootstrapping , bootstrapped )
1 VERB If you bootstrap an organization or an activity, you set it up or achieve it alone, using very few resources. □ Peterson bootstrapped the company himself, and hopes to continue without outside funding.
2 VERB If one thing is bootstrapped to another, it is attached to or associated with it. □ This command ensures that the software is bootstrapped to the correct system.
3 PHRASE If you have pulled yourself up by your bootstraps , you have achieved success by your own efforts, starting from very difficult circumstances and without help from anyone.
boo|ty /buː ti/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Booty is a collection of valuable things stolen from a place, especially by soldiers after a battle. □ Troops destroyed the capital and confiscated many works of art as war booty.
2 N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Someone's booty is their bottom. [INFORMAL , RUDE ]
booze /buː z/ (boozes , boozing , boozed )
1 N‑UNCOUNT [oft the N ] Booze is alcoholic drink. [INFORMAL ] □ …booze and cigarettes. □ …empty bottles of booze.
2 VERB If people booze , they drink alcohol. [INFORMAL ] □ [V ] …a load of drunken businessmen who had been boozing all afternoon. ● booz|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ He used to be famous for his boozing.
boozed /buː zd/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If someone is boozed or boozed up , they are drunk. [INFORMAL ] □ He's half asleep and a bit boozed.
booz|er /buː zə r / (boozers )
1 N‑COUNT A boozer is a pub . [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ They're in the boozer most nights.
2 N‑COUNT A boozer is a person who drinks a lot of alcohol. [INFORMAL ] □ I thought he was a bit of a boozer.
boo ze-up (booze-ups ) N‑COUNT In Britain, a booze-up is a party or other social gathering where people drink a lot of alcohol. [INFORMAL ] □ …a booze-up at the rugby club.
boozy /buː zi/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A boozy person is someone who drinks a lot of alcohol. [INFORMAL ] □ …a cheerful, boozy chain-smoker.
bop /bɒ p/ (bops , bopping , bopped )
1 N‑COUNT A bop is a dance. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ People just want a good tune and a good bop.
2 VERB If you bop , you dance. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [V adv/prep] He was bopping around, snapping his fingers. □ [V ] Guests bopped and jigged the night away to the disco beat.
3 → see also bebop
bop|per /bɒ pə r / → see teenybopper
bo|rax /bɔː ræks/ N‑UNCOUNT Borax is a white powder used, for example, in the making of glass and as a cleaning chemical.
bor|del|lo /bɔː r de loʊ/ (bordellos ) N‑COUNT A bordello is a brothel . [LITERARY ]
bor|der ◆◆◇ /bɔː r də r / (borders , bordering , bordered )
1 N‑COUNT The border between two countries or regions is the dividing line between them. Sometimes the border also refers to the land close to this line. □ They fled across the border. □ …the isolated jungle area near the Panamanian border. □ Clifford is enjoying life north of the border. □ …the Mexican border town of Tijuana.
2 VERB A country that borders another country, a sea, or a river is next to it. □ [V n] …the European and Arab countries bordering the Mediterranean. ● PHRASAL VERB Border on means the same as border . □ [V P n] Both republics border on the Black Sea.
3 N‑COUNT A border is a strip or band around the edge of something. □ …pillowcases trimmed with a hand-crocheted border.
4 N‑COUNT In a garden, a border is a long strip of ground along the edge planted with flowers. □ …a lawn flanked by wide herbaceous borders. □ …border plants.
5 VERB If something is bordered by another thing, the other thing forms a line along the edge of it. □ [V -ed] …the mile of white sand beach bordered by palm trees and tropical flowers. □ [V n] Caesar marched north into the forests that border the Danube River.
▸ border on
1 PHRASAL VERB If you talk about a characteristic or situation bordering on something, usually something that you consider bad, you mean that it is almost that thing. □ [V P n] The atmosphere borders on the surreal.
2 → see also border 2 COLLOCATIONS border NOUN
1
noun + border : desert, land, sea
adjective + border : disputed, external, secure; eastern, northern, southern, western
verb + border : cross, open, reopen, straddle; close, patrol, seal
4
noun + border : flower, garden, shrub
adjective + border : herbaceous SYNONYMS border NOUN 1
frontier: It wasn't difficult then to cross the frontier.
boundary: Drug traffickers operate across national boundaries.
border|land /bɔː r də r lænd/ (borderlands )
1 N‑SING The borderland between two things is an area which contains features from both of these things so that it is not possible to say that it belongs to one or the other. □ …on the borderland between sleep and waking.
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] The area of land close to the border between two countries or major areas can be called the borderlands . □ …Lebanon's southern borderlands.
border|line /bɔː r də r la I n/ (borderlines )
1 N‑COUNT The borderline between two different or opposite things is the division between them. □ [+ between ] …a task which involves exploring the borderline between painting and photography. [Also + of ]
2 ADJ Something that is borderline is only just acceptable as a member of a class or group. □ Some were obviously unsuitable and could be ruled out at once. Others were borderline cases.
bore ◆◇◇ /bɔː r / (bores , boring , bored )
1 VERB If someone or something bores you, you find them dull and uninteresting. □ [V n + with ] Dickie bored him all through the meal with stories of the Navy. □ [V n] Life in the country bores me.
2 PHRASE If someone or something bores you to tears , bores you to death , or bores you stiff , they bore you very much. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ …a handsome engineer who bored me to tears with his tales of motorway maintenance.
3 N‑COUNT You describe someone as a bore when you think that they talk in a very uninteresting way. □ There is every reason why I shouldn't enjoy his company–he's a bore and a fool.
4 N‑SING You can describe a situation as a bore when you find it annoying. □ It's a bore to be sick, and the novelty of lying in bed all day wears off quickly.
5 VERB If you bore a hole in something, you make a deep round hole in it using a special tool. □ [V n] Get the special drill bit to bore the correct-size hole for the job.
6 Bore is the past tense of bear .
7 → see also bored , boring
-bore /-bɔː r / COMB [ADJ n] -bore combines with numbers to form adjectives which indicate the size of the barrel of a gun. □ He had a 12-bore shotgun.
bored /bɔː r d/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you are bored , you feel tired and impatient because you have lost interest in something or because you have nothing to do. □ [+ with ] I am getting very bored with this entire business.
bore|dom /bɔː r dəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Boredom is the state of being bored. □ He had given up attending lectures out of sheer boredom. □ They often find they begin to chat to relieve the boredom of the flight.
bore|hole /bɔː r hoʊl/ (boreholes ) N‑COUNT A borehole is a deep round hole made by a special tool or machine, especially one that is made in the ground when searching for oil or water.
bor|ing /bɔː r I ŋ/ ADJ Someone or something boring is so dull and uninteresting that they make people tired and impatient. □ Not only are mothers not paid but also most of their boring or difficult work is unnoticed. □ …boring television programmes. ● bor|ing|ly ADV [usu ADV adj] □ The meal itself was not so good–everything was boringly brown including the vegetables.
born ◆◆◇ /bɔː r n/
1 V-PASSIVE When a baby is born , it comes out of its mother's body at the beginning of its life. In formal English, if you say that someone is born of someone or to someone, you mean that person is their parent. □ [be V -ed] My mother was 40 when I was born. □ [be V -ed + of/to ] He was born of German parents and lived most of his life abroad. □ [V -ed + of/to ] Willie Smith was the second son born to Jean and Stephen.
2 V-PASSIVE [no cont] If someone is born with a particular disease, problem, or characteristic, they have it from the time they are born. □ [be V -ed + with ] He was born with only one lung. □ [be V -ed adj] Some people are born brainy. □ [be V -ed to-inf] I think he was born to be editor of a tabloid newspaper. □ [be V -ed n] We are all born leaders; we just need the right circumstances in which to flourish.
3 V-PASSIVE [no cont] You can use be born in front of a particular name to show that a person was given this name at birth, although they may be better known by another name. [FORMAL ] □ [be V -ed n] She was born Jenny Harvey on June 11, 1946.
4 ADJ [ADJ n] You use born to describe someone who has a natural ability to do a particular activity or job. For example, if you are a born cook, you have a natural ability to cook well. □ Jack was a born teacher.
5 V-PASSIVE When an idea or organization is born , it comes into existence. If something is born of a particular emotion or activity, it exists as a result of that emotion or activity. [FORMAL ] □ [be V -ed] Congress passed the National Security Act, and the CIA was born. □ [be V -ed + out of/of ] Energy conservation as a philosophy was born out of the 1973 oil crisis.
6 → see also -born , first born , newborn
7 to be born and bred → see breed
8 to be born with a silver spoon in your mouth → see spoon
-born /-bɔː r n/ COMB [usu ADJ n] -born combines with adjectives that relate to countries or with the names of towns and areas to form adjectives that indicate where someone was born. [JOURNALISM ] □ …the dynamic German-born manager.
bo rn-agai n
1 ADJ A born-again Christian is a person who has become an evangelical Christian as a result of a religious experience.
2 ADJ You can use born-again to describe someone who has adopted a new set of beliefs or a new way of life and is very enthusiastic about it. □ As a 'born-again' cyclist I had decided that this season I would ride in a few races.
borne /bɔː r n/ Borne is the past participle of bear .
-borne /-bɔː r n/ COMB [usu ADJ n] -borne combines with nouns to form adjectives that describe the method or means by which something is carried or moved. □ …water-borne diseases. □ …a mosquito-borne infection. □ …rocket-borne weapons.
bor|ough /bʌ rə, [AM ] bɜː roʊ/ (boroughs ) N‑COUNT [N n] A borough is a town, or a district within a large town, which has its own council. □ …the New York City borough of Brooklyn.
bor|row ◆◇◇ /bɒ roʊ/ (borrows , borrowing , borrowed )
1 VERB If you borrow something that belongs to someone else, you take it or use it for a period of time, usually with their permission. □ [V n] Can I borrow a pen please? □ [V n] He wouldn't let me borrow his clothes.
2 VERB If you borrow money from someone or from a bank, they give it to you and you agree to pay it back at some time in the future. □ [V n + from ] Morgan borrowed £5,000 from his father to form the company 20 years ago. □ [V + from ] It's so expensive to borrow from finance companies. □ [V ] He borrowed heavily to get the money together. [Also V n]
3 VERB If you borrow a book from a library, you take it away for a fixed period of time. □ [V n + from ] I couldn't afford to buy any, so I borrowed them from the library.
4 VERB If you borrow something such as a word or an idea from another language or from another person's work, you use it in your own language or work. □ [V n] I borrowed his words for my book's title. □ [V n] Their engineers are happier borrowing other people's ideas than developing their own.
5 PHRASE Someone who is living on borrowed time or who is on borrowed time has continued to live or to do something for longer than was expected, and is likely to die or be stopped from doing it soon. □ Perhaps that illness, diagnosed as fatal, gave him a sense of living on borrowed time. USAGE borrow
You don’t normally talk about borrowing or lending things that can’t be moved. Don’t say, for example, ‘
Can I borrow your garage next week
?’ Say ‘Can I use
your garage next week?’ □
You can use
our washing machine.
bor|row|er /bɒ roʊə r / (borrowers ) N‑COUNT A borrower is a person or organization that borrows money.
bor|row|ing /bɒ roʊ I ŋ/ (borrowings ) N‑UNCOUNT Borrowing is the activity of borrowing money. □ We have allowed spending and borrowing to rise in this recession.
bor|stal /bɔː r st ə l/ (borstals ) N‑VAR In Britain in the past, a borstal was a kind of prison for young criminals, who were not old enough to be sent to ordinary prisons.
bos|om /bʊzəm/ (bosoms )
1 N‑COUNT A woman's breasts are sometimes referred to as her bosom or her bosoms . [OLD-FASHIONED ] □ …a large young mother with a baby resting against her ample bosom.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] A bosom friend is a friend who you know very well and like very much indeed. □ They were bosom friends. □ Sakota was her cousin and bosom pal.
boss ◆◆◇ /bɒ s/ (bosses , bossing , bossed )
1 N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Your boss is the person in charge of the organization or department where you work. □ He cannot stand his boss. □ Occasionally I have to go and ask the boss for a rise.
2 N‑COUNT If you are the boss in a group or relationship, you are the person who makes all the decisions. [INFORMAL ] □ He thinks he's the boss.
3 VERB If you say that someone bosses you, you mean that they keep telling you what to do in a way that is irritating. □ [V n prep/adv] We cannot boss them into doing more. □ [V n] 'You are not to boss me!' she shouted. ● PHRASAL VERB Boss around , or in British English boss about , means the same as boss . □ [V n P ] He started bossing people around and I didn't like what was happening. [Also V P n]
4 PHRASE If you are your own boss , you work for yourself or make your own decisions and do not have anyone telling you what to do. □ I'm very much my own boss and no one interferes with what I do.
▸ boss around or boss about → see boss 3 COLLOCATIONS boss NOUN 1
noun + boss : company, party, team, union
adjective + boss : former, new SYNONYMS boss NOUN 1
manager: The chef, staff and managers are all Chinese.
head: …the head waiter.
chief: …a commission appointed by the police chief.
master: My master ordered me not to deliver the message except in private.
supervisor: …a full-time job as a supervisor at a factory.
bossy /bɒ si/ ADJ If you describe someone as bossy , you mean that they enjoy telling people what to do. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ She remembers being a rather bossy little girl. ● bossi|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ They resent what they see as bossiness.
bo|sun /boʊ s ə n/ (bosuns ) N‑COUNT The bosun on a ship is the officer whose job it is to look after the ship and its equipment.
bot /bɒ t/ (bots ) N‑COUNT A bot is a computer program that carries out tasks for other programs or users, especially on the internet. [COMPUTING ]
bo|tan|ic /bətæ n I k/ ADJ [ADJ n] Botanic means the same as botanical .
bo|tani|cal /bətæ n I k ə l/ (botanicals )
1 ADJ [ADJ n] Botanical books, research, and activities relate to the scientific study of plants. □ The area is of great botanical interest. □ …botanical gardens.
2 N‑COUNT Botanicals are drugs which are made from plants. □ The most effective new botanicals are extracts from cola nut and marine algae.
bota|nist /bɒ tən I st/ (botanists ) N‑COUNT A botanist is a scientist who studies plants.
bota|ny /bɒ təni/ N‑UNCOUNT Botany is the scientific study of plants.
botch /bɒ tʃ/ (botches , botching , botched )
1 VERB If you botch something that you are doing, you do it badly or clumsily. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] It is a silly idea and he has botched it. □ [V -ed] …a botched job. ● PHRASAL VERB Botch up means the same as botch . □ [V P n] I hate having builders botch up repairs on my house. □ [V n P ] Hemingway complained that Nichols had 'botched everything up'.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you make a botch of something that you are doing, you botch it. [INFORMAL ] □ I rather made a botch of that whole thing.
▸ botch up → see botch 1
bo tch-up (botch-ups ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] A botch-up is the same as a botch . [INFORMAL ] □ They were victims of a computer botch-up.
both ◆◆◆ /boʊ θ/
1 DET You use both when you are referring to two people or things and saying that something is true about each of them. □ She cried out in fear and flung both arms up to protect her face. □ Put both vegetables into a bowl and crush with a potato masher. ● QUANT Both is also a quantifier. □ [+ of ] Both of these women have strong memories of the Vietnam War. □ We're going to Andreas's Boutique to pick out something original for both of us. ● PRON Both is also a pronoun. □ Miss Brown and her friend, both from Stoke, were arrested on the 8th of June. □ Will there be public-works programmes, or community service, or both? ● PRON Both is also an emphasizing pronoun. □ He visited the Institute of Neurology in Havana where they both worked. □ 'Well, I'll leave you both, then,' said Gregory. ● PREDET Both is also a predeterminer. [EMPHASIS ] □ Both the band's writers are fascinating lyricists. □ Both the horses were out, tacked up and ready to ride.
2 CONJ You use the structure both…and when you are giving two facts or alternatives and emphasizing that each of them is true or possible. □ Now women work both before and after having their children. □ Any such action would have to be approved by both American and Saudi leaders.
both|er ◆◇◇ /bɒ ðə r / (bothers , bothering , bothered )
1 VERB If you do not bother to do something or if you do not bother with it, you do not do it, consider it, or use it because you think it is unnecessary or because you are too lazy. □ [V to-inf] Lots of people don't bother to go through a marriage ceremony these days. □ [V v-ing] Most of the papers didn't even bother reporting it. □ [V ] Nothing I do makes any difference anyway, so why bother? □ [V + with/about ] …and he does not bother with a helmet either.
2 N‑UNCOUNT [oft a N ] Bother means trouble or difficulty. You can also use bother to refer to an activity which causes this, especially when you would prefer not to do it or get involved with it. □ I usually buy sliced bread–it's less bother. □ Most men hate the bother of shaving.
3 VERB If something bothers you, or if you bother about it, it worries, annoys, or upsets you. □ [V n] Is something bothering you? □ [V n] That kind of jealousy doesn't bother me. □ [V n that] It bothered me that boys weren't interested in me. □ [V + about ] Never bother about people's opinions. [Also V n wh] ● both|ered ADJ [v-link ADJ ] □ [+ about ] I was bothered about the blister on my hand. □ I'm not bothered if he has another child.
4 VERB If someone bothers you, they talk to you when you want to be left alone or interrupt you when you are busy. □ [V n] We are playing a trick on a man who keeps bothering me. □ [V n + with/about ] I don't know why he bothers me with this kind of rubbish.
5 PHRASE If you say that you can't be bothered to do something, you mean that you are not going to do it because you think it is unnecessary or because you are too lazy. □ I just can't be bothered to look after the house.
6 hot and bothered → see hot SYNONYMS bother NOUN 2
trouble: You've caused us a lot of trouble.
problem: …the economic problems of the inner city.
difficulty: …the difficulty of getting accurate information.
nuisance: Sorry to be a nuisance. VERB 4
worry: I'm still in the early days of my recovery and that worries me.
trouble: Is anything troubling you?
concern: It concerned her that Bess was developing a crush on Max.
upset: She warned me not to say anything to upset him.
both|er|some /bɒ ðə r səm/ ADJ Someone or something that is bothersome is annoying or irritating. [OLD-FASHIONED ]
Bo|tox /boʊ tɒks/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Botox is a substance that is injected into the face in order to make the skin look smoother. [TRADEMARK ] □ …Botox injections.
bot|tle ◆◆◇ /bɒ t ə l/ (bottles , bottling , bottled )
1 N‑COUNT A bottle is a glass or plastic container in which drinks and other liquids are kept. Bottles are usually round with straight sides and a narrow top. □ There were two empty bottles on the table. □ He was pulling the cork from a bottle of wine. □ …Victorian scent bottles. ● N‑COUNT A bottle of something is an amount of it contained in a bottle. □ [+ of ] Drink a bottle of water an hour - more if it's hot .
2 VERB To bottle a drink or other liquid means to put it into bottles after it has been made. □ [V n] This is a large truck which has equipment to automatically bottle the wine. □ [V -ed] …bottled water.
3 N‑COUNT A bottle is a drinking container used by babies. It has a special rubber part at the top through which they can suck their drink.
4 → see also bottled , feeding bottle , hot-water bottle , water bottle
▸ bottle up PHRASAL VERB If you bottle up strong feelings, you do not express them or show them, especially when this makes you tense or angry. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V n P ] Tension in the home increases if you bottle things up. □ [V P n] Be assertive rather than bottle up your anger.
bo t|tle bank (bottle banks ) N‑COUNT A bottle bank is a large container into which people can put empty bottles so that the glass can be used again. [BRIT ]
bot|tled /bɒ t ə ld/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Bottled gas is kept under pressure in special metal cylinders which can be moved from one place to another.
2 → see also bottle
bo ttle-feed (bottle-feeds , bottle-feeding , bottle-fed ) VERB If you bottle-feed a baby, you give it milk or a liquid like milk in a bottle rather than the baby sucking milk from its mother's breasts. □ [V n] New fathers love bottle-feeding their babies. □ [V -ed] …a bottle-fed baby.
bo ttle-gree n also bottle green COLOUR Something that is bottle-green is dark green in colour.
bottle|neck /bɒ t ə lnek/ (bottlenecks )
1 N‑COUNT A bottleneck is a place where a road becomes narrow or where it meets another road so that the traffic slows down or stops, often causing traffic jams.
2 N‑COUNT A bottleneck is a situation that stops a process or activity from progressing. □ He pushed everyone full speed ahead until production hit a bottleneck.
bo ttle-opener (bottle-openers ) N‑COUNT A bottle-opener is a metal device for removing caps or tops from bottles.
bot|tler /bɒ tələ r / (bottlers ) N‑COUNT A bottler is a person or company that puts drinks into bottles.
bo t|tle shop (bottle shops ) N‑COUNT A bottle shop is a shop which sells wine, beer, and other alcoholic drinks. [AUSTRALIAN ]
bot|tom ◆◆◇ /bɒ təm/ (bottoms , bottoming , bottomed )
1 N‑COUNT The bottom of something is the lowest or deepest part of it. □ [+ of ] He sat at the bottom of the stairs. □ [+ of ] Answers can be found at the bottom of page 8. □ [+ of ] …the bottom of the sea.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] The bottom thing or layer in a series of things or layers is the lowest one. □ There's an extra duvet in the bottom drawer of the cupboard.
3 N‑COUNT The bottom of an object is the flat surface at its lowest point. You can also refer to the inside or outside of this surface as the bottom . □ Spread the onion slices on the bottom of the dish. □ …the bottom of their shoes. □ …a suitcase with a false bottom.
4 N‑SING If you say that the bottom has dropped or fallen out of a market or industry, you mean that people have stopped buying the products it sells. [BUSINESS , JOURNALISM ] □ The bottom had fallen out of the city's property market.
5 N‑SING The bottom of a street or garden is the end farthest away from you or from your house. [BRIT ] □ [+ of ] …the Cathedral at the bottom of the street. in AM, usually use end 6 N‑SING The bottom of a table is the end farthest away from where you are sitting. The bottom of a bed is the end where you usually rest your feet. [BRIT ] □ [+ of ] Malone sat down on the bottom of the bed. in AM, usually use end 7 N‑SING The bottom of an organization or career structure is the lowest level in it, where new employees often start. □ He had worked in the theatre for many years, starting at the bottom. □ [+ of ] …a contract researcher at the bottom of the pay scale.
8 N‑SING If someone is bottom or at the bottom in a survey, test, or league, their performance is worse than that of all the other people involved. □ [+ of ] He was always bottom of the class. □ [+ of ] The team is close to bottom of the League.
9 N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Your bottom is the part of your body that you sit on. □ If there was one thing she could change about her body it would be her bottom.
10 N‑COUNT [usu pl, oft n N ] The lower part of a bikini, tracksuit, or pair of pyjamas can be referred to as the bottoms or the bottom . □ She wore blue tracksuit bottoms. □ …a skimpy bikini bottom.
11 → see also -bottomed , rock bottom
12 PHRASE You use at bottom to emphasize that you are stating what you think is the real nature of something or the real truth about a situation. [EMPHASIS ] □ The two systems are, at bottom, conceptual models. □ At bottom, such an attitude is born out of fear of losing you.
13 PHRASE If something is at the bottom of a problem or unpleasant situation, it is the real cause of it. □ Often I find that anger and resentment are at the bottom of the problem.
14 PHRASE You can say that you mean something from the bottom of your heart to emphasize that you mean it very sincerely. [EMPHASIS ] □ I'm happy, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. □ I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart.
15 PHRASE If you want to get to the bottom of a problem, you want to solve it by finding out its real cause. □ I have to get to the bottom of this mess.
16 to scrape the bottom of the barrel → see barrel
▸ bottom out PHRASAL VERB If a trend such as a fall in prices bottoms out , it stops getting worse or decreasing, and remains at a particular level or amount. [JOURNALISM ] □ [V P ] He expects the recession to bottom out. COLLOCATIONS bottom NOUN
1
verb + bottom : near, reach
10
noun + bottom : bikini, jogging, pyjama, tracksuit
-bottomed /-bɒ təmd/ COMB -bottomed can be added to adjectives or nouns to form adjectives that indicate what kind of bottom an object or person has. □ …a glass-bottomed boat.
bot|tom|less /bɒ təmləs/
1 ADJ If you describe a supply of something as bottomless , you mean that it seems so large that it will never run out. □ Mum does not have a bottomless purse.
2 ADJ If you describe something as bottomless , you mean that it is so deep that it seems to have no bottom. □ His eyes were like bottomless brown pools.
3 PHRASE If you describe something as a bottomless pit , you mean that it seems as if you can take things from it and it will never be empty or put things in it and it will never be full. □ A gold mine is not a bottomless pit, the gold runs out. □ The problem is we don't have a bottomless pit of resources.
bo t|tom li ne (bottom lines )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] The bottom line in a decision or situation is the most important factor that you have to consider. □ The bottom line is that it's not profitable.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing, usu poss N ] The bottom line in a business deal is the least a person is willing to accept. □ She says £95,000 is her bottom line.
3 N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] The bottom line is the total amount of money that a company has made or lost over a particular period of time. [BUSINESS ] □ …to force chief executives to look beyond the next quarter's bottom line.
botu|lism /bɒ tʃʊl I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Botulism is a serious form of food poisoning. [MEDICAL ]
bou|doir /buː dwɑː r / (boudoirs ) N‑COUNT A boudoir is a woman's bedroom or private sitting room. [OLD-FASHIONED ]
bouf|fant /buː fɒn, [AM ] buːfɑː nt/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A bouffant hairstyle is one in which your hair is high and full. □ …blonde bouffant hairdos.
bou|gain|vil|lea /buː gənv I liə/ (bougainvilleas ) in BRIT, also use bougainvillaea N‑VAR Bougainvillea is a climbing plant that has thin, red or purple flowers and grows mainly in hot countries.
bough /baʊ / (boughs ) N‑COUNT A bough is a large branch of a tree. [LITERARY ] □ I rested my fishing rod against a pine bough.
bought /bɔː t/ Bought is the past tense and past participle of buy .
bouil|la|baisse /buː jəbes/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft a N ] Bouillabaisse is a rich stew or soup of fish and vegetables.
bouil|lon /buː jɒn, [AM ] bʊ ljɑːn/ (bouillons ) N‑VAR Bouillon is a liquid made by boiling meat and bones or vegetables in water and used to make soups and sauces.
boul|der /boʊ ldə r / (boulders ) N‑COUNT A boulder is a large rounded rock.
boules /buː l/ N‑UNCOUNT Boules is a game in which a small ball is thrown and then the players try to throw other balls as close to the first ball as possible.
boule|vard /buː ləvɑː r d, [AM ] bʊ l-/ (boulevards ) N‑COUNT [oft in names] A boulevard is a wide street in a city, usually with trees along each side. □ …Lenton Boulevard.
bounce /baʊ ns/ (bounces , bouncing , bounced )
1 VERB When an object such as a ball bounces or when you bounce it, it moves upwards from a surface or away from it immediately after hitting it. □ [V n prep] I bounced a ball against the house. □ [V n] My father would burst into the kitchen bouncing a football. □ [V prep/adv] …a falling pebble, bouncing down the eroded cliff. □ [V ] They watched the dodgem cars bang and bounce. ● N‑COUNT Bounce is also a noun. □ The wheelchair tennis player is allowed two bounces of the ball.
2 VERB If sound or light bounces off a surface or is bounced off it, it reaches the surface and is reflected back. □ [V + off ] Your arms and legs need protection from light bouncing off glass. □ [V n + off ] They work by bouncing microwaves off solid objects.
3 VERB If something bounces or if something bounces it, it swings or moves up and down. □ [V ] Her long black hair bounced as she walked. □ [V adv] Then I noticed the car was bouncing up and down as if someone were jumping on it. □ [V n] The wind was bouncing the branches of the big oak trees.
4 VERB If you bounce on a soft surface, you jump up and down on it repeatedly. □ [V prep/adv] She lets us do anything, even bounce on our beds. [Also V ]
5 VERB If someone bounces somewhere, they move there in an energetic way, because they are feeling happy. □ [V prep/adv] Moira bounced into the office.
6 VERB If you bounce your ideas off someone, you tell them to that person, in order to find out what they think about them. □ [V n + off ] It was good to bounce ideas off another mind. □ [V n around ] Let's bounce a few ideas around.
7 VERB If a cheque bounces or if a bank bounces it, the bank refuses to accept it and pay out the money, because the person who wrote it does not have enough money in their account. □ [V ] Our only complaint would be if the cheque bounced. □ [V n] His bank wrongly bounced cheques worth £75,000.
8 VERB [V ] If an email or other electronic message bounces , it is returned to the person who sent it because the address was wrong or because of a problem with one of the computers involved in sending it. [COMPUTING ]
▸ bounce back PHRASAL VERB If you bounce back after a bad experience, you return very quickly to your previous level of success, enthusiasm, or activity. □ [V P ] We lost two or three early games in the World Cup, but we bounced back. □ [V P prep/adv] He is young enough to bounce back from this disappointment.
bounc|er /baʊ nsə r / (bouncers ) N‑COUNT A bouncer is a man who stands at the door of a club, prevents unwanted people from coming in, and makes people leave if they cause trouble.
bounc|ing /baʊ ns I ŋ/
1 ADJ [v-link ADJ with n, ADJ n] If you say that someone is bouncing with health, you mean that they are very healthy. You can also refer to a bouncing baby to mean a healthy baby. □ They are bouncing with health in the good weather. □ Derek is now the proud father of a bouncing baby girl.
2 → see also bounce
bouncy /baʊ nsi/
1 ADJ Someone or something that is bouncy is very lively. □ She was bouncy and full of energy.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A bouncy thing can bounce very well or makes other things bounce well. □ …a children's paradise filled with bouncy toys. □ …a bouncy chair.
bou ncy cas|tle (bouncy castles ) N‑COUNT A bouncy castle is a large object filled with air, often in the shape of a castle, which children play on at a fairground or other outdoor event.
bound
➊ BE BOUND
➋ OTHER USES
➊ bound ◆◇◇ /baʊ nd/
1 Bound is the past tense and past participle of bind .
2 PHRASE If you say that something is bound to happen, you mean that you are sure it will happen, because it is a natural consequence of something that is already known or exists. □ There are bound to be price increases next year. □ If you are topless in a public place, this sort of thing is bound to happen.
3 PHRASE If you say that something is bound to happen or be true, you feel confident and certain of it, although you have no definite knowledge or evidence. [SPOKEN ] □ I'll show it to Benjamin. He's bound to know. □ We'll have more than one child, and one of them's bound to be a boy.
4 ADJ If one person, thing, or situation is bound to another, they are closely associated with each other, and it is difficult for them to be separated or to escape from each other. □ [+ to ] We are as tightly bound to the people we dislike as to the people we love.
5 ADJ If a vehicle or person is bound for a particular place, they are travelling towards it. □ [+ for ] The ship was bound for Italy. □ [+ for ] …a Russian plane bound for Berlin. ● COMB -bound is also a combining form. □ …a Texas-bound oil freighter. □ …homeward-bound commuters.
6 PHRASE If something is bound up in a particular form or place, it is fixed in that form or contained in that place. □ He does not like having a large chunk of his wealth bound up in shares.
7 PHRASE If one thing is bound up with or in another, they are closely connected with each other, and it is difficult to consider the two things separately. □ My fate was bound up with hers. □ Their interests were completely bound up in their careers.
8 → see also bind over
➋ bound ◆◇◇ /baʊ nd/ (bounds , bounding , bounded )
→ Please look at category 10 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1 N‑PLURAL [usu within/beyond N ] Bounds are limits which normally restrict what can happen or what people can do. □ Changes in temperature occur slowly and are constrained within relatively tight bounds. □ [+ of ] …a forceful personality willing to go beyond the bounds of convention. □ [+ of ] …the bounds of good taste.
2 VERB If an area of land is bounded by something, that thing is situated around its edge. □ [be V -ed + by ] The area is bounded by Oxford Street to the north and Leicester Square to the south. □ [V n] …the trees that bounded the car park. □ [V -ed] …the park, bounded by two busy main roads and a huge housing estate.
3 V-PASSIVE If someone's life or situation is bounded by certain things, those are its most important aspects and it is limited or restricted by them. □ [be V -ed + by ] Our lives are bounded by work, family and television.
4 VERB If a person or animal bounds in a particular direction, they move quickly with large steps or jumps. □ [V prep/adv] He bounded up the steps and pushed the bell of the door.
5 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A bound is a long or high jump. [LITERARY ] □ With one bound Jack was free.
6 VERB If the quantity or performance of something bounds ahead, it increases or improves quickly and suddenly. □ [V adv] The shares bounded ahead a further 11p to 311p.
7 PHRASE If you say that a feeling or quality knows no bounds , you are emphasizing that it is very strong or intense. [EMPHASIS ] □ The passion of Argentinian football fans knows no bounds.
8 PHRASE If a place is out of bounds , people are not allowed to go there. □ For the last few days the area has been out of bounds to foreign journalists.
9 PHRASE If something is out of bounds , people are not allowed to do it, use it, see it, or know about it. □ The subject is out of bounds today.
10 leaps and bounds → see leap
-bound /-baʊnd/
1 COMB -bound combines with nouns to form adjectives which describe a person who finds it impossible or very difficult to leave the specified place. □ I'm pretty desk-bound, which is very frustrating.
2 COMB -bound combines with nouns to form adjectives which describe a place that is greatly affected by the specified type of weather. □ Three people were hurt in a 12-car pile up on a fog-bound motorway yesterday.
3 COMB -bound combines with nouns to form adjectives which describe something or someone that is prevented from working properly or is badly affected by the specified situation. [WRITTEN ] □ …the tradition-bound officers of the navy.
4 → see also bound ➊ 5 , duty-bound , muscle-bound
bounda|ry /baʊ ndəri/ (boundaries )
1 N‑COUNT The boundary of an area of land is an imaginary line that separates it from other areas. □ [+ of ] …the Bow Brook which forms the western boundary of the wood. □ Drug traffickers operate across national boundaries. [Also + between ]
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] The boundaries of something such as a subject or activity are the limits that people think that it has. □ [+ between ] The boundaries between history and storytelling are always being blurred and muddled. □ [+ of ] …extending the boundaries of press freedom.
bound|er /baʊ ndə r / (bounders ) N‑COUNT If you call a man a bounder , you mean he behaves in an unkind, deceitful, or selfish way. [BRIT , OLD-FASHIONED ]
bound|less /baʊ ndləs/ ADJ If you describe something as boundless , you mean that there seems to be no end or limit to it. □ His reforming zeal was boundless.
boun|ti|ful /baʊ nt I fʊl/
1 ADJ A bountiful supply or amount of something pleasant is a large one. □ State aid is less bountiful than it was before. □ …a bountiful harvest of fruits and vegetables.
2 ADJ A bountiful area or period of time produces or provides large amounts of something, especially food. □ The land is bountiful and no one starves.
boun|ty /baʊ nti/ (bounties )
1 N‑VAR You can refer to something that is provided in large amounts as bounty . [LITERARY ] □ …autumn's bounty of fruits, seeds and berries.
2 N‑COUNT A bounty is money that is offered as a reward for doing something, especially for finding or killing a particular person. □ They paid bounties for people to give up their weapons.
bou n|ty hunt|er (bounty hunters ) N‑COUNT A bounty hunter is someone who tries to find or kill someone in order to get the reward that has been offered.
bou|quet /boʊke I , buː-/ (bouquets )
1 N‑COUNT A bouquet is a bunch of flowers which is attractively arranged. □ [+ of ] The woman carried a bouquet of dried violets.
2 N‑VAR The bouquet of something, especially wine, is the pleasant smell that it has. □ …a Sicilian wine with a bouquet of cloves.
bou|quet gar|ni /boʊke I gɑː r niː , buː-/ N‑SING A bouquet garni is a bunch of herbs that are tied together and used in cooking to add flavour to the food.
bour|bon /bɜː r bən/ (bourbons ) N‑VAR Bourbon is a type of whisky that is made mainly in America. □ I poured a little more bourbon into my glass. ● N‑COUNT A bourbon is a small glass of bourbon.
bour|geois /bʊə r ʒwɑː/
1 ADJ If you describe people, their way of life, or their attitudes as bourgeois , you disapprove of them because you consider them typical of conventional middle-class people. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ He's accusing them of having a bourgeois and limited vision.
2 → see also petit bourgeois
bour|geoi|sie /bʊə r ʒwɑːziː /
1 N‑SING [with sing or pl verb] In Marxist theory, the bourgeoisie are the middle-class people who own most of the wealth in a capitalist system. [TECHNICAL ] □ …the suppression of the proletariat by the bourgeoisie.
2 → see also petit bourgeoisie
bourse /buː r s/ (bourses ) N‑COUNT [oft in names] A country's or region's bourse is its stock exchange.
bout /baʊ t/ (bouts )
1 N‑COUNT If you have a bout of an illness or of an unpleasant feeling, you have it for a short period. □ [+ of ] He was recovering from a severe bout of flu. □ [+ of ] I was suffering with a bout of nerves.
2 N‑COUNT A bout of something that is unpleasant is a short time during which it occurs a great deal. □ [+ of ] The latest bout of violence has claimed twenty-four lives. □ [+ of ] A half-hour daily walk can be more beneficial than one hard bout of exercise a week.
3 N‑COUNT A bout is a boxing or wrestling match. □ This will be his eighth title bout in 19 months.
bou|tique /buːtiː k/ (boutiques ) N‑COUNT A boutique is a small shop that sells fashionable clothes, shoes, or jewellery.
bou|ti que ho|te l (boutique hotels ) N‑COUNT A boutique hotel is a small, high-quality and usually attractive hotel. □ They opened a boutique hotel in Istanbul.
bo|vine /boʊ va I n/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Bovine means relating to cattle. [TECHNICAL ]
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe someone's behaviour or appearance as bovine , you think that they are stupid or slow. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ I'm depressed by the bovine enthusiasm of the crowd's response.
bow
➊ BENDING OR SUBMITTING
➋ PART OF A SHIP
➌ OBJECTS
➊ bow /baʊ / (bows , bowing , bowed )
1 VERB When you bow to someone, you briefly bend your body towards them as a formal way of greeting them or showing respect. □ [V + to ] They bowed low to Louis and hastened out of his way. □ [V ] He bowed slightly before taking her bag. ● N‑COUNT [usu sing] Bow is also a noun. □ I gave a theatrical bow and waved.
2 VERB If you bow your head, you bend it downwards so that you are looking towards the ground, for example because you want to show respect or because you are thinking deeply about something. □ [V n] He bowed his head and whispered a prayer of thanksgiving. □ [V -ed] She stood still, head bowed, hands clasped in front of her.
3 VERB If you bow to pressure or to someone's wishes, you agree to do what they want you to do. □ [V + to ] Some shops are bowing to consumer pressure and stocking organically grown vegetables.
4 V-PASSIVE If you are bowed by something, you are made unhappy and anxious by it, and lose hope. □ [be V -ed] …their determination not to be bowed in the face of the allied attacks. ● PHRASAL VERB To be bowed down means the same as to be bowed . □ [be V -ed P ] I am bowed down by my sins.
▸ bow down
1 PHRASAL VERB If you refuse to bow down to another person, you refuse to show them respect or to behave in a way which you think would make you seem weaker or less important than them. □ [V P + to ] We should not have to bow down to anyone.
2 → see also bow ➊ 4
▸ bow out PHRASAL VERB If you bow out of something, you stop taking part in it. [WRITTEN ] □ [V P ] He had bowed out gracefully when his successor had been appointed. [Also + of ]
➋ bow /baʊ / (bows ) N‑COUNT The front part of a ship is called the bow or the bows . The plural bows can be used to refer either to one or to more than one of these parts. □ The waves were about five feet now, and the bow of the boat was leaping up and down.
➌ bow /boʊ / (bows )
1 N‑COUNT A bow is a knot with two loops and two loose ends that is used in tying shoelaces and ribbons. □ Add a length of ribbon tied in a bow.
2 N‑COUNT A bow is a weapon for shooting arrows which consists of a long piece of curved wood with a string attached to both its ends. □ Some of the raiders were armed with bows and arrows.
3 N‑COUNT The bow of a violin or other stringed instrument is a long thin piece of wood with fibres stretched along it, which you move across the strings of the instrument in order to play it.
bowd|ler|ize /baʊ dləra I z, [AM ] boʊ d-/ (bowdlerizes , bowdlerizing , bowdlerized ) in BRIT, also use bowdlerise VERB To bowdlerize a book or film means to take parts of it out before publishing it or showing it. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V n] I'm bowdlerizing it–just slightly changing one or two words so listeners won't be upset. □ [V -ed] …a bowdlerised version of the song.
bowed Pronounced /boʊ d/ for meaning 1 , and /baʊ d/ for meaning 2 . 1 ADJ Something that is bowed is curved. □ …an old lady with bowed legs.
2 ADJ If a person's body is bowed , it is bent forward. □ He walked aimlessly along street after street, head down and shoulders bowed.
3 → see also bow ➊
bow|el /baʊ əl/ (bowels )
1 N‑COUNT Your bowels are the tubes in your body through which digested food passes from your stomach to your anus.
2 N‑PLURAL You can refer in a polite way to someone getting rid of the waste from their body by saying that they move, open, or empty their bowels .
3 N‑PLURAL You can refer to the parts deep inside something such as the earth, a building, or a machine as the bowels of that thing. [HUMOROUS or LITERARY ] □ …deep in the bowels of the earth. □ Lyn went off into the dark bowels of the building.
bow|er /baʊə r / (bowers ) N‑COUNT A bower is a shady, leafy shelter in a garden or wood. [LITERARY ]
bowl ◆◇◇ /boʊ l/ (bowls , bowling , bowled )
1 N‑COUNT A bowl is a round container with a wide uncovered top. Some kinds of bowl are used, for example, for serving or eating food from, or in cooking, while other larger kinds are used for washing or cleaning. □ Put all the ingredients into a large bowl.
2 N‑COUNT The contents of a bowl can be referred to as a bowl of something. □ [+ of ] …a bowl of soup.
3 N‑COUNT You can refer to the hollow rounded part of an object as its bowl . □ [+ of ] He smacked the bowl of his pipe into his hand. □ …the toilet bowl.
4 N‑UNCOUNT Bowls is a game in which players try to roll large wooden balls as near as possible to a small wooden ball. Bowls is usually played outdoors on grass. [BRIT ] in AM, use lawn bowling 5 N‑COUNT [usu pl] A set of bowls is a set of round wooden balls that you play bowls with.
6 VERB In a sport such as cricket, when a bowler bowls a ball, he or she sends it down the pitch towards a batsman. □ [V n] I can't see the point of bowling a ball like that. □ [V ] He bowled so well that we won two matches.
7 VERB If you bowl along in a car or on a boat, you move along very quickly, especially when you are enjoying yourself. □ [V prep/adv] Veronica looked at him, smiling, as they bowled along.
8 N‑COUNT A large stadium where sports or concerts take place is sometimes called a Bowl . □ …the Crystal Palace Bowl. □ …the Rose Bowl.
9 → see also bowling , begging bowl , fruit bowl , mixing bowl , punch bowl , salad bowl , sugar bowl
▸ bowl over
1 PHRASAL VERB To bowl someone over means to push them and make them fall to the ground. □ [be V -ed P ] The only physical risk I ran was being bowled over by one of the many joggers. □ [V n P ] Some people had to cling to trees as the flash flood bowled them over. [Also V P n]
2 PHRASAL VERB If you are bowled over by something, you are very impressed or surprised by it. □ [be V -ed P ] Like any tourist, I was bowled over by India. □ [V n P ] …a man who bowled her over with his humour and charm. [Also V P n]
bow|ler /boʊ lə r / (bowlers ) N‑COUNT The bowler in a sport such as cricket is the player who is bowling the ball. □ He's a rather good fast bowler.
bo w|ler ha t (bowler hats ) N‑COUNT A bowler hat is a round, hard, black hat with a narrow brim which is worn by men, especially British businessmen. Bowler hats are no longer very common. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, use derby
bowl|ful /boʊ lfʊl/ (bowlfuls ) N‑COUNT The contents of a bowl can be referred to as a bowlful of something. □ [+ of ] They ate a large bowlful of cereal. □ I had a mixed salad–a huge bowlful for £3.20.
bowl|ing /boʊ l I ŋ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Bowling is a game in which you roll a heavy ball down a narrow track towards a group of wooden objects and try to knock down as many of them as possible. □ I go bowling for relaxation.
2 N‑UNCOUNT In a sport such as cricket, bowling is the action or activity of bowling the ball towards the batsman.
bo wl|ing al|ley (bowling alleys ) N‑COUNT A bowling alley is a building which contains several tracks for bowling.
bo wl|ing green (bowling greens ) N‑COUNT A bowling green is an area of very smooth, short grass on which the game of bowls or lawn bowling is played.
bow tie /boʊ ta I / (bow ties ) also bow-tie N‑COUNT A bow tie is a tie in the form of a bow. Bow ties are worn by men, especially for formal occasions.
box ◆◆◇ /bɒ ks/ (boxes , boxing , boxed )
1 N‑COUNT A box is a square or rectangular container with hard or stiff sides. Boxes often have lids. □ He reached into the cardboard box beside him. □ They sat on wooden boxes. □ …the box of tissues on her desk. ● N‑COUNT A box of something is an amount of it contained in a box. □ [+ of ] She ate two boxes of liqueurs.
2 N‑COUNT A box is a square or rectangle that is printed or drawn on a piece of paper, a road, or on some other surface.
3 N‑SING In football, the box is the penalty area of the field. □ He scored from the penalty spot after being brought down in the box.
4 N‑COUNT A box is a small separate area in a theatre or at a sports ground or stadium, where a small number of people can sit to watch the performance or game.
5 N‑SING Television is sometimes referred to as the box . [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ Do you watch it live at all or do you watch it on the box?
6 N‑COUNT Box is used before a number as a postal address by organizations that receive a lot of mail. □ …Country Crafts, Box 111, Landisville.
7 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Box is a small evergreen tree with dark leaves which is often used to form hedges. □ …box hedges.
8 VERB To box means to fight someone according to the rules of boxing. □ [V ] At school I boxed and played rugby. □ [V n] The two fighters had previously boxed a 12-round match.
9 → see also boxed , boxing , black box , chocolate-box , lunch box , phone box , postbox , post office box , sentry box , signal box , telephone box
▸ box in
1 PHRASAL VERB If you are boxed in , you are unable to move from a particular place because you are surrounded by other people or cars. □ [be V -ed P ] Armstrong was boxed in with 300 metres to go. □ [V n P ] The black cabs cut in front of them, trying to box them in.
2 PHRASAL VERB If something boxes you in , it puts you in a situation where you have very little choice about what you can do. □ [V n P ] Part of winning a mandate is having clear goals and not boxing yourself in. □ [V P n] We are not trying to box anybody in, we are trying to find a satisfactory way forward. ● boxed in ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] □ The Chancellor is boxed in by inflation targets and sterling.
box|car /bɒ kskɑː r / (boxcars ) N‑COUNT A boxcar is a railway carriage, often without windows, which is used to carry luggage, goods, or mail. [AM ] in BRIT, use van
boxed /bɒ kst/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A boxed set or collection of things is sold in a box. □ … a boxed set of six cups and saucers. □ This boxed collection captures 64 of the greatest modern love songs.
2 → see also box
box|er /bɒ ksə r / (boxers ) N‑COUNT A boxer is someone who takes part in the sport of boxing.
bo x|er shorts N‑PLURAL [oft a pair of N ] Boxer shorts are loose-fitting men's underpants that are shaped like the shorts worn by boxers.
box|ing /bɒ ks I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Boxing is a sport in which two people wearing large padded gloves fight according to special rules.
Bo x|ing Day N‑UNCOUNT Boxing Day is the 26th of December, the day after Christmas Day. [BRIT ]
bo x|ing glove (boxing gloves ) N‑COUNT Boxing gloves are big padded gloves worn for boxing.
bo x|ing ring (boxing rings ) N‑COUNT A boxing ring is a raised square platform with ropes around it in which boxers fight.
bo x lunch (box lunches ) N‑COUNT A box lunch is food, for example sandwiches, which you take to work, to school, or on a trip and eat as your lunch. [AM ] in BRIT, use packed lunch
bo x num|ber (box numbers ) N‑COUNT A box number is a number used as an address, for example one given by a newspaper for replies to a private advertisement, or one used by an organization for the letters sent to it.
bo x of|fice (box offices ) also box-office
1 N‑COUNT The box office in a theatre, cinema, or concert hall is the place where the tickets are sold.
2 N‑SING [N n] When people talk about the box office , they are referring to the degree of success of a film or play in terms of the number of people who go to watch it or the amount of money it makes. □ The film has taken £180 million at the box office. □ The film was a huge box-office success.
box|set /bɒ kset/ (boxsets ) or box set N‑COUNT A boxset is a set of episodes of a television series, films, or recordings, sold together or made available to watch or listen to at the same time. □ We should have stayed in with a pizza and a boxset.
box|wood /bɒ kswʊd/ N‑UNCOUNT Boxwood is a type of wood which is obtained from a box tree.
boxy /bɒ ksi/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Something that is boxy is similar to a square in shape and usually plain. □ …short boxy jackets.
boy ◆◆◆ /bɔ I / (boys )
1 N‑COUNT A boy is a child who will grow up to be a man. □ I knew him when he was a little boy. □ He was still just a boy.
2 N‑COUNT You can refer to a young man as a boy , especially when talking about relationships between boys and girls. □ …the age when girls get interested in boys.
3 N‑COUNT [usu poss N ] Someone's boy is their son. [INFORMAL ] □ Eric was my cousin Edward's boy. □ I have two boys.
4 N‑COUNT You can refer to a man as a boy , especially when you are talking about him in an affectionate way. [INFORMAL , FEELINGS ] □ …the local boy who made President. □ 'Come on boys', he shouted to the sailors.
5 → see also backroom boy , blue-eyed boy , bully-boy , head boy , messenger boy , office boy , old boy , stable boy , Teddy boy
6 EXCLAM Some people say ' boy ' or ' oh boy ' in order to express feelings of excitement or admiration. [mainly AM , INFORMAL , FEELINGS ] □ Oh Boy! Just think what I could tell him. COLLOCATIONS boy NOUN
1
noun + boy : baby; country, farm
adjective + boy : little, small, young; adolescent, teenage; bad, clever, good, naughty
4
noun + boy : pin-up, poster, wonder; birthday
adjective + boy : golden
bo y band (boy bands ) N‑COUNT A boy band is a band consisting of young men who sing pop music and dance. Boy bands are especially popular with teenage girls.
boy|cott /bɔ I kɒt/ (boycotts , boycotting , boycotted ) VERB If a country, group, or person boycotts a country, organization, or activity, they refuse to be involved with it in any way because they disapprove of it. □ [V n] The main opposition parties are boycotting the elections. ● N‑COUNT Boycott is also a noun. □ [+ of/against/on ] Opposition leaders had called for a boycott of the vote.
boy|friend ◆◇◇ /bɔ I frend/ (boyfriends ) N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Someone's boyfriend is a man or boy with whom they are having a romantic or sexual relationship. □ I don't know if she's got a boyfriend or not.
boy|hood /bɔ I hʊd/ N‑UNCOUNT Boyhood is the period of a male person's life during which he is a boy. □ He has been a Derby County supporter since boyhood.
boy|ish /bɔ I I ʃ/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe a man as boyish , you mean that he is like a boy in his appearance or behaviour, and you find this characteristic quite attractive. [APPROVAL ] □ She was relieved to see his face light up with a boyish grin. □ He loves to learn, and has a boyish enthusiasm for life. ● boy|ish|ly ADV □ John grinned boyishly.
2 ADJ If you describe a girl or woman as boyish , you mean that she looks like a boy, for example because she has short hair or small breasts. □ …her tall, boyish figure.
bo y ra c|er (boy racers ) N‑COUNT British journalists sometimes refer to young men who drive very fast, especially in expensive and powerful cars, as boy racers . [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Bad driving is not just the preserve of boy racers.
Bo y Scou t (Boy Scouts ) also boy scout
1 N‑PROPER [with sing or pl verb] The Boy Scouts is an organization for boys which teaches them discipline and practical skills. □ He's in the Boy Scouts.
2 N‑COUNT A Boy Scout is a boy who is a member of the Boy Scouts.
bozo /boʊ zoʊ/ (bozos ) N‑COUNT If you say that someone is a bozo , you mean that you think they are stupid. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ He makes 'em look like bozos.
bps /bi ː piː e s/ bps is a measurement of the speed at which computer data is transferred, for example by a modem. bps is an abbreviation for 'bits per second'. [COMPUTING ] □ A minimum 28,800 bps modem is probably the slowest you'll want to put up with.
Br. Br. is a written abbreviation for British .
bra /brɑː / (bras ) N‑COUNT A bra is a piece of underwear that women wear to support their breasts.
brace /bre I s/ (braces , bracing , braced )
1 VERB If you brace yourself for something unpleasant or difficult, you prepare yourself for it. □ [V pron-refl + for ] He braced himself for the icy plunge into the black water. □ [V pron-refl] She braced herself, as if to meet a blow.
2 VERB If you brace yourself against something or brace part of your body against it, you press against something in order to steady your body or to avoid falling. □ [V pron-refl + against ] Elaine braced herself against the dresser and looked in the mirror. □ [V n + against ] He braced his back against the wall.
3 VERB If you brace your shoulders or knees, you keep them stiffly in a particular position. □ [V n] He braced his shoulders as the snow slashed across his face.
4 VERB To brace something means to strengthen or support it with something else. □ [V n] Overhead, the lights showed the old timbers, used to brace the roof.
5 N‑COUNT You can refer to two things of the same kind as a brace of that thing. The plural form is also brace . □ [+ of ] …a brace of bottles of Mercier Rose champagne. □ [+ of ] …a few brace of grouse.
6 N‑COUNT [oft n N ] A brace is a device attached to a part of a person's body, for example to a weak leg, in order to strengthen or support it. □ She wears a neck brace.
7 N‑COUNT A brace is a metal device that can be fastened to a child's teeth in order to help them grow straight.
8 N‑PLURAL Braces are a pair of straps that pass over your shoulders and fasten to your trousers at the front and back in order to stop them from falling down. [BRIT ] in AM, use suspenders 9 N‑COUNT Braces or curly braces are a pair of written marks that you place around words, numbers, or parts of a computer code, for example to indicate that they are connected in some way or are separate from other parts of the writing or code. [AM ] in BRIT, usually use curly brackets
brace|let /bre I sl I t/ (bracelets ) N‑COUNT A bracelet is a chain or band, usually made of metal, which you wear around your wrist as jewellery.
brac|ing /bre I s I ŋ/ ADJ If you describe something, especially a place, climate, or activity as bracing , you mean that it makes you feel fresh and full of energy. □ …a bracing walk.
brack|en /bræ kən/ N‑UNCOUNT Bracken is a large plant with leaves that are divided into many thin sections. It grows on hills and in woods.
brack|et /bræ k I t/ (brackets , bracketing , bracketed )
1 N‑COUNT [usu n N ] If you say that someone or something is in a particular bracket , you mean that they come within a particular range, for example a range of incomes, ages, or prices. □ …a 33% top tax rate on everyone in these high-income brackets. □ Do you fall outside that age bracket?
2 N‑COUNT Brackets are pieces of metal, wood, or plastic that are fastened to a wall in order to support something such as a shelf. □ Fix the beam with the brackets and screws. □ …adjustable wall brackets.
3 VERB If two or more people or things are bracketed together , they are considered to be similar or related in some way. □ [be V -ed with together ] Small businesses are being bracketed together as high risk, regardless of their business plans and previous histories. □ [be V -ed + with ] Austrian wine styles are often bracketed with those of northern Germany.
4 N‑COUNT [usu pl, oft in N ] Brackets are a pair of written marks that you place round a word, expression, or sentence in order to indicate that you are giving extra information. In British English, curved marks like these are also called brackets , but in American English, they are called parenthesis . □ The prices in brackets are special rates for the under 18s.
5 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Brackets are pair of marks that are placed around a series of symbols in a mathematical expression to indicate that those symbols function as one item within the expression.
brack|ish /bræ k I ʃ/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Brackish water is slightly salty and unpleasant. □ …shallow pools of brackish water.
brag /bræ g/ (brags , bragging , bragged ) VERB If you brag , you say in a very proud way that you have something or have done something. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V + about ] He's always bragging about his prowess as a cricketer. □ [V + to ] He'll probably go around bragging to his friends. □ [V that] He once bragged that he would become the world's richest man. [Also V with quote, V ]
Brah|min /brɑː m I n/ (Brahmins ) also Brahman N‑COUNT A Brahmin is a Hindu of the highest social rank.
braid /bre I d/ (braids , braiding , braided )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Braid is a narrow piece of decorated cloth or twisted threads, which is used to decorate clothes or curtains. □ …a plum-coloured uniform with lots of gold braid.
2 VERB If you braid hair or a group of threads, you twist three or more lengths of the hair or threads over and under each other to make one thick length. [AM ] □ [V n] She had almost finished braiding Louisa's hair. □ [V -ed] He pictured her with long black braided hair. in BRIT, use plait 3 N‑COUNT A braid is a length of hair which has been divided into three or more lengths and then braided. [AM ] in BRIT, use plait
braid|ed /bre I d I d/ ADJ A piece of clothing that is braided is decorated with braid.
Braille /bre I l/ N‑UNCOUNT Braille is a system of printing for blind people. The letters are printed as groups of raised dots that you can feel with your fingers.
brain ◆◆◇ /bre I n/ (brains )
1 N‑COUNT Your brain is the organ inside your head that controls your body's activities and enables you to think and to feel things such as heat and pain. □ Her father died of a brain tumour.
2 N‑COUNT [usu poss N ] Your brain is your mind and the way that you think. □ Once you stop using your brain you soon go stale. □ Stretch your brain with this puzzle.
3 N‑COUNT If someone has brains or a good brain , they have the ability to learn and understand things quickly, to solve problems, and to make good decisions. □ I had a good brain and the teachers liked me.
4 N‑COUNT [usu pl] If someone is the brains behind an idea or an organization, he or she had that idea or makes the important decisions about how that organization is managed. [INFORMAL ] □ Mr White was the brains behind the scheme. □ [+ of ] Some investigators regarded her as the brains of the gang.
5 PHRASE If you pick someone's brains , you ask them to help you with a problem because they know more about the subject than you. [INFORMAL ] □ Why should a successful company allow another firm to pick its brains?
6 to rack your brains → see rack COLLOCATIONS brain NOUN
1
adjective + brain : human; left, right
verb + brain : scan; affect, damage
2
adjective + brain : human, teenage; mathematical, sharp, shrewd
verb + brain : engage, stimulate, use
brain|child /bre I ntʃa I ld/ also brain-child N‑SING [with poss] Someone's brainchild is an idea or invention that they have thought up or created. □ The project was the brainchild of the British Council offices in India.
brai n dam|age N‑UNCOUNT If someone suffers brain damage , their brain is damaged by an illness or injury so that they cannot function normally. □ He suffered severe brain damage after a motorbike accident.
brai n-damaged ADJ Someone who is brain-damaged has suffered brain damage. □ The accident left the boy severely brain-damaged and almost totally reliant on others.
brai n-dea d also brain dead , braindead
1 ADJ If someone is declared brain-dead , they have suffered brain death.
2 ADJ If you say that someone is brain-dead , you are saying in a cruel way that you think they are very stupid. [DISAPPROVAL ]
brai n death N‑UNCOUNT Brain death occurs when someone's brain stops functioning, even though their heart may be kept beating using a machine.
brai n drain N‑SING When people talk about a brain drain , they are referring to the movement of a large number of scientists or academics away from their own country to other countries where the conditions and salaries are better.
-brained /-bre I nd/
1 COMB You can combine -brained with nouns to form adjectives which describe the quality of someone's mind when you consider that person to be rather stupid. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …a scatter-brained professor.
2 → see also hare-brained
brain|less /bre I nləs/ ADJ If you describe someone or something as brainless , you mean that you think they are stupid. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ I got treated as if I was a bit brainless.
brain|power /bre I npaʊə r /
1 N‑UNCOUNT Brainpower is intelligence or the ability to think. [JOURNALISM ] □ She admired Robert's brainpower.
2 N‑UNCOUNT You can refer to the intelligent people in an organization or country as its brainpower . [JOURNALISM ] □ A country's principal resource is its brainpower.
brain|storm /bre I nstɔː r m/ (brainstorms , brainstorming , brainstormed )
1 N‑COUNT If you have a brainstorm , you suddenly become unable to think clearly. [BRIT ] □ I can have a brainstorm and be very extravagant.
2 N‑COUNT If you have a brainstorm , you suddenly have a clever idea. [AM ] □ 'Look,' she said, getting a brainstorm, 'Why don't you invite them here?' in BRIT, usually use brainwave 3 VERB If a group of people brainstorm , they have a meeting in which they all put forward as many ideas and suggestions as they can think of. □ [V ] The women meet twice a month to brainstorm and set business goals for each other. □ [V n] We can brainstorm a list of the most influential individuals in the company. ● brain|storming N‑UNCOUNT □ Hundreds of ideas had been tried and discarded during two years of brainstorming.
brai n teas|er (brain teasers ) also brain-teaser N‑COUNT A brain teaser is a question, problem, or puzzle that is difficult to answer or solve, but is not serious or important.
brain|wash /bre I nwɒʃ/ (brainwashes , brainwashing , brainwashed ) VERB If you brainwash someone, you force them to believe something by continually telling them that it is true, and preventing them from thinking about it properly. □ [V n + into ] They brainwash people into giving up all their money. □ [be V -ed to-inf] We were brainwashed to believe we were all equal. [Also V n]
brain|wave /bre I nwe I v/ (brainwaves )
1 N‑COUNT If you have a brainwave , you suddenly have a clever idea. [BRIT ] □ In 1990 she had a brainwave that changed her life. in AM, usually use brainstorm 2 N‑PLURAL Brainwaves are electrical signals produced by the brain which can be recorded and measured. □ His brainwaves were constantly monitored.
brainy /bre I ni/ (brainier , brainiest ) ADJ Someone who is brainy is clever and good at learning. [INFORMAL ] □ I don't class myself as being very intelligent or brainy.
braise /bre I z/ (braises , braising , braised ) VERB When you braise meat or a vegetable, you fry it quickly and then cook it slowly in a covered dish with a small amount of liquid. □ [V n] I braised some beans to accompany a shoulder of lamb. □ [V -ed] …braised cabbage.
brake /bre I k/ (brakes , braking , braked )
1 N‑COUNT Brakes are devices in a vehicle that make it go slower or stop. □ The brakes began locking. □ A seagull swooped down in front of her car, causing her to slam on the brakes.
2 VERB When a vehicle or its driver brakes , or when a driver brakes a vehicle, the driver makes it slow down or stop by using the brakes. □ [V ] She braked sharply to avoid another car. □ [V n] The system automatically brakes the car if there is an imminent risk of a collision. □ [V + to ] She braked to a halt and switched off. [Also V n + to ]
3 N‑COUNT You can use brake in a number of expressions to indicate that something has slowed down or stopped. □ [+ of ] Illness had put a brake on his progress.
bram|ble /bræ mb ə l/ (brambles ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Brambles are wild prickly bushes that produce blackberries. □ I became caught in the brambles.
bran /bræ n/ N‑UNCOUNT Bran is the outer skin of grain that is left when the grain has been used to make flour. □ …oat bran.
branch ◆◇◇ /brɑː ntʃ, bræ ntʃ/ (branches , branching , branched )
1 N‑COUNT The branches of a tree are the parts that grow out from its trunk and have leaves, flowers, or fruit growing on them.
2 N‑COUNT A branch of a business or other organization is one of the offices, shops, or groups which belong to it and which are located in different places. □ [+ of ] The local branch of Bank of America is handling the accounts. □ …Britain's leading autocare service with over 400 branches nationwide.
3 N‑COUNT [adj N ] A branch of an organization such as the government or the police force is a department that has a particular function. □ [+ of ] Senate employees could take their employment grievances to another branch of government. □ [+ of ] He had a fascination for submarines and joined this branch of the service. □ …the Metropolitan Police Special Branch.
4 N‑COUNT A branch of a subject is a part or type of it. □ [+ of ] Oncology is the branch of medicine dealing with tumors.
5 N‑COUNT A branch of your family is a group of its members who are descended from one particular person. □ [+ of ] This is one of the branches of the Roosevelt family.
▸ branch off PHRASAL VERB A road or path that branches off from another one starts from it and goes in a slightly different direction. If you branch off somewhere, you change the direction in which you are going. □ [V P prep/adv] After a few miles, a small road branched off to the right. [Also V P ]
▸ branch out PHRASAL VERB If a person or an organization branches out , they do something that is different from their normal activities or work. □ [V P prep/adv] I continued studying moths, and branched out to other insects. [Also V P ]
bra nch line (branch lines ) N‑COUNT A branch line is a railway line that goes to small towns rather than one that goes between large cities.
brand ◆◇◇ /bræ nd/ (brands , branding , branded )
1 N‑COUNT [adj N ] A brand of a product is the version of it that is made by one particular manufacturer. □ [+ of ] Winston is a brand of cigarette. □ I bought one of the leading brands. □ …a supermarket's own brand.
2 N‑COUNT A brand of something such as a way of thinking or behaving is a particular kind of it. □ [+ of ] The British brand of socialism was more interested in reform than revolution.
3 VERB If someone is branded as something bad, people think they are that thing. □ [be V -ed + as ] I was instantly branded as a rebel. □ [be V -ed adj] The company has been branded racist by some of its own staff. □ [V n n] The U.S. administration recently branded him a war criminal. [Also V n + as , V n adj]
4 VERB When you brand an animal, you put a permanent mark on its skin in order to show who it belongs to, usually by burning a mark onto its skin. □ [V n] The owner couldn't be bothered to brand the cattle. ● N‑COUNT Brand is also a noun. □ A brand was a mark of ownership burned into the hide of an animal with a hot iron. USAGE brand
Don’t talk about the ‘mark’ of a product. For example, don’t say ‘
What mark of coffee do you drink?
’ Say ‘What brand
of coffee do you drink?’ Don’t say ‘
What mark of car do you drive?
’ Say ‘What make
of car do you drive?’ □
This is a very popular make
of bike.
SYNONYMS
brand
NOUN
1
trademark: Intellectual property law deals with trademarks, copyright and patents.
logo: The product was relaunched with a new website and logo in April.
brand|ed /bræ nd I d/ ADJ [ADJ n] A branded product is one which is made by a well-known manufacturer and has the manufacturer's label on it. [BRIT , BUSINESS ] □ Supermarket lines are often cheaper than branded goods. in AM, use brand-name product
bra nd im|age (brand images ) N‑COUNT The brand image of a particular brand of product is the image or impression that people have of it, usually created by advertising. [BUSINESS ] □ Few products have brand images anywhere near as strong as Levi's.
brand|ing /bræ nd I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT The branding of a product is the presentation of it to the public in a way that makes it easy for people to recognize or identify. [BUSINESS ] □ Local companies build the theme parks, while we look after the branding.
bran|dish /bræ nd I ʃ/ (brandishes , brandishing , brandished ) VERB If you brandish something, especially a weapon, you hold it in a threatening way. □ [V n] He appeared in the lounge brandishing a knife.
bra nd lea d|er (brand leaders ) N‑COUNT The brand leader of a particular product is the brand of it that most people choose to buy. [BUSINESS ] □ In office supplies, we're the brand leader.
bra nd name (brand names ) N‑COUNT The brand name of a product is the name the manufacturer gives it and under which it is sold. [BUSINESS ] □ Its 270 stores sell brand names and designer labels at up to 60% less.
bra nd-ne w ADJ A brand-new object is completely new. □ Yesterday he went off to buy himself a brand-new car.
bran|dy /bræ ndi/ (brandies ) N‑VAR Brandy is a strong alcoholic drink. It is often drunk after a meal. ● N‑COUNT A brandy is a glass of brandy. □ After a couple of brandies, Michael started telling me his life story.
bra n|dy snap (brandy snaps ) N‑COUNT Brandy snaps are very thin crisp biscuits in the shape of hollow cylinders. They are flavoured with ginger and are often filled with cream.
brash /bræ ʃ/ (brasher , brashest ) ADJ If you describe someone or their behaviour as brash , you disapprove of them because you think that they are too confident and aggressive. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ On stage she seems hard, brash and uncompromising. ● brash|ly ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □ I brashly announced to the group that NATO needed to be turned around. ● brash|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ He was a typical showman with a brashness bordering on arrogance.
brass /brɑː s, bræ s/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Brass is a yellow-coloured metal made from copper and zinc. It is used especially for making ornaments and musical instruments. □ The instrument is beautifully made in brass.
2 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Brass instruments are musical instruments such as trumpets and horns that you play by blowing into them.
3 N‑SING The brass is the section of an orchestra which consists of brass wind instruments such as trumpets and horns.
4 PHRASE If you get down to brass tacks , you discuss the basic, most important facts of a situation. □ Let's take a quick look round and then we can get down to brass tacks.
bra ss ba nd (brass bands ) N‑COUNT A brass band is a band that is made up of brass and percussion instruments.
bras|se|rie /bræ səri, [AM ] -riː / (brasseries ) N‑COUNT A brasserie is a small and usually cheap restaurant or bar.
bras|si|ca /bræ s I kə/ (brassicas ) N‑COUNT [oft N n] Brassicas are vegetables such as cabbages, broccoli and turnips.
bras|siere /bræ ziə r , [AM ] brəz I r/ (brassieres ) N‑COUNT A brassiere is the same as a bra . [OLD-FASHIONED ]
bra ss rub|bing (brass rubbings ) N‑COUNT A brass rubbing is a picture made by placing a piece of paper over a brass plate that has writing or a picture on it, and rubbing it with a wax crayon.
brassy /brɑː si, bræ si/ (brassier , brassiest )
1 ADJ Brassy music is bold, harsh, and loud. □ Musicians blast their brassy jazz from street corners.
2 ADJ If you describe a woman's appearance or her behaviour as brassy , you think that she does not have good taste, and that she dresses or behaves in a way that is too loud or vulgar. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …Alec and his brassy blonde wife.
3 ADJ Something that is brassy has a yellow metallic colour and sometimes looks cheap. □ …a woman with big brassy ear-rings.
brat /bræ t/ (brats ) N‑COUNT If you call someone, especially a child, a brat , you mean that he or she behaves badly or annoys you. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ He's a spoilt brat.
bra t pack (brat packs ) N‑COUNT A brat pack is a group of young people, especially actors or writers, who are popular or successful at the moment. [JOURNALISM ] □ …the Hollywood Brat Pack.
bra|va|do /brəvɑː doʊ/ N‑UNCOUNT Bravado is an appearance of courage or confidence that someone shows in order to impress other people. □ 'You won't get away with this,' he said with unexpected bravado.
brave ◆◇◇ /bre I v/ (braver , bravest , braves , braving , braved )
1 ADJ Someone who is brave is willing to do things which are dangerous, and does not show fear in difficult or dangerous situations. □ He was not brave enough to report the loss of the documents. □ …those brave people who dared to challenge the Stalinist regimes. ● brave|ly ADV [usu ADV with v, oft ADV adj] □ Mr Kim bravely stood up to authority.
2 VERB If you brave unpleasant or dangerous conditions, you deliberately expose yourself to them, usually in order to achieve something. [WRITTEN ] □ [V n] Thousands have braved icy rain to demonstrate their support.
3 PHRASE If someone is putting on a brave face or is putting a brave face on a difficult situation, they are pretending that they are happy or satisfied when they are not. □ He felt disappointed but he tried to put on a brave face.
bra ve new wo rld N‑SING If someone refers to a brave new world , they are talking about a situation or system that has recently been created and that people think will be successful and fair. □ [+ of ] …the brave new world of internet banking.
brav|ery /bre I vəri/ N‑UNCOUNT Bravery is brave behaviour or the quality of being brave. □ He deserves the highest praise for his bravery.
bra|vo /brɑː voʊ / EXCLAM Some people say ' bravo ' to express appreciation when someone has done something well. [OLD-FASHIONED ] □ 'Bravo, Rena! You're right,' the students said.
bra|vu|ra /brəvjʊə rə, [AM ] -vʊ rə/
1 N‑UNCOUNT If you say that someone is doing something with bravura , you mean that they are using unnecessary extra actions that emphasize their skill or importance. [LITERARY ] □ The film is directed with technical bravura and visual splendour.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A bravura performance or piece of work is done with bravura. [LITERARY ] □ Hampshire's young team gave a bravura performance to see off Essex.
brawl /brɔː l/ (brawls , brawling , brawled )
1 N‑COUNT A brawl is a rough or violent fight. □ He had been in a drunken street brawl.
2 VERB If someone brawls , they fight in a very rough or violent way. □ [V + with ] A bride and groom spent their wedding night in separate police cells after brawling with hotel security guards. □ [V ] Two gangs of youths brawled on the dance floor of the ferry. ● brawl|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ The brawling between the fans and locals last night went on for several hours.
brawn /brɔː n/ N‑UNCOUNT Brawn is physical strength. □ He's got plenty of brains as well as brawn.
brawny /brɔː ni/ ADJ Someone who is brawny is strong and has big muscles. □ …a brawny young man.
bray /bre I / (brays , braying , brayed ) VERB When a donkey brays , it makes a loud harsh sound. □ [V ] The donkey brayed and tried to bolt.
bra|zen /bre I z ə n/ ADJ If you describe a person or their behaviour as brazen , you mean that they are very bold and do not care what other people think about them or their behaviour. □ They're quite brazen about their sexuality, it doesn't worry them. ● bra|zen|ly ADV [usu ADV with v, oft ADV adj] □ He was brazenly running a $400,000-a-month drug operation from the prison.
▸ brazen out PHRASAL VERB If you have done something wrong and you brazen it out , you behave confidently in order not to appear ashamed, even though you probably do feel ashamed. □ [V it P ] If you are caught simply argue that 'everyone does it' and brazen it out. □ [V P n] The president brazened out his misdeeds. □ [V n P ] He would brazen the matter out and he would do so in the most robust manner possible.
bra|zi|er /bre I ziə r , [AM ] -ʒər/ (braziers )
1 N‑COUNT A brazier is a large metal container in which coal or charcoal is burned to keep people warm when they are outside in cold weather, for example because of their work.
2 N‑COUNT A brazier is a grill that you use for cooking, usually with charcoal. [AM ]
Bra|zil|ian /brəz I liən/ (Brazilians ) ADJ Brazilian means belonging or relating to Brazil, or to its people or culture. ● N‑COUNT A Brazilian is a person who comes from Brazil.
bra |zil nut (brazil nuts ) N‑COUNT Brazil nuts are large nuts with a woody shell that grow on trees in South America and that you can eat.
breach /briː tʃ/ (breaches , breaching , breached )
1 VERB If you breach an agreement, a law, or a promise, you break it. □ [V n] The newspaper breached the code of conduct on privacy.
2 N‑VAR A breach of an agreement, a law, or a promise is an act of breaking it. □ [+ of ] The congressman was accused of a breach of secrecy rules. □ [+ of ] …a $1 billion breach of contract suit.
3 N‑COUNT A breach in a relationship is a serious disagreement which often results in the relationship ending. [FORMAL ] □ [+ in ] Their actions threatened a serious breach in relations between the two countries. □ [+ between ] Little happens to heal the breach between the two warring factions.
4 VERB If someone or something breaches a barrier, they make an opening in it, usually leaving it weakened or destroyed. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] Fire may have breached the cargo tanks and set the oil ablaze.
5 VERB If you breach someone's security or their defences, you manage to get through and attack an area that is heavily guarded and protected. □ [V n] The bomber had breached security by hurling his dynamite from a roof overlooking the building. ● N‑COUNT Breach is also a noun. □ …widespread breaches of security at Ministry of Defence bases.
6 PHRASE If you step into the breach , you do a job or task which someone else was supposed to do or has done in the past, because they are suddenly unable to do it. □ I was persuaded to step into the breach temporarily when they became too ill to continue.
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