1 N‑COUNT If you refer to a passenger in a car as a back-seat driver , they annoy you because they constantly give you advice about your driving. [DISAPPROVAL ]
2 N‑COUNT If you refer to someone, especially a politician, as a back-seat driver , you disapprove of them because they try to influence a situation that does not concern them. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ They accused the former prime minister of being a backseat driver.
back|side /bæ ksa I d/ (backsides ) N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Your backside is the part of your body that you sit on. [INFORMAL ]
ba ck-slapping also backslapping N‑UNCOUNT Back-slapping is noisy, cheerful behaviour which people use in order to show affection or appreciation to each other. ● ADJ [ADJ n] Back-slapping is also an adjective. □ Scott breaks away from his back-slapping admirers.
back|slid|ing /bæ ksla I d I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT If you accuse someone of backsliding , you disapprove of them because they have failed to do something they promised or agreed to do, or have started again doing something undesirable that they had previously stopped doing. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …the government's backsliding on free market reforms. □ This may help to maintain the gains you've made and to prevent backsliding.
ba ck-stab|bing N‑UNCOUNT Back-stabbing consists of unkind and disloyal actions or remarks that are likely to harm someone such as a friend or colleague. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ She accused her colleagues of bullying and back-stabbing.
back|stage /bæ kste I dʒ/ ADV [ADV after v] In a theatre, backstage refers to the areas behind the stage. □ He went backstage and asked for her autograph. ● ADJ [ADJ n] Backstage is also an adjective. □ …a backstage pass.
ba ck street (back streets ) also back-street , backstreet
1 N‑COUNT A back street in a town or city is a small, narrow street with very little traffic. □ The small church of San Michel is tucked away in a narrow back street of Port-au-Prince. □ …backstreet garages.
2 N‑PLURAL The back streets of a town or city are the areas of small, old, poor streets rather than the richer or newer areas. □ …the back streets of Berlin.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] Back street activities are carried out unofficially, secretly, and often illegally. □ …back street abortions.
back|stroke /bæ kstroʊk/
1 N‑UNCOUNT [oft the N ] Backstroke is a swimming stroke that you do on your back.
2 N‑SING The backstroke is a swimming race in which the competitors swim backstroke. □ …the 100 metres backstroke.
ba ck-to-ba ck ADJ [usu ADJ n] Back-to-back wins or victories are victories that are gained one after another without any defeats between them. □ …their first back-to-back victories of the season.
back|track /bæ ktræk/ (backtracks , backtracking , backtracked ) also back-track
1 VERB If you backtrack on a statement or decision you have made, you do or say something that shows that you no longer agree with it or support it. □ [V ] The committee backtracked by scrapping the controversial bonus system. □ [V + on ] The finance minister backtracked on his decision. [Also V + from ] ● back|track|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ He promised there would be no backtracking on policies.
2 VERB If you backtrack , you go back along a path or route you have just used. □ [V ] Leonard jumped in his car and started backtracking. □ [V prep] We had to backtrack to the corner and cross the street.
3 VERB If you backtrack in an account or explanation, you talk about things which happened before the ones you were previously talking about. □ [V ] Can we just backtrack a little bit and look at your primary and secondary education?
back|up /bæ kʌp/ (backups ) also back-up
1 N‑VAR Backup consists of extra equipment, resources, or people that you can get help or support from if necessary. □ There is no emergency back-up immediately available. □ Alternative treatments can provide a useful back-up to conventional treatment.
2 N‑VAR If you have something such as a second piece of equipment or set of plans as backup , you have arranged for them to be available for use in case the first one does not work. □ Every part of the system has a backup. □ Computer users should make regular back-up copies of their work.
back|ward /bæ kwə r d/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] A backward movement or look is in the direction that your back is facing. Some people use backwards for this meaning. □ He turned and walked out without a backward glance. □ He did a backward flip.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] If someone takes a backward step, they do something that does not change or improve their situation, but causes them to go back a stage. □ At a certain age, it's not viable for men to take a backward step into unskilled work.
3 ADJ A backward country or society does not have modern industries and machines. □ We need to accelerate the pace of change in our backward country. ● back|ward|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] I was astonished at the backwardness of our country at the time.
4 ADJ A backward child has difficulty in learning. This use could cause offence. □ I was slow to walk and talk and my parents thought I was backward.
ba ckward-looking also backward looking ADJ If you describe someone or something as backward-looking , you disapprove of their attitudes, ideas, or actions because they are based on old-fashioned opinions or methods. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …a stagnant, backward-looking culture.
back|wards /bæ kwə r dz/ In American English, backward is usually used as an adverb instead of backwards . Backward is also sometimes used in this way in formal British English. 1 ADV [ADV after v] If you move or look backwards , you move or look in the direction that your back is facing. □ The diver flipped over backwards into the water. □ He took two steps backward. □ Bess glanced backwards. □ Keeping your back straight, swing one leg backwards. ● ADJ [ADJ n] Backwards is also an adjective. □ Without so much as a backwards glance, he steered her towards the car.
2 ADV [ADV after v] If you do something backwards , you do it in the opposite way to the usual way. □ He works backwards, building a house from the top downwards.
3 ADV [ADV after v, n ADV ] You use backwards to indicate that something changes or develops in a way that is not an improvement, but is a return to old ideas or methods. □ Greater government intervention in businesses would represent a step backwards. □ …the blaming that keeps us looking backward.
4 → see also backward
5 PHRASE If someone or something moves backwards and forwards , they move repeatedly first in one direction and then in the opposite direction. □ Draw the floss backwards and forwards between the teeth. □ …people travelling backwards and forwards to and from London.
6 to bend over backwards → see bend
back|wash /bæ kwɒʃ/ N‑SING The backwash of an event or situation is an unpleasant situation that exists after it and as a result of it. □ …the backwash of the tragedy.
back|water /bæ kwɔːtə r / (backwaters )
1 N‑COUNT A backwater is a place that is isolated. □ …a quiet rural backwater.
2 N‑COUNT If you refer to a place or institution as a backwater , you think it is not developing properly because it is isolated from ideas and events in other places and institutions. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Britain could become a political backwater with no serious influence in the world.
back|woods /bæ kwʊdz/ N‑PLURAL If you refer to an area as the backwoods , you mean that it is a long way from large towns and is isolated from modern life. □ …the backwoods of Louisiana.
back|woods|man /bæ kwʊdzmən/ (backwoodsmen ) N‑COUNT Backwoodsmen are people, especially politicians, who like the old ways of doing things, or who are involved in an organization at a local level. [mainly BRIT ] □ …Republican Party backwoodsmen in the United States.
back|yard /bæ kjɑː r d/ (backyards ) also back yard
1 N‑COUNT A backyard is an area of land at the back of a house.
2 N‑COUNT [with poss] If you refer to a country's own backyard , you are referring to its own territory or to somewhere that is very close and where that country wants to influence events. □ Economics will not stop Europe's politicians complaining when jobs are lost in their own backyard.
ba|con /be I kən/ N‑UNCOUNT Bacon is salted or smoked meat which comes from the back or sides of a pig.
bac|te|ria /bækt I ə riə/ N‑PLURAL Bacteria are very small organisms. Some bacteria can cause disease. □ Chlorine is added to kill bacteria.
bac|te|rial /bækt I ə riəl/ ADJ [ADJ n] Bacterial is used to describe things that relate to or are caused by bacteria. □ Cholera is a bacterial infection.
bac|te|ri|ol|ogy /bækt I ə riɒ lədʒi/ N‑UNCOUNT Bacteriology is the science and the study of bacteria. ● bac|te|rio|logi|cal /bækt I ə riəlɒ dʒ I k ə l/ ADJ [ADJ n] □ …the national bacteriological laboratory.
bac|te|rium /bækt I ə r I ʊm/ Bacterium is the singular of bacteria .
bad ◆◆◆ /bæ d/ (worse , worst )
1 ADJ Something that is bad is unpleasant, harmful, or undesirable. □ The bad weather conditions prevented the plane from landing. □ We have been going through a bad time. □ I've had a bad day at work. □ Divorce is bad for children. □ Analysts fear the situation is even worse than the leadership admits.
2 ADJ You use bad to indicate that something unpleasant or undesirable is severe or great in degree. □ He had a bad accident two years ago and had to give up farming. □ This was a bad case of dangerous driving. □ The pain is often so bad she wants to scream. □ The floods are described as the worst in nearly fifty years.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A bad idea, decision, or method is not sensible or not correct. □ As a carbon-reduction measure this is not necessarily a bad idea. □ Of course politicians will sometimes make bad decisions. □ That's not a bad way to proceed, just somewhat different. □ The worst thing you can do is underestimate an opponent.
4 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe a piece of news, an action, or a sign as bad , you mean that it is unlikely to result in benefit or success. □ The closure of the project is bad news for her staff. □ It was a bad start in my relationship with Warr. □ The report couldn't have come at a worse time for the European Commission.
5 ADJ Something that is bad is of an unacceptably low standard, quality, or amount. □ Many old people in Britain are living in bad housing. □ The state schools' main problem is that teachers' pay is so bad. □ It was absolutely the worst food I have ever had.
6 ADJ [ADJ n] Someone who is bad at doing something is not skilful or successful at it. □ [+ at ] He had increased Britain's reputation for being bad at languages. □ He was a bad driver. □ Rose was a poor cook and a worse mother.
7 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you say that it is bad that something happens, you mean it is unacceptable, unfortunate, or wrong. □ Not being able to hear doesn't seem as bad as not being able to see. □ You need at least ten pounds if you go to the cinema nowadays–it's really bad.
8 ADJ [with neg] You can say that something is not bad to mean that it is quite good or acceptable, especially when you are rather surprised about this. □ 'How much is he paying you?'—'Oh, five thousand.'—'Not bad.' □ 'How are you, mate?'—'Not bad, mate, how's yourself?' □ He's not a bad chap–quite human for an accountant. □ That's not a bad idea.
9 ADJ A bad person has morally unacceptable attitudes and behaviour. □ I've made mistakes, but I'm not a bad person. □ He does not think that his beliefs make him any worse than any other man. ● bad|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ They only recognise badness when they perceive it in others.
10 ADJ A bad child disobeys rules and instructions or does not behave in a polite and correct way. □ You are a bad boy for repeating what I told you. □ Many parents find it hard to discourage bad behaviour.
11 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you are in a bad mood, you are angry and behave unpleasantly to people. □ She is in a bit of a bad mood because she's just given up smoking.
12 ADJ [oft ADJ that] If you feel bad about something, you feel rather sorry or guilty about it. □ [+ about ] You don't have to feel bad about relaxing. □ I feel bad that he's doing most of the work. □ Are you trying to make me feel bad?
13 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you have a bad back, heart, leg, or eye, it is injured, diseased, or weak. □ Alastair has a bad back so we have a hard bed.
14 ADJ [usu go ADJ , oft ADJ n] Food that has gone bad is not suitable to eat because it has started to decay. □ They bought so much meat that some went bad.
15 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Bad language is language that contains offensive words such as swear words. □ I don't like to hear bad language in the street. □ I said a bad word.
16 → see also worse , worst
17 PHRASE If you say that it is too bad that something is the case, you mean you are sorry or sad that it is the case. [FEELINGS ] □ It is too bad that Eleanor had to leave so soon. □ Too bad he used his intelligence for criminal purposes.
18 CONVENTION If you say ' too bad ', you are indicating that nothing can be done to change the situation, and that you do not feel sorry or sympathetic about this. [FEELINGS ] □ Too bad if you missed the bus.
19 to make the best of a bad job → see best
20 bad blood → see blood
21 bad luck → see luck
22 to get a bad press → see press
23 to go from bad to worse → see worse
ba d che que (bad cheques ) in AM, use bad check N‑COUNT A bad cheque is a bank cheque that will not be paid because there is a mistake on it, or because there is not enough money in the account of the person who wrote the cheque.
ba d de bt (bad debts ) N‑COUNT A bad debt is a sum of money that has been lent but is not likely to be repaid. □ The bank set aside £1.1 billion to cover bad debts from business failures.
bad|dy /bæ di/ (baddies ) also baddie N‑COUNT [usu pl] A baddy is a person in a story or film who is considered to be evil or wicked, or who is fighting on the wrong side. You can also refer to the baddies in a situation in real life. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ …the baddies who are trying to take over the world. in AM, usually use bad guy
bade /bæ d, be I d/ Bade is a past tense of bid .
badge /bæ dʒ/ (badges ) N‑COUNT A badge is a piece of metal or cloth which you wear to show that you belong to an organization or support a cause. American English usually uses button to refer to a small round metal badge.
badg|er /bæ dʒə r / (badgers , badgering , badgered )
1 N‑COUNT A badger is a wild animal which has a white head with two wide black stripes on it. Badgers live underground and usually come up to feed at night.
2 VERB If you badger someone, you repeatedly tell them to do something or repeatedly ask them questions. □ [V n] She badgered her doctor time and again, pleading with him to do something. □ [V n to-inf] They kept phoning and writing, badgering me to go back. □ [V n + into ] I had foolishly allowed myself to be badgered into volunteering .
ba d guy (bad guys ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] A bad guy is a person in a story or film who is considered to be evil or wicked, or who is fighting on the wrong side. You can also refer to the bad guys in a situation in real life. [INFORMAL ] □ In the end the 'bad guys' are caught and sent to jail.
ba d hai r day (bad hair days ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] People sometimes say they are having a bad hair day when they do not feel very happy or relaxed, especially because their hair does not look good. [INFORMAL ] □ All this fuss is because Carol is having a bad hair day.
badi|nage /bæ d I nɑːʒ, -nɑː ʒ/ N‑UNCOUNT Badinage is humorous or light-hearted conversation that often involves teasing someone. [LITERARY ] □ …light-hearted badinage.
bad|ly ◆◇◇ /bæ dli/ (worse , worst )
1 ADV [ADV with v] If something is done badly or goes badly , it is not very successful or effective. □ I was angry because I played so badly. □ The whole project was badly managed. □ The coalition did worse than expected, getting just 11.6 per cent of the vote.
2 ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] If someone or something is badly hurt or badly affected, they are severely hurt or affected. □ The bomb destroyed a police station and badly damaged a church. □ One man was killed and another badly injured. □ It was a gamble that went badly wrong.
3 ADV [ADV with v] If you want or need something badly , you want or need it very much. □ Why do you want to go so badly? □ Planes landed at Bagram airport today carrying badly needed food and medicine.
4 ADV [ADV with v] If someone behaves badly or treats other people badly , they act in an unkind, unpleasant, or unacceptable way. □ They have both behaved very badly and I am very hurt. □ I would like to know why we pensioners are being so badly treated.
5 ADV [ADV after v] If something reflects badly on someone or makes others think badly of them, it harms their reputation. □ Teachers know that low exam results will reflect badly on them. □ Despite his illegal act, few people think badly of him.
6 ADV [usu ADV -ed, oft ADV after v] If a person or their job is badly paid, they are not paid very much for what they do. □ You may have to work part-time, in a badly paid job with unsociable hours. □ This is the most dangerous professional sport there is, and the worst paid.
7 → see also worse , worst USAGE badly
Don’t use ‘bad’ as an adverb. Don’t say, for example, ‘
I did bad in my exam
’. Say ‘I did badly in my exam
’. □
The project was badly
managed.
ba d|ly o ff (worse off , worst off ) in AM, also use bad off 1 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you are badly off , you are in a bad situation. □ The average working week in Japan is 42.3 hours, compared with 41.6 in the U.K., so they are not too badly off.
2 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you are badly off , you do not have much money. □ It is outrageous that people doing well-paid jobs should moan about how badly off they are.
bad|min|ton /bæ dm I ntən/ N‑UNCOUNT Badminton is a game played by two or four players on a rectangular court with a high net across the middle. The players try to score points by hitting a small object called a shuttlecock across the net using a racket.
bad-mouth /bæ dmaʊð/ (bad-mouths , bad-mouthing , bad-mouthed ) VERB If someone bad-mouths you, they say unpleasant things about you, especially when you are not there to defend yourself. □ [V n] Both men continually bad-mouthed each other.
ba d-te mpered ADJ Someone who is bad-tempered is not very cheerful and gets angry easily. □ He became bad-tempered and we argued constantly.
bae /be I / (baes ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] Your bae is someone you are romantically involved with or in love with. [INFORMAL ] □ You might give that photo a caption like, "Just another Tuesday with my bae." □ Hey, bae, thinking about you.
baf|fle /bæ f ə l/ (baffles , baffling , baffled ) VERB If something baffles you, you cannot understand it or explain it. □ [V n] An apple tree producing square fruit is baffling experts. ● baf|fling ADJ □ I was constantly ill, with a baffling array of symptoms. ● baf|fled ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] □ Police are baffled by the murder.
baf|fle|ment /bæ f ə lmənt/ N‑UNCOUNT Bafflement is the state of being baffled. □ The general response was one of understandable bafflement.
bag ◆◆◇ /bæ g/ (bags )
1 N‑COUNT A bag is a container made of thin paper or plastic, for example one that is used in shops to put things in that a customer has bought. ● N‑COUNT A bag of things is the amount of things contained in a bag.
2 N‑COUNT A bag is a strong container with one or two handles, used to carry things in. □ She left the hotel carrying a shopping bag. ● N‑COUNT A bag of things is the amount of things contained in a bag.
3 N‑COUNT A bag is the same as a handbag .
4 N‑PLURAL If you have bags under your eyes, you have folds of skin there, usually because you have not had enough sleep.
5 QUANT If you say there is bags of something, you mean that there is a large amount of it. If you say that there are bags of things, you mean that there are a large number of them. [BRIT , INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ [+ of ] …a hotel with bags of character.
6 → see also bum bag , carrier bag , mixed bag , shoulder-bag , sleeping bag , tea bag
7 PHRASE If you say that something is in the bag , you mean that you are certain that you will get it or achieve it. [INFORMAL ] □ 'I'll get the Republican nomination,' he assured me. 'It's in the bag.'
8 to let the cat out of the bag → see cat
ba|gel /be I g ə l/ (bagels ) N‑COUNT A bagel is a ring-shaped bread roll.
bag|gage /bæ g I dʒ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Your baggage consists of the bags that you take with you when you travel. □ The passengers went through immigration control and collected their baggage. □ …excess baggage.
2 N‑UNCOUNT You can use baggage to refer to someone's emotional problems, fixed ideas, or prejudices. □ How much emotional baggage is he bringing with him into the relationship?
ba g|gage car (baggage cars ) N‑COUNT A baggage car is a railway carriage, often without windows, which is used to carry luggage, goods, or mail. [AM ] in BRIT, use van
bag|gy /bæ gi/ (baggier , baggiest ) ADJ If a piece of clothing is baggy , it hangs loosely on your body. □ …a baggy jumper.
ba g lady (bag ladies ) N‑COUNT A bag lady is a homeless woman who carries her possessions in shopping bags.
bag|pipes /bæ gpa I ps/ The form bagpipe is used as a modifier. N‑COUNT [usu pl] Bagpipes are a musical instrument that is traditionally played in Scotland. You play the bagpipes by blowing air through a pipe into a bag, and then squeezing the bag to force the air out through other pipes.
ba|guette /bæge t/ (baguettes ) N‑COUNT A baguette is a type of long, thin, white bread which is traditionally made in France.
bah /bɑː , bæ / EXCLAM ' Bah ' is used in writing to represent a noise that people make in order to express contempt, disappointment, or annoyance. [OLD-FASHIONED ]
Ba|ha|mian /bəhe I miən/ (Bahamians )
1 ADJ Bahamian means belonging or relating to the Bahamas or to its people or culture.
2 N‑COUNT Bahamians are people who come from the Bahamas.
bail /be I l/ (bails , bailing , bailed ) The spelling bale is also used for meaning 5 , and for meanings 1 and 4 of the phrasal verb. 1 N‑UNCOUNT [oft on N ] Bail is a sum of money that an arrested person or someone else puts forward as a guarantee that the arrested person will attend their trial in a law court. If the arrested person does not attend it, the money will be lost. □ He was freed on bail pending an appeal. □ The high court set bail at £8,000.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Bail is permission for an arrested person to be released after bail has been paid. □ He was yesterday given bail by South Yorkshire magistrates.
3 VERB [usu passive] If someone is bailed , they are released while they are waiting for their trial, after paying an amount of money to the court. □ [be V -ed] He was bailed for probation reports. □ [be V -ed to-inf] He was bailed to appear before local magistrates on 5 November.
4 VERB If you bail , you use a container to remove water from a boat or from a place which is flooded. □ [V ] We kept her afloat for a couple of hours by bailing frantically. [Also V n] ● PHRASAL VERB Bail out means the same as bail . □ [V P n] A crew was sent down the shaft to close it off and bail out all the water. □ [V P ] The flood waters have receded since then, but residents are still bailing out.
5 PHRASE If a prisoner jumps bail , he or she does not come back for his or her trial after being released on bail. □ He had jumped bail last year while being tried on drug charges.
▸ bail out
1 PHRASAL VERB If you bail someone out , you help them out of a difficult situation, often by giving them money. □ [V n P + of ] They will discuss how to bail the economy out of its slump. [Also V n P ]
2 → see also bailout
3 PHRASAL VERB If you bail someone out , you pay bail on their behalf. □ [V n P ] He has been jailed eight times. Each time, friends bailed him out. [Also V P n]
4 PHRASAL VERB If a pilot bails out of an aircraft that is crashing, he or she jumps from it, using a parachute to land safely. □ [V P + of ] Reid was forced to bail out of the crippled aircraft. □ [V P ] The pilot bailed out safely.
5 → see bail 5
bail|iff /be I l I f/ (bailiffs )
1 N‑COUNT A bailiff is a law officer who makes sure that the decisions of a court are obeyed. Bailiffs can take a person's furniture or possessions away if the person owes money. [BRIT ]
2 N‑COUNT A bailiff is an official in a court of law who deals with tasks such as keeping control in court. [AM ]
3 N‑COUNT A bailiff is a person who is employed to look after land or property for the owner. [BRIT ]
bail|out /be I laʊt/ (bailouts ) N‑COUNT A bailout of an organization or individual that has financial problems is the act of helping them by giving them money. [BUSINESS ] □ [+ of ] …one of the biggest government bailouts of a private company in years.
bairn /beə r n/ (bairns ) N‑COUNT A bairn is a child. [SCOTTISH ] □ He's a lovely bairn.
bait /be I t/ (baits , baiting , baited )
1 N‑VAR Bait is food which you put on a hook or in a trap in order to catch fish or animals.
2 VERB If you bait a hook or trap, you put bait on it or in it. □ [V n + with ] He baited his hook with pie. □ [V n] The boys dug pits and baited them so that they could spear their prey.
3 N‑VAR [oft a N ] To use something as bait means to use it to trick or persuade someone to do something. □ Service stations use petrol as a bait to lure drivers into the restaurants and other facilities. □ Television programmes are essentially bait to attract an audience for advertisements.
4 VERB If you bait someone, you deliberately try to make them angry by teasing them. □ [V n] He delighted in baiting his mother.
5 PHRASE If you take the bait , you react to something that someone has said or done exactly as they intended you to do. The expression rise to the bait is also used, mainly in British English. □ When she attempts to make you feel guilty, don't take the bait.
-baiting /-be I t I ŋ/
1 COMB You use -baiting after nouns to refer to the activity of attacking a particular group of people or laughing at their beliefs.
2 COMB Badger -baiting , bear -baiting , and bull -baiting involve making these animals fight dogs, while not allowing the animals to defend themselves properly.
baize /be I z/ N‑UNCOUNT Baize is a thick woollen material which is used for covering tables on which games such as cards and snooker are played.
bake ◆◇◇ /be I k/ (bakes , baking , baked )
1 VERB If you bake , you spend some time preparing and mixing together ingredients to make bread, cakes, pies, or other food which is cooked in the oven. □ [V ] I love to bake. ● bak|ing N‑UNCOUNT [oft the N ] □ On a Thursday she used to do all the baking.
2 VERB When a cake or bread bakes or when you bake it, it cooks in the oven without any extra liquid or fat. □ [V n] Bake the cake for 35 to 50 minutes. □ [V ] The batter rises as it bakes. □ [V -ed] …freshly baked bread.
3 VERB If places or people become extremely hot because the sun is shining very strongly, you can say that they bake . □ [V ] If you closed the windows, you baked. □ [V ] Britain bakes in a Mediterranean heatwave.
4 N‑COUNT [usu n N ] A vegetable or fish bake is a dish that is made by chopping up and mixing together a number of ingredients and cooking them in the oven so that they form a fairly dry solid mass. [BRIT ] □ …an aubergine bake.
5 → see also baking
ba ked bea ns N‑PLURAL Baked beans are dried beans cooked in tomato sauce in Britain or cooked with salt pork in North America. Baked beans are usually sold in cans.
Ba|ke|lite /be I kəla I t/ N‑UNCOUNT Bakelite is a type of hard plastic that was used in the past for making things such as telephones and radios. [TRADEMARK ]
bak|er /be I kə r / (bakers )
1 N‑COUNT A baker is a person whose job is to bake and sell bread, pastries, and cakes.
2 N‑COUNT A baker or a baker's is a shop where bread and cakes are sold. □ They're freshly baked. I fetched them from the baker's this morning.
bak|ery /be I kəri/ (bakeries ) N‑COUNT A bakery is a building where bread, pastries, and cakes are baked, or the shop where they are sold.
bake|ware /be I kweə r / N‑UNCOUNT Tins, trays, and dishes that are used for baking can be referred to as bakeware .
bak|ing /be I k I ŋ/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can use baking to describe weather or a place that is very hot indeed. □ …a baking July day. □ The coffins stood in the baking heat surrounded by mourners. □ …the baking Jordanian desert. ● ADV [ADV adj] Baking is also an adverb. □ …the baking hot summer of 1969.
2 → see also bake
ba k|ing pow|der (baking powders ) N‑VAR Baking powder is an ingredient used in cake making. It causes cakes to rise when they are in the oven.
ba k|ing sheet (baking sheets ) N‑COUNT A baking sheet is a flat piece of metal on which you bake foods such as biscuits or pies in an oven.
ba k|ing soda N‑UNCOUNT Baking soda is the same as bicarbonate of soda .
ba k|ing tray (baking trays ) N‑COUNT A baking tray is the same as a baking sheet . [BRIT ]
bala|cla|va /bæ ləklɑː və/ (balaclavas ) N‑COUNT A balaclava is a tight woollen hood that covers every part of your head except your face.
bal|ance ◆◆◇ /bæ ləns/ (balances , balancing , balanced )
1 VERB If you balance something somewhere, or if it balances there, it remains steady and does not fall. □ [V prep/adv] I balanced on the ledge. □ [V n prep/adv] He balanced a football on his head.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Balance is the ability to remain steady when you are standing up. □ The medicines you are currently taking could be affecting your balance.
3 VERB If you balance one thing with something different, each of the things has the same strength or importance. □ [V n + with ] Balance spicy dishes with mild ones. □ [V n] The state has got to find some way to balance these two needs. □ [V ] Supply and demand on the currency market will generally balance. ● bal|anced ADJ [usu adv ADJ ] □ This book is a well balanced biography.
4 N‑SING A balance is a situation in which all the different parts are equal in strength or importance. □ [+ between ] Their marriage is a delicate balance between traditional and contemporary values. □ …the ecological balance of the forest.
5 N‑SING If you say that the balance tips in your favour, you start winning or succeeding, especially in a conflict or contest. □ …a powerful new gun which could tip the balance of the war in their favour.
6 VERB If you balance one thing against another, you consider its importance in relation to the other one. □ [V n + against ] She carefully tried to balance religious sensitivities against democratic freedom.
7 VERB If someone balances their budget or if a government balances the economy of a country, they make sure that the amount of money that is spent is not greater than the amount that is received. □ [V n] He balanced his budgets by rigid control over public expenditure.
8 VERB If you balance your books or make them balance , you prove by calculation that the amount of money you have received is equal to the amount that you have spent. □ [V n] …teaching them to balance the books. □ [V ] To make the books balance, spending must fall and taxes must rise.
9 N‑COUNT The balance in your bank account is the amount of money you have in it. □ I'd like to check the balance in my account please.
10 N‑SING The balance of an amount of money is what remains to be paid for something or what remains when part of the amount has been spent. □ They were due to pay the balance on delivery.
11 → see also bank balance
12 PHRASE If something hangs in the balance , it is uncertain whether it will happen or continue. □ The fate of the project hangs in the balance.
13 PHRASE If you keep your balance , for example when standing in a moving vehicle, you remain steady and do not fall over. If you lose your balance , you become unsteady and fall over.
14 PHRASE If you are off balance , you are in an unsteady position and about to fall. □ A gust of wind knocked him off balance and he fell face down in the mud.
15 PHRASE If you are thrown off balance by something, you are surprised or confused by it. □ She was trying to behave as if his visit hadn't thrown her off balance.
16 PHRASE You can say on balance to indicate that you are stating an opinion after considering all the relevant facts or arguments. □ On balance he agreed with Christine.
▸ balance out PHRASAL VERB If two or more opposite things balance out or if you balance them out , they become equal in amount, value, or effect. □ [V P ] Outgoings and revenues balanced out. □ [V P n] The strenuous exercise undergone could balance out the increased calories. [Also V n P ] COLLOCATIONS balance NOUN 4
adjective + balance : correct, fair, proper, reasonable, right; perfect; delicate
verb + balance : shift, tilt, tip, upset; maintain, strike; redress, restore SYNONYMS balance VERB 3
offset: The increase in pay costs was more than offset by higher productivity.
compensate for: MPs say it is crucial that a system is found to compensate for inflation.
redress: …to redress the economic imbalance between the countries.
counteract: This event will counteract such trends.
bal|anced /bæ lənst/
1 ADJ A balanced report, book, or other document takes into account all the different opinions on something and presents information in a fair and reasonable way. [APPROVAL ] □ …a fair, balanced, comprehensive report.
2 ADJ Something that is balanced is pleasing or useful because its different parts or elements are in the correct proportions. [APPROVAL ] □ …a balanced diet.
3 ADJ Someone who is balanced remains calm and thinks clearly, even in a difficult situation. [APPROVAL ] □ I have to prove myself as a respectable, balanced, person.
4 → see also balance
ba l|ance of pa y|ments (balances of payments ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] A country's balance of payments is the difference, over a period of time, between the payments it makes to other countries for imports and the payments it receives from other countries for exports. [BUSINESS ] □ Britain's balance of payments deficit has improved slightly.
ba l|ance of po w|er N‑SING The balance of power is the way in which power is distributed between rival groups or countries. □ …changes in the balance of power between the United States and Europe.
ba l|ance of tra de (balances of trade ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] A country's balance of trade is the difference in value, over a period of time, between the goods it imports and the goods it exports. [BUSINESS ] □ The deficit in Britain's balance of trade in March rose to more than 2100 million pounds.
ba l|ance sheet (balance sheets ) N‑COUNT A balance sheet is a written statement of the amount of money and property that a company or person has, including amounts of money that are owed or are owing. Balance sheet is also used to refer to the general financial state of a company. [BUSINESS ] □ Rolls-Royce needed a strong balance sheet.
ba l|anc|ing act (balancing acts ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you perform a balancing act , you try to deal successfully with two or more people, groups, or situations that are in opposition to each other. □ …a delicate balancing act between a career, a home, and motherhood.
bal|co|ny /bæ lkəni/ (balconies )
1 N‑COUNT A balcony is a platform on the outside of a building, above ground level, with a wall or railing around it.
2 N‑SING The balcony in a theatre or cinema is an area of seats above the main seating area.
bald /bɔː ld/ (balder , baldest )
1 ADJ Someone who is bald has little or no hair on the top of their head. □ The man's bald head was beaded with sweat. ● bald|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ He wears a cap to cover a spot of baldness.
2 ADJ If a tyre is bald , its surface has worn down and it is no longer safe to use.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] A bald statement is in plain language and contains no extra explanation or information. □ The announcement came in a bald statement from the official news agency. □ The bald truth is he's just not happy. ● bald|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ 'The leaders are outdated,' he stated baldly. 'They don't relate to young people.'
ba ld ea gle (bald eagles ) N‑COUNT A bald eagle is a large eagle with a white head that lives in North America. It is the national bird of the United States of America.
bal|der|dash /bɔː ldə r dæʃ/ N‑UNCOUNT If you say that something that has been said or written is balderdash , you think it is completely untrue or very stupid. [OLD-FASHIONED , DISAPPROVAL ]
bald|ing /bɔː ld I ŋ/ ADJ Someone who is balding is beginning to lose the hair on the top of their head. □ He wore a straw hat to keep his balding head from getting sunburned.
baldy /bɔː ldi/ (baldies ) N‑COUNT People sometimes refer to a bald person as a baldy , especially if they are talking about them or to them in a friendly or humorous way. Some people might find this offensive. [INFORMAL ] □ More than three-quarters of baldies and redheads had been teased.
bale /be I l/ (bales , baling , baled )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] A bale is a large quantity of something such as hay, cloth, or paper, tied together tightly. □ …bales of hay.
2 VERB If something such as hay, cloth, or paper is baled , it is tied together tightly. □ [be V -ed] Once hay has been cut and baled it has to go through some chemical processes. [Also V n]
3 → see also bail
bale|ful /be I lfʊl/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Baleful means harmful, or expressing harmful intentions. [LITERARY ] □ …a baleful look. ● bale|ful|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ He watched her balefully.
balk /bɔː lk, [AM ] bɔː k/ (balks , balking , balked ) also baulk VERB If you balk at something, you definitely do not want to do it or to let it happen. □ [V + at ] Even biology undergraduates may balk at animal experiments. □ [V ] Last October the bank balked, alarmed that a $24m profit had turned into a $20m deficit.
Bal|kani|za|tion /bɔː lkəna I ze I ʃ ə n/ The spellings balkanization , and in British English balkanisation are also used. N‑UNCOUNT If you disapprove of the division of a country into separate independent states, you can refer to the Balkanization of the country. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ We can't accept the fragmentation or balkanization of the country.
ball ◆◆◇ /bɔː l/ (balls , balling , balled )
1 N‑COUNT A ball is a round object that is used in games such as tennis, baseball, football, basketball, and cricket. □ …a golf ball. □ …a tennis ball.
2 N‑COUNT A ball is something or an amount of something that has a round shape. □ Thomas screwed the letter up into a ball. □ [+ of ] They heard a loud explosion and saw a ball of fire go up.
3 VERB When you ball something or when it balls , it becomes round. □ [V n adv/prep] He picked up the sheets of paper, and balled them tightly in his fists. □ [V adv/prep] His hands balled into fists.
4 N‑COUNT The ball of your foot or the ball of your thumb is the rounded part where your toes join your foot or where your thumb joins your hand.
5 N‑COUNT A ball is a large formal social event at which people dance.
6 N‑COUNT [usu pl] A man's balls are his testicles. [INFORMAL , RUDE ]
7 → see also balls
8 PHRASE If you say that the ball is in someone's court , you mean that it is his or her responsibility to take the next action or decision in a situation. □ The ball's now in your court–you have to decide what you're going to do.
9 PHRASE If you get the ball rolling , set the ball rolling , or start the ball rolling , you start something happening. □ He will try to get the ball rolling again on peace talks.
10 PHRASE If someone is on the ball , they are very alert and aware of what is happening. □ She really is on the ball; she's bought houses at auctions so she knows what she's doing.
11 PHRASE If someone refuses to play ball , they are unwilling to do what someone wants them to do. [INFORMAL ] □ The association has threatened to withdraw its support if the banks refuse to play ball.
bal|lad /bæ ləd/ (ballads )
1 N‑COUNT A ballad is a long song or poem which tells a story in simple language.
2 N‑COUNT A ballad is a slow, romantic, popular song.
bal|last /bæ ləst/ N‑UNCOUNT Ballast is any substance that is used in ships or hot-air balloons to make them heavier and more stable. Ballast usually consists of water, sand, or iron.
ba ll bea r|ing (ball bearings ) also ball-bearing N‑COUNT Ball bearings are small metal balls placed between the moving parts of a machine to make the parts move smoothly.
ba ll boy (ball boys ) N‑COUNT In a tennis match, the ball boys pick up any balls that go into the net or off the court and throw them back to the players. In a baseball game, the ball boys are in charge of collecting the balls that are hit out of the field.
bal|le|ri|na /bæ ləriː nə/ (ballerinas ) N‑COUNT A ballerina is a woman ballet dancer.
bal|let /bæ le I , [AM ] bæle I / (ballets )
1 N‑UNCOUNT [oft the N , oft N n] Ballet is a type of very skilled and artistic dancing with carefully planned movements. □ I trained as a ballet dancer. □ She is also keen on the ballet.
2 N‑COUNT A ballet is an artistic work that is performed by ballet dancers. □ The performance will include the premiere of three new ballets.
bal|let|ic /bæle t I k/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe someone's movements as balletic , you mean that they have some of the graceful qualities of ballet. □ The subject seems to dance with balletic grace.
ba ll game (ball games ) also ballgame
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Ball games are games that are played with a ball such as tennis, baseball, and football.
2 N‑COUNT A ball game is a baseball match. [AM ] □ I'd still like to go to a ball game.
3 N‑SING You can use ball game to describe any situation or activity, especially one that involves competition. [JOURNALISM , SPOKEN ] □ Two of his biggest competitors are out of the ball game. ● PHRASE If you say that a situation is a new ball game , you mean that it is completely different from, or much more difficult than, the previous situation or any situation that you have experienced before. □ He finds himself faced with a whole new ball game.
ba ll girl (ball girls ) N‑COUNT In a tennis match, the ball girls pick up any balls that go into the net or off the court and throw them back to the players. In a baseball game, the ball girls are in charge of collecting the balls that are hit out of the field.
ball|gown /bɔː lgaʊn/ (ballgowns ) N‑COUNT A ballgown is a long dress that women wear to formal dances.
bal|lis|tic /bəl I st I k/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] Ballistic means relating to ballistics. □ …ballistic missiles. □ Ballistic tests have matched the weapons with bullets taken from the bodies of victims.
2 PHRASE If someone goes ballistic , they suddenly become very angry. [INFORMAL ] □ The singer went ballistic after one member of his band failed to show for a sound check.
3 PHRASE If something goes ballistic , it suddenly becomes very much greater or more powerful, often in a surprising or unwanted way. [INFORMAL ] □ August registrations have gone ballistic, accounting now for a quarter of the annual total.
bal|lis|tics /bəl I st I ks/ N‑UNCOUNT Ballistics is the study of the movement of objects that are shot or thrown through the air, such as bullets fired from a gun.
bal|loon /bəluː n/ (balloons , ballooning , ballooned )
1 N‑COUNT A balloon is a small, thin, rubber bag that you blow air into so that it becomes larger and rounder or longer. Balloons are used as toys or decorations.
2 N‑COUNT [oft by N ] A balloon is a large, strong bag filled with gas or hot air, which can carry passengers in a container that hangs underneath it. □ They are to attempt to be the first to circle the Earth non-stop by balloon.
3 VERB When something balloons , it increases rapidly in amount. □ [V ] Attendance has ballooned more than tenfold over the past 16 years. □ [V + to ] The budget deficit has ballooned to $25 billion.
bal|loon|ing /bəluː n I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Ballooning is the sport or activity of flying a hot-air balloon.
bal|loon|ist /bəluː n I st/ (balloonists ) N‑COUNT A balloonist is a person who flies a hot-air balloon.
bal|lot ◆◇◇ /bæ lət/ (ballots , balloting , balloted )
1 N‑COUNT [oft by N ] A ballot is a secret vote in which people select a candidate in an election, or express their opinion about something. □ The result of the ballot will not be known for two weeks. □ Fifty of its members will be elected by direct ballot.
2 N‑COUNT A ballot is a piece of paper on which you indicate your choice or opinion in a secret vote. □ Election boards will count the ballots by hand.
3 VERB If you ballot a group of people, you find out what they think about a subject by organizing a secret vote. □ [V n] The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike. ● bal|lot|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ International observers say the balloting was fair. SYNONYMS ballot NOUN 1
vote: Why do you think we should have a vote on that?
election: The final election results will be announced on Friday.
poll: In 1945, Winston Churchill was defeated at the polls.
referendum: Estonia said it too planned to hold a referendum on independence. WORD HISTORY ballot
Ballot comes from Italian ballotta meaning 'little ball'. In medieval Venice, people voted by dropping black or white stones or balls into a box.
ba l|lot box (ballot boxes )
1 N‑COUNT A ballot box is the box into which ballot papers are put after people have voted.
2 N‑SING You can refer to the system of democratic elections as the ballot box . □ Martinez expressed confidence of victory at the ballot box.
ba l|lot pa|per (ballot papers ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] A ballot paper is a piece of paper on which you indicate your choice or opinion in an election or ballot.
ba l|lot rig|ging also ballot-rigging N‑UNCOUNT Ballot rigging is the act of illegally changing the result of an election by producing a false record of the number of votes. □ The poll was widely discredited after allegations of ballot rigging.
ball|park /bɔː lpɑː r k/ (ballparks ) also ball park
1 N‑COUNT A ballpark is a park or stadium where baseball is played.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] A ballpark figure or ballpark estimate is an approximate figure or estimate. □ I can't give you anything more than just sort of a ballpark figure. □ Ballpark estimates indicate a price tag of $90 million a month.
3 N‑SING If something such as an amount or claim is in the ballpark , it is approximately right, but not exact. [INFORMAL ] □ What about 20 billion? That's more in the ballpark.
4 N‑SING If you say that someone or something is in the ballpark , you mean that they are able to take part in a particular area of activity, especially because they are considered as good as others taking part. □ This puts them in the ballpark and makes them a major player.
ball|player /bɔː lple I ə r / (ballplayers ) also ball player N‑COUNT A ballplayer is a baseball player. [AM ]
ball|point /bɔː lpɔ I nt/ (ballpoints ) N‑COUNT A ballpoint or a ballpoint pen is a pen with a very small metal ball at the end which transfers the ink from the pen onto a surface.
ball|room /bɔː lruːm/ (ballrooms ) N‑COUNT A ballroom is a very large room that is used for dancing.
ba ll|room da nc|ing N‑UNCOUNT Ballroom dancing is a type of dancing in which a man and a woman dance together using fixed sequences of steps and movements.
balls /bɔː lz/ (ballses , ballsing , ballsed )
1 N‑UNCOUNT If you say that someone has balls , you mean that they have courage. [INFORMAL , RUDE , APPROVAL ] □ I never had the balls to do anything like this.
2 EXCLAM ; N‑UNCOUNT You can say ' balls ' or say that what someone says is balls when you think that it is stupid or wrong. [BRIT , INFORMAL , VERY RUDE , FEELINGS ] □ What complete and utter balls!
▸ balls up PHRASAL VERB If you balls up a task or activity, you do it very badly, making a lot of mistakes. [BRIT , INFORMAL , RUDE ] □ [V P n] You have single-handedly ballsed up the best opportunity we've had! □ [V n P ] I have no intention of letting you balls it up. [Also V P ]
ba lls-up (balls-ups ) N‑COUNT If you make a balls-up of something, you do it very badly and make a lot of mistakes. [BRIT , INFORMAL , RUDE ] □ He's made a real balls-up of this.
ballsy /bɔː lzi/ (ballsier , ballsiest ) ADJ You can describe a person or their behaviour as ballsy if you admire them because you think they are energetic and brave. [INFORMAL , APPROVAL ] □ …the most ballsy woman I know. □ …ballsy, gutsy live rap music.
bal|ly|hoo /bæ lihuː , [AM ] -huː/ (ballyhooing , ballyhooed )
1 N‑UNCOUNT [oft a N ] You can use ballyhoo to refer to great excitement or anger about something, especially when you disapprove of it because you think it is unnecessary or exaggerated. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ They announced, amid much ballyhoo, that they had made a breakthrough.
2 VERB [usu passive] If you say that something is ballyhooed , you mean that there is a lot of excitement about it and people are claiming that it is very good. You use this word especially when you think the thing is not as exciting or good as people say. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [be V -ed] The power of red wine to counteract high cholesterol has been ballyhooed in the press. □ [V -ed] …the much-ballyhooed new Star Wars movie.
balm /bɑː m/ (balms )
1 N‑VAR Balm is a sweet-smelling oil that is obtained from some tropical trees and used to make creams that heal wounds or reduce pain.
2 N‑UNCOUNT [oft a N ] If you refer to something as balm , you mean that it makes you feel better. [APPROVAL ] □ The place is balm to the soul.
balmy /bɑː mi/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Balmy weather is fairly warm and pleasant. □ …a balmy summer's evening.
ba|lo|ney /bəloʊ ni/ N‑UNCOUNT If you say that an idea or statement is baloney , you disapprove of it and think it is foolish or wrong. [mainly AM , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ That's a load of baloney.
bal|sa /bɔː lsə/ N‑UNCOUNT Balsa or balsa wood is a very light wood from a South American tree.
bal|sam /bɔː lsəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Balsam is a sweet-smelling oil that is obtained from certain trees or bushes and used to make medicines and perfumes.
bal|sam|ic vin|egar /bɔːlsæ m I k v I n I gə r / N‑UNCOUNT Balsamic vinegar is a type of vinegar which tastes sweet and is made from grape juice.
bal|ti /bɔː lti/ (baltis ) N‑VAR A balti is a vegetable or meat dish of Indian origin which is cooked and served in a bowl-shaped pan.
bal|us|trade /bæ ləstre I d, [AM ] -stre I d/ (balustrades ) N‑COUNT A balustrade is a railing or wall on a balcony or staircase.
bam|boo /bæmbuː / (bamboos ) N‑VAR Bamboo is a tall tropical plant with hard, hollow stems. The young shoots of the plant can be eaten and the stems are used to make furniture. □ …huts with walls of bamboo. □ …bamboo shoots.
bam|boo|zle /bæmbuː z ə l/ (bamboozles , bamboozling , bamboozled ) VERB To bamboozle someone means to confuse and often trick them. □ [V n + into ] He bamboozled Mercer into defeat. □ [be V -ed] He was bamboozled by con men.
ban ◆◆◇ /bæ n/ (bans , banning , banned )
1 VERB To ban something means to state officially that it must not be done, shown, or used. □ [V n] It was decided to ban smoking in all offices later this year. □ [V -ed] …a banned substance. ● ban|ning (bannings ) N‑VAR □ No reason was given for the banning of the magazine. □ Opposition groups see the bannings as the latest stage of a government clampdown.
2 N‑COUNT A ban is an official ruling that something must not be done, shown, or used. □ [+ on ] The General also lifted a ban on political parties.
3 VERB If you are banned from doing something, you are officially prevented from doing it. □ [be V -ed + from ] He was banned from driving for three years. [Also V n]
ba|nal /bənɑː l, -næ l/ ADJ If you describe something as banal , you do not like it because you think that it is so ordinary that it is not at all effective or interesting. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Bland, banal music tinkled discreetly from hidden loudspeakers. ● N‑SING You can refer to banal things as the banal . □ The allegations ranged from the banal to the bizarre. ● ba|nal|ity /bənæ l I ti/ (banalities ) N‑VAR □ …the banality of life. □ Neil's ability to utter banalities never ceased to amaze me. WORD HISTORY banal
In Old French, the word banal referred to the mill or bakery that was owned by the local lord and that all his tenants had to use. The word came to mean 'common to everyone' and from that, 'commonplace' or 'ordinary'.
ba|na|na /bənɑː nə, -næ n-/ (bananas )
1 N‑VAR Bananas are long curved fruit with yellow skins. □ …a bunch of bananas.
2 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If someone is behaving in a silly or crazy way, or if they become extremely angry, you can say that they are going bananas . [INFORMAL ] □ Adamson's going to go bananas on this one.
ba|na |na peel (banana peels ) N‑COUNT A banana peel is the same as a banana skin . [AM ]
ba|na |na re|pu b|lic (banana republics ) N‑COUNT Small, poor countries that are politically unstable are sometimes referred to as banana republics . [OFFENSIVE ]
ba|na |na skin (banana skins ) in AM, use banana peel 1 N‑COUNT The thick yellow or green covering of a banana is called a banana skin . [BRIT ]
2 N‑COUNT If an important or famous person slips on a banana skin , they say or do something that makes them look stupid and causes them problems. [mainly BRIT , JOURNALISM ] □ …waiting for the government to slip on this week's banana skin.
ba|na |na spli t (banana splits ) N‑COUNT A banana split is a kind of dessert. It consists of a banana cut in half along its length, with ice cream, nuts, and sauce on top.
band ◆◆◇ /bæ nd/ (bands , banding , banded )
1 N‑COUNT [with sing or pl verb] A band is a small group of musicians who play popular music such as jazz, rock, or pop. □ He was a drummer in a rock band. □ Local bands provide music for dancing.
2 → see also one-man band
3 N‑COUNT [with sing or pl verb] A band is a group of musicians who play brass and percussion instruments. □ Bands played German marches.
4 → see also brass band
5 N‑COUNT [with sing or pl verb] A band of people is a group of people who have joined together because they share an interest or belief. □ Bands of criminals have been roaming some neighborhoods. □ …a small but growing band of Japanese companies taking their first steps into American publishing.
6 N‑COUNT A band is a flat, narrow strip of cloth which you wear round your head or wrists, or which forms part of a piece of clothing. □ Almost all hospitals use a wrist-band of some kind with your name and details on it.
7 → see also armband waistband
8 N‑COUNT A band is a strip of something such as colour, light, land, or cloth which contrasts with the areas on either side of it. □ …bands of natural vegetation between strips of crops. □ A band of light glowed in the space between floor and door.
9 N‑COUNT A band is a strip or loop of metal or other strong material which strengthens something, or which holds several things together. □ Surgeons placed a metal band around the knee cap to help it knit back together. □ …a strong band of flat muscle tissue.
10 → see also elastic band , rubber band
11 N‑COUNT A band is a range of numbers or values within a system of measurement. □ …a tax band of 20p in the pound on the first £2,000 of taxable income.
12 → see also waveband
13 → see also wedding band
▸ band together PHRASAL VERB If people band together , they meet and act as a group in order to try and achieve something. □ [V P ] Women banded together to protect each other. COLLOCATIONS band NOUN 1
noun + band : heavy metal, indie, jazz, pop, punk, rock; backing, tribute
verb + band : form, join, play in
adjective + band : live
band|age /bæ nd I dʒ/ (bandages , bandaging , bandaged )
1 N‑COUNT A bandage is a long strip of cloth which is wrapped around a wounded part of someone's body to protect or support it. □ We put some ointment and a bandage on his knee. □ His chest was swathed in bandages.
2 VERB If you bandage a wound or part of someone's body, you tie a bandage around it. □ [V n] Apply a dressing to the wound and bandage it. □ [V -ed] …a bandaged hand. ● PHRASAL VERB Bandage up means the same as bandage . □ [V n P ] I bandaged the leg up and gave her aspirin for the pain. [Also V P n]
Ba nd-Aid (Band-Aids ) also band-aid
1 N‑VAR A Band-Aid is a small piece of sticky tape that you use to cover small cuts or wounds on your body. [mainly AM , TRADEMARK ] in BRIT, use plaster 2 ADJ [ADJ n] If you refer to a Band-Aid solution to a problem, you mean that you disapprove of it because you think that it will only be effective for a short period. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ We need long-term solutions, not short-term Band-Aid ones.
ban|dan|na /bændæ nə/ (bandannas ) also bandana N‑COUNT A bandanna is a brightly-coloured piece of cloth which is worn around a person's neck or head.
B&B /biː ən biː / (B&Bs ) also b&b
1 N‑UNCOUNT B&B is the same as bed and breakfast . □ …three nights b&b.
2 N‑COUNT A B&B is the same as a bed and breakfast . □ There are B&Bs all over the islands.
band|ed /bæ nd I d/ ADJ If something is banded , it has one or more bands on it, often of a different colour which contrasts with the main colour. □ [+ in/with ] …a stark tower, banded in dark and light stone.
-banded /-bænd I d/ COMB -banded combines with colours to indicate that something has bands of a particular colour. □ Tables are set with white china and gold-banded silver cutlery.
ban|dit /bæ nd I t/ (bandits ) N‑COUNT Robbers are sometimes called bandits , especially if they are found in areas where the rule of law has broken down. □ This is real bandit country.
ban|dit|ry /bæ nd I tri/ N‑UNCOUNT Banditry is used to refer to acts of robbery and violence in areas where the rule of law has broken down.
band|leader /bæ ndliːdə r / (bandleaders ) N‑COUNT A bandleader is the person who conducts a band, especially a jazz band.
band|saw /bæ ndsɔː/ (bandsaws ) N‑COUNT A bandsaw is an electric saw that consists of a metal band that turns round and is used for cutting wood, metal, and other materials.
bands|man /bæ ndzmən/ (bandsmen ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Bandsmen are musicians in a band, especially a military or brass band.
band|stand /bæ ndstænd/ (bandstands )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A bandstand is a platform with a roof where a military band or a brass band can play in the open air.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A bandstand is a platform inside a hall or large room where the band that is playing at a dance or other occasion stands. [mainly AM ]
band|wagon /bæ ndwægən/ (bandwagons )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] You can refer to an activity or movement that has suddenly become fashionable or popular as a bandwagon . □ So what is really happening as the information bandwagon starts to roll? □ …the environmental bandwagon.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If someone, especially a politician, jumps or climbs on the bandwagon , they become involved in an activity or movement because it is fashionable or likely to succeed and not because they are really interested in it. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Many farms are jumping on the bandwagon and advertising organically grown food.
band|width /bæ ndw I dθ/ (bandwidths ) N‑VAR A bandwidth is the range of frequencies used for a particular telecommunications signal, radio transmission, or computer network.
ban|dy /bæ ndi/ (bandies , bandying , bandied ) VERB If you bandy words with someone, you argue with them. □ [V n + with ] Brand shook his head. He was tired of bandying words with the man. □ [V n adv] The prosecution and defense were bandying accusations back and forth.
▸ bandy about or bandy around PHRASAL VERB [usu passive] If someone's name or something such as an idea is bandied about or is bandied around , that person or that thing is discussed by many people in a casual way. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [be V -ed P ] Young players now hear various sums bandied around about how much players are getting.
bane /be I n/ N‑SING The bane of someone or the bane of someone's life is something that frequently makes them feel unhappy or annoyed. □ Spots can be the bane of a teenager's life.
bang /bæ ŋ/ (bangs , banging , banged )
1 N‑COUNT A bang is a sudden loud noise such as the noise of an explosion. □ I heard four or five loud bangs. □ She slammed the door with a bang.
2 VERB If something bangs , it makes a sudden loud noise, once or several times. □ [V ] The engine spat and banged.
3 VERB If you bang a door or if it bangs , it closes suddenly with a loud noise. □ [V ] …the sound of doors banging. □ [V adj] All up and down the street the windows bang shut. □ [V n] The wind banged a door somewhere.
4 VERB If you bang on something or if you bang it, you hit it hard, making a loud noise. □ [V + on ] We could bang on the desks and shout till they let us out. □ [V n] There is no point in shouting or banging the table.
5 VERB If you bang something on something or if you bang it down, you quickly and violently put it on a surface, because you are angry. □ [V n prep] She banged his dinner on the table. □ [V n with adv] He banged down the telephone.
6 VERB If you bang a part of your body, you accidentally knock it against something and hurt yourself. □ [V n] She'd fainted and banged her head. □ [V n + against/on ] He hurried into the hall, banging his shin against a chair in the darkness. ● N‑COUNT Bang is also a noun. □ …a nasty bang on the head.
7 VERB If you bang into something or someone, you bump or knock them hard, usually because you are not looking where you are going. □ [V + into ] Various men kept banging into me in the narrow corridor.
8 N‑PLURAL Bangs are hair which is cut so that it hangs over your forehead. [AM ] in BRIT, use fringe 9 ADV You can use bang to emphasize expressions that indicate an exact position or an exact time. [EMPHASIS ] □ …bang in the middle of the track. □ For once you leave bang on time for work.
10 → see also big bang theory
11 PHRASE If you say bang goes something, you mean that it is now obvious that it cannot succeed or be achieved. □ There will be more work to do, not less. Bang goes the fantasy of retirement at 35.
12 PHRASE If something begins or ends with a bang , it begins or ends with a lot of energy, enthusiasm, or success. □ Her career began with a bang in 1986.
13 to bang your head against a brick wall → see wall
bang|er /bæ ŋə r / (bangers )
1 N‑COUNT Bangers are sausages. [BRIT , INFORMAL ]
2 N‑COUNT [usu adj N ] You can describe a car as a banger if it is old and in very bad condition. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ …this clapped-out old banger.
3 N‑COUNT Bangers are fireworks that make a lot of noise. [BRIT ]
Bang|la|deshi /bæ ŋgləde ʃi/ (Bangladeshis )
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Bangladeshi means belonging to or relating to Bangladesh, or to its people or culture.
2 N‑COUNT The Bangladeshis are the people who come from Bangladesh.
ban|gle /bæ ŋg ə l/ (bangles ) N‑COUNT A bangle is a decorated metal or wooden ring that you can wear round your wrist or ankle.
ba ng-o n also bang on ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If someone is bang-on with something, they are exactly right in their opinions or actions. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ If we are not bang-on with our preparations then we could have problems.
ban|ish /bæ n I ʃ/ (banishes , banishing , banished )
1 VERB If someone or something is banished from a place or area of activity, they are sent away from it and prevented from entering it. □ [be V -ed + from/to ] I was banished to the small bedroom upstairs. □ [V n + from/to ] They tried to banish him from politics.
2 VERB If you banish something unpleasant, you get rid of it. □ [V n] …a public investment programme intended to banish the recession.
3 VERB If you banish the thought of something, you stop thinking about it. □ [V n] He has now banished all thoughts of retirement. □ [be V -ed + from/to ] The past few days had been banished from his mind.
ban|ish|ment /bæ n I ʃmənt/ N‑UNCOUNT Banishment is the act of banishing someone or the state of being banished. □ …banishment to 'Devil's Island'.
ban|is|ter /bæ n I stə r / (banisters ) also bannister N‑COUNT A banister is a rail supported by posts and fixed along the side of a staircase. The plural banisters can be used to refer to one of these rails. □ I still remember sliding down the banisters.
ban|jo /bæ ndʒoʊ/ (banjos ) N‑VAR A banjo is a musical instrument that looks like a guitar with a circular body, a long neck, and four or more strings.
bank
➊ FINANCE AND STORAGE
➋ AREAS AND MASSES
➌ OTHER VERB USES
➊ bank ◆◆◆ /bæ ŋk/ (banks , banking , banked )
1 N‑COUNT A bank is an institution where people or businesses can keep their money. □ Which bank offers you the service that best suits your financial needs? □ I had £10,000 in the bank.
2 N‑COUNT A bank is a building where a bank offers its services.
3 VERB If you bank money, you pay it into a bank. □ [V n] Once the agency has banked your cheque, the process begins.
4 VERB If you bank with a particular bank, you have an account with that bank. □ [V + with ] I've banked with the Co-op for over 20 years.
5 N‑COUNT [usu n N ] You use bank to refer to a store of something. For example, a blood bank is a store of blood that is kept ready for use. □ Detectives examined the syringe for DNA traces and deposited the information in a central data bank.
➋ bank /bæ ŋk/ (banks )
1 N‑COUNT The banks of a river, canal, or lake are the raised areas of ground along its edge. □ [+ of ] …30 miles of new developments along both banks of the Thames. □ [+ of ] …an old warehouse on the banks of a canal.
2 N‑COUNT A bank of ground is a raised area of it with a flat top and one or two sloping sides. □ …resting indolently upon a grassy bank.
3 N‑COUNT A bank of something is a long high mass of it. □ [+ of ] On their journey south they hit a bank of fog off the north-east coast of Scotland.
4 N‑COUNT A bank of things, especially machines, switches, or dials, is a row of them, or a series of rows. □ [+ of ] The typical laborer now sits in front of a bank of dials.
5 → see also banked
➌ bank /bæ ŋk/ (banks , banking , banked ) VERB When an aircraft banks , one of its wings rises higher than the other, usually when it is changing direction. □ [V ] A plane took off and banked above the highway in front of him.
▸ bank on PHRASAL VERB If you bank on something happening, you expect it to happen and rely on it happening. □ [V P n] 'He's not still there, I suppose?'—'I wouldn't bank on that,' she said. COLLOCATIONS bank NOUN ➊1
noun + bank : high street, investment, merchant, savings
adjective + bank : central, commercial, nationalized, retail
bank|able /bæ ŋkəb ə l/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] In the entertainment industry, someone or something that is described as bankable is very popular and therefore likely to be very profitable. □ This movie made him the most bankable star in Hollywood.
ba nk ac|count (bank accounts ) N‑COUNT A bank account is an arrangement with a bank which allows you to keep your money in the bank and to take some out when you need it.
ba nk bal|ance (bank balances ) N‑COUNT Your bank balance is the amount of money that you have in your bank account at a particular time.
ba nk card (bank cards ) also bankcard
1 N‑COUNT A bank card is a plastic card which your bank gives you so you can get money from your bank account using a cash machine. It is also called an ATM card in American English.
2 N‑COUNT A bank card is a credit card that is supplied by a bank. [AM ]
ba nk draft (bank drafts ) N‑COUNT A bank draft is a cheque which you can buy from a bank in order to pay someone who is not willing to accept a personal cheque. □ Payments should be made by credit card or bank draft in U.S. dollars.
banked /bæ ŋkt/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A banked stretch of road is higher on one side than the other. □ He struggled to hold the bike down on the banked corners.
2 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If a place is banked with something, it is piled high with that thing. If something is banked up , it is piled high. □ Flowerbeds and tubs are banked with summer bedding plants. □ The snow was banked up along the roadside.
bank|er ◆◇◇ /bæ ŋkə r / (bankers ) N‑COUNT A banker is someone who works in banking at a senior level. □ …an investment banker. □ …a merchant banker.
ba nk|er's draft (banker's drafts ) N‑COUNT A banker's draft is the same as a bank draft . □ You pay for the car by banker's draft in the local currency.
ba nk ho li|day (bank holidays ) N‑COUNT A bank holiday is a public holiday. [BRIT ] in AM, usually use national holiday
bank|ing ◆◇◇ /bæ ŋk I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Banking is the business activity of banks and similar institutions.
ba nk man|ag|er (bank managers ) N‑COUNT A bank manager is someone who is in charge of a bank, or a particular branch of a bank, and who is involved in making decisions about whether or not to lend money to businesses and individuals. [BUSINESS ] □ This may have influenced your bank manager's decision not to give you a loan.
bank|note /bæ ŋknoʊt/ (banknotes ) also bank note N‑COUNT Banknotes are pieces of paper money.
ba nk rate (bank rates ) N‑COUNT The bank rate is the rate of interest at which a bank lends money, especially the minimum rate of interest that banks are allowed to charge, which is decided by the country's central bank. □ …a sterling crisis that forced the bank rate up.
bank|roll /bæ ŋkroʊl/ (bankrolls , bankrolling , bankrolled )
1 VERB To bankroll a person, organization, or project means to provide the financial resources that they need. [mainly AM , INFORMAL ] □ [V n] The company has bankrolled a couple of local movies.
2 N‑SING A bankroll is the financial resources used to back a person, project, or institution. [AM ] □ We have a guaranteed minimum bankroll of £1.7m over the five albums.
bank|rupt /bæ ŋkrʌpt/ (bankrupts , bankrupting , bankrupted )
1 ADJ People or organizations that go bankrupt do not have enough money to pay their debts. [BUSINESS ] □ If the firm cannot sell its products, it will go bankrupt. □ He was declared bankrupt after failing to pay a £114m loan guarantee.
2 VERB To bankrupt a person or organization means to make them go bankrupt. [BUSINESS ] □ [V n] The move to the market nearly bankrupted the firm and its director.
3 N‑COUNT A bankrupt is a person who has been declared bankrupt by a court of law. [BUSINESS ]
4 ADJ If you say that something is bankrupt , you are emphasizing that it lacks any value or worth. [EMPHASIS ] □ He really thinks that European civilisation is morally bankrupt.
bank|rupt|cy /bæ nkrʌptsi/ (bankruptcies )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Bankruptcy is the state of being bankrupt. [BUSINESS ] □ Many established firms were facing bankruptcy.
2 N‑COUNT A bankruptcy is an instance of an organization or person going bankrupt. [BUSINESS ] □ The number of corporate bankruptcies climbed in August.
3 N‑UNCOUNT If you refer to something's bankruptcy , you are emphasizing that it is completely lacking in value or worth. [EMPHASIS ] □ The massacre laid bare the moral bankruptcy of the regime.
ba nk state|ment (bank statements ) N‑COUNT A bank statement is a printed document showing all the money paid into and taken out of a bank account. Bank statements are usually sent by a bank to a customer at regular intervals.
ba nned su b|stance (banned substances ) N‑COUNT In sport, banned substances are drugs that competitors are not allowed to take because they could artificially improve their performance.
ban|ner /bæ nə r / (banners )
1 N‑COUNT A banner is a long strip of cloth with something written on it. Banners are usually attached to two poles and carried during a protest or rally. □ …a large crowd of students carrying banners denouncing the government.
2 PHRASE If someone does something under the banner of a particular cause, idea, or belief, they do it saying that they support that cause, idea, or belief. □ …proposals to impose more taxation upon motorists under the banner of being 'green'.
ba n|ner ad (banner ads ) N‑COUNT A banner ad is a large advertisement on a website that stretches across the top or down the side of the window. It usually contains a link to the advertiser's website. [COMPUTING ]
ba n|ner hea d|line (banner headlines ) N‑COUNT A banner headline is a large headline in a newspaper that stretches across the front page. □ Today's front page carries a banner headline 'The adulterer, the bungler and the joker.'
bannister /bæ n I stə r / → see banister
banns /bæ nz/ N‑PLURAL When a minister or priest reads or publishes the banns , he or she makes a public announcement in church that two people are going to be married.
ban|quet /bæ ŋkw I t/ (banquets ) N‑COUNT A banquet is a grand formal dinner. □ Last night he attended a state banquet at Buckingham Palace.
ban|quet|ing /bæ ŋkw I t I ŋ/ ADJ [ADJ n] A banqueting hall or room is a large room where banquets are held.
ban|quette /bæŋke t/ (banquettes ) N‑COUNT A banquette is a long, low, cushioned seat. Banquettes are usually long enough for more than one person to sit on at a time.
ban|shee /bæ nʃiː/ (banshees ) N‑COUNT In Irish folk stories, a banshee is a female spirit who warns you by her long, sad cry that someone in your family is going to die.
ban|tam /bæ ntəm/ (bantams ) N‑COUNT A bantam is a breed of small chicken.
bantam|weight /bæ ntəmwe I t/ (bantamweights ) N‑COUNT [usu sing, oft N n] A bantamweight is a boxer who weighs between 51 and 53.5 kilograms, or a wrestler who weighs between 52 and 57 kilograms. A bantamweight is heavier than a flyweight but lighter than a featherweight. □ …the European bantamweight title-holder.
ban|ter /bæ ntə r / (banters , bantering , bantered )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Banter is teasing or joking talk that is amusing and friendly. □ She heard Tom exchanging good-natured banter with Jane.
2 VERB If you banter with someone, you tease them or joke with them in an amusing, friendly way. □ [V + with ] The soldiers bantered with him as though he was a kid brother. □ [V ] We bantered a bit while I tried to get the car started.
Ban|tu /bæ ntuː , -tuː/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] Bantu means belonging or relating to a group of peoples in central and southern Africa. This use could cause offence.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Bantu languages belong to a group of languages spoken in central and southern Africa. This use could cause offence.
bap /bæ p/ (baps ) N‑COUNT In some dialects of British English, a bap is a soft flat bread roll.
bap|tise /bæpta I z/ → see baptize
bap|tism /bæ pt I zəm/ (baptisms ) N‑VAR A baptism is a Christian ceremony in which a person is baptized. Compare christening .
bap|tis|mal /bæpt I zməl/ ADJ [ADJ n] Baptismal means relating to or connected with baptism. [FORMAL ] □ …the baptismal ceremony.
ba p|tism of fi re (baptisms of fire ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] If someone who has just begun a new job has a baptism of fire , they immediately have to cope with very many severe difficulties and obstacles. □ It was Mark's first introduction to royal duties and he came through his baptism of fire unscathed.
Bap|tist /bæ pt I st/ (Baptists )
1 N‑COUNT A Baptist is a Christian who believes that people should not be baptized until they are old enough to understand the meaning of baptism.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Baptist means belonging or relating to Baptists. □ …a Baptist church.
bap|tize /bæpta I z/ (baptizes , baptizing , baptized ) in BRIT, also use baptise VERB [usu passive] When someone is baptized , water is put on their heads or they are covered with water as a sign that their sins have been forgiven and that they have become a member of the Christian Church. Compare christen . □ [be V -ed] At this time she decided to become a Christian and was baptised.
bar ◆◆◇ /bɑː r / (bars , barring , barred )
1 N‑COUNT A bar is a place where you can buy and drink alcoholic drinks. [mainly AM ] □ …Devil's Herd, the city's most popular country-western bar.
2 N‑COUNT A bar is a room in a pub or hotel where alcoholic drinks are served. [BRIT ] □ I'll see you in the bar later. □ On the ship there are lounges, a bar and a small duty-free shop.
3 N‑COUNT A bar is a counter on which alcoholic drinks are served. □ Michael was standing alone by the bar when Brian rejoined him. □ He leaned forward across the bar.
4 → see also coffee bar , public bar , singles bar , snack bar , wine bar
5 N‑COUNT A bar is a long, straight, stiff piece of metal. □ …a brick building with bars across the ground floor windows. □ …a crowd throwing stones and iron bars.
6 PHRASE If you say that someone is behind bars , you mean that they are in prison. □ Fisher was behind bars last night, charged with attempted murder. □ Nearly 5,000 people a year are put behind bars over motoring penalties.
7 N‑COUNT A bar of something is a piece of it which is roughly rectangular. □ What is your favourite chocolate bar? □ [+ of ] …a bar of soap.
8 VERB If you bar a door, you place something in front of it or a piece of wood or metal across it in order to prevent it from being opened. □ [V n] For added safety, bar the door to the kitchen. ● barred ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] □ The windows were closed and shuttered, the door was barred.
9 VERB If you bar someone's way, you prevent them from going somewhere or entering a place, by blocking their path. □ [V n] He stepped in front of her, barring her way.
10 VERB [usu passive] If someone is barred from a place or from doing something, they are officially forbidden to go there or to do it. □ [be V -ed + from ] Women were barred from attending the Convention without a male companion. □ [be V -ed + to ] Many jobs were barred to them.
11 N‑COUNT If something is a bar to doing a particular thing, it prevents someone from doing it. □ [+ to ] One of the fundamental bars to communication is the lack of a common language.
12 PHRASE If you say that there are no holds barred when people are fighting or competing for something, you mean that they are no longer following any rules in their efforts to win. □ It is a war with no holds barred and we must prepare to resist.
13 PREP You can use bar when you mean 'except'. For example, all the work bar the washing means all the work except the washing. □ Bar a large massage table, there wasn't much furniture in the room. □ The aim of the service was to offer everything the independent investor wanted, bar advice. → see also barring
14 PHRASE You use bar none to add emphasis to a statement that someone or something is the best of their kind. [EMPHASIS ] □ He is simply the best goalscorer we have ever had, bar none.
15 N‑PROPER The Bar is used to refer to the profession of a barrister in England, or of any kind of lawyer in the United States. □ Robert was planning to read for the Bar.
16 N‑COUNT In music, a bar is one of the several short parts of the same length into which a piece of music is divided. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, use measure
barb /bɑː r b/ (barbs )
1 N‑COUNT A barb is a sharp curved point near the end of an arrow or fish-hook which makes it difficult to pull out.
2 N‑COUNT A barb is an unkind remark meant as a criticism of someone or something. □ The barb stung her exactly the way he hoped it would.
Bar|ba|dian /bɑː r be I diən/ (Barbadians )
1 ADJ Barbadian means belonging or relating to Barbados or its people.
2 N‑COUNT A Barbadian is someone who comes from Barbados.
bar|bar|ian /bɑː r beə riən/ (barbarians )
1 N‑COUNT In former times, barbarians were people from other countries who were thought to be uncivilized and violent. □ The Roman Empire was overrun by Nordic barbarians.
2 N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a barbarian , you disapprove of them because they behave in a way that is cruel or uncivilized. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Our maths teacher was a bully and a complete barbarian. □ We need to fight this barbarian attitude to science.
bar|bar|ic /bɑː r bæ r I k/ ADJ If you describe someone's behaviour as barbaric , you strongly disapprove of it because you think that it is extremely cruel or uncivilized. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ This barbaric treatment of animals has no place in any decent society. □ …a particularly barbaric act of violence.
bar|ba|rism /bɑː r bər I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT If you refer to someone's behaviour as barbarism , you strongly disapprove of it because you think that it is extremely cruel or uncivilized. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ We do not ask for the death penalty: barbarism must not be met with barbarism.
bar|bar|ity /bɑː r bæ r I ti/ (barbarities ) N‑VAR If you refer to someone's behaviour as barbarity , you strongly disapprove of it because you think that it is extremely cruel. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …the barbarity of war.
bar|ba|rous /bɑː r bərəs/
1 ADJ If you describe something as barbarous , you strongly disapprove of it because you think that it is rough and uncivilized. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ He thought the poetry of Whitman barbarous.
2 ADJ If you describe something as barbarous , you strongly disapprove of it because you think that it is extremely cruel. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …a barbarous attack.
bar|becue /bɑː r b I kjuː/ (barbecues , barbecuing , barbecued ) in AM, also use barbeque , Bar-B-Q 1 N‑COUNT A barbecue is a piece of equipment which you use for cooking on in the open air.
2 N‑COUNT If someone has a barbecue , they cook food on a barbecue in the open air.
3 VERB If you barbecue food, especially meat, you cook it on a barbecue. □ [be V -ed] Tuna can be grilled, fried or barbecued. □ [V n] Here's a way of barbecuing corn-on-the-cob that I learned in the States. □ [V -ed] …barbecued chicken. [Also V ]
barbed /bɑː r bd/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A barbed remark or joke seems polite or humorous, but contains a cleverly hidden criticism. □ …barbed comments.
ba rbed wi re N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Barbed wire is strong wire with sharp points sticking out of it, and is used to make fences. □ The factory was surrounded by barbed wire. □ …a barbed-wire fence.
bar|ber /bɑː r bə r / (barbers )
1 N‑COUNT A barber is a man whose job is cutting men's hair. □ He went to get his hair trimmed by the barber.
2 N‑SING A barber's is a shop where a barber works. [BRIT ] □ My Mum took me to the barber's. in AM, use barber shop
barber|shop /bɑː r bə r ʃɒp/ (barbershops )
1 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Barbershop is a style of singing where a small group of people, usually men, sing in close harmony and without any musical instruments accompanying them. □ …a barbershop quartet.
2 → see barber shop
ba r|ber shop (barber shops ) in AM, also use barbershop N‑COUNT A barber shop is a shop where a barber works.
bar|bie /bɑː r bi/ (barbies ) N‑COUNT A barbie is a barbecue . [BRIT , AUSTRALIAN , INFORMAL ]
bar|bi|tu|rate /bɑː r b I tʃʊr I t/ (barbiturates ) N‑COUNT A barbiturate is a drug which people take to make them calm or to help them to sleep. □ She was addicted to barbiturates.
Bar-B-Q /bɑː r b I kjuː/ → see barbecue
ba r chart (bar charts ) N‑COUNT A bar chart is a graph which uses parallel rectangular shapes to represent changes in the size, value, or rate of something or to compare the amount of something relating to a number of different countries or groups. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, use bar graph
ba r code (bar codes ) also barcode N‑COUNT A bar code is an arrangement of numbers and parallel lines that is printed on products to be sold in shops. The bar code can be read by computers.
bard /bɑː r d/ (bards ) N‑COUNT A bard is a poet. [LITERARY or OLD-FASHIONED ]
Bard N‑PROPER People sometimes refer to William Shakespeare as the Bard . □ …a new production of the Bard's early tragedy, Richard III.
bare ◆◇◇ /beə r / (barer , barest , bares , baring , bared )
1 ADJ If a part of your body is bare , it is not covered by any clothing. □ She was wearing only a thin robe over a flimsy nightdress, and her feet were bare. □ She had bare arms and a bare neck.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A bare surface is not covered or decorated with anything. □ They would have liked bare wooden floors throughout the house.
3 ADJ If a tree or a branch is bare , it has no leaves on it. □ …an old, twisted tree, its bark shaggy, many of its limbs brittle and bare.
4 ADJ If a room, cupboard, or shelf is bare , it is empty. □ His fridge was bare apart from three very withered tomatoes. □ He led me through to a bare, draughty interviewing room.
5 ADJ An area of ground that is bare has no plants growing on it. □ That's probably the most bare, bleak, barren and inhospitable island I've ever seen.
6 ADJ If someone gives you the bare facts or the barest details of something, they tell you only the most basic and important things. □ Newspaper reporters were given nothing but the bare facts by the Superintendent in charge of the investigation.
7 ADJ If you talk about the bare minimum or the bare essentials, you mean the very least that is necessary. □ The army would try to hold the western desert with a bare minimum of forces. □ These are the bare essentials you'll need to dress your baby during the first few months.
8 ADJ Bare is used in front of an amount to emphasize how small it is. [EMPHASIS ] □ Sales are growing for premium wines, but at a bare 2 percent a year.
9 VERB If you bare something, you uncover it and show it. [WRITTEN ] □ [V n] Walsh bared his teeth in a grin.
10 bare bones → see bone
11 PHRASE If someone does something with their bare hands , they do it without using any weapons or tools. □ Police believe the killer punched her to death with his bare hands. □ Rescuers were using their bare hands to reach the trapped miners.
12 PHRASE If you lay something bare , you uncover it completely so that it can then be seen. □ The clearing out of disused workshops laid bare thousands of Italianate glazed tiles.
13 PHRASE If you lay bare something or someone, you reveal or expose them. □ No one wants to expose themselves, lay their feelings bare.
bare|back /beə r bæk/ ADV [ADV after v] If you ride bareback , you ride a horse without a saddle. □ I rode bareback to the paddock. ● ADJ [ADJ n] Bareback is also an adjective. □ She dreamed of being a bareback rider in a circus.
ba re-fa ced also barefaced ADJ [ADJ n] You use bare-faced to describe someone's behaviour when you want to emphasize that they do not care that they are behaving wrongly. [EMPHASIS ] □ What bare-faced cheek! □ …crooked politicians who tell bare-faced lies.
bare|foot /beə r fʊt/ also barefooted ADJ [v-link ADJ , ADJ after v, ADJ n] Someone who is barefoot or barefooted is not wearing anything on their feet. □ I wore a white dress and was barefoot. □ …shivering with cold and barefooted.
bare|headed /beə r he d I d/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ , ADJ after v] Someone who is bareheaded is not wearing a hat or any other covering on their head. □ He was bareheaded in the rain. □ I rode bareheaded.
bare|ly ◆◇◇ /beə r li/
1 ADV [ADV before v] You use barely to say that something is only just true or only just the case. □ Anastasia could barely remember the ride to the hospital. □ It was 90 degrees and the air conditioning barely cooled the room. □ His voice was barely audible.
2 ADV [ADV before v] If you say that one thing had barely happened when something else happened, you mean that the first event was followed immediately by the second. □ The Boeing 767 had barely taxied to a halt before its doors were flung open. SYNONYMS barely ADV 1
only just: The signs of an economic revival are only just beginning.
scarcely: He could scarcely breathe.
barf /bɑː r f/ (barfs , barfing , barfed ) VERB If someone barfs , they vomit. [INFORMAL ]
bar|fly /bɑː r fla I / (barflies ) N‑COUNT A barfly is a person who spends a lot of time drinking in bars [AM , INFORMAL ]
bar|gain ◆◇◇ /bɑː r g I n/ (bargains , bargaining , bargained )
1 N‑COUNT Something that is a bargain is good value for money, usually because it has been sold at a lower price than normal. □ At this price the wine is a bargain.
2 N‑COUNT A bargain is an agreement, especially a formal business agreement, in which two people or groups agree what each of them will do, pay, or receive. □ I'll make a bargain with you. I'll play hostess if you'll include Matthew in your guest-list. □ The treaty was based on a bargain between the French and German governments.
3 VERB When people bargain with each other, they discuss what each of them will do, pay, or receive. □ [V + with ] They prefer to bargain with individual clients, for cash. □ [V ] Shop in small local markets and don't be afraid to bargain. ● bar|gain|er (bargainers ) N‑COUNT □ A union bargainer said that those jobs have been saved. ● bar|gain|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ The government has called for sensible pay bargaining.
4 PHRASE [ADJ ] If people drive a hard bargain , they argue with determination in order to achieve a deal which is favourable to themselves. □ …a law firm with a reputation for driving a hard bargain.
5 PHRASE You use into the bargain when mentioning an additional quantity, feature, fact, or action, to emphasize the fact that it is also involved. You can also say in the bargain in American English. [EMPHASIS ] □ This machine is designed to save you effort, and keep your work surfaces tidy into the bargain. □ She is rich. Now you say she is a beauty into the bargain.
6 PHRASE If you keep your side of the bargain , you do what you have promised or arranged to do. □ Dealing with this dictator wasn't an option. He wouldn't have kept his side of the bargain.
▸ bargain for or bargain on PHRASAL VERB If you have not bargained for or bargained on something that happens, you did not expect it to happen and so feel surprised or worried by it. □ [V P n] The effects of this policy were more than the government had bargained for. SYNONYMS bargain VERB 3
haggle: Ella taught her how to haggle with used furniture dealers.
barter: They have been bartering wheat for cotton and timber.
negotiate: It is not clear whether the president is willing to negotiate with the democrats.
ba r|gain ba se|ment also bargain-basement ADJ [ADJ n] If you refer to something as a bargain basement thing, you mean that it is cheap and not very good quality. □ …a bargain-basement rock musical.
ba r|gain hunt|er (bargain hunters ) also bargain-hunter N‑COUNT A bargain hunter is someone who is looking for goods that are value for money, usually because they are on sale at a lower price than normal.
ba r|gain|ing chip (bargaining chips ) N‑COUNT In negotiations with other people, a bargaining chip is something that you are prepared to give up in order to obtain what you want. □ Rubio suggests that oil be used as a bargaining chip in any trade talks.
ba r|gain|ing coun|ter (bargaining counters ) N‑COUNT A bargaining counter is the same as a bargaining chip . [BRIT ]
barge /bɑː r dʒ/ (barges , barging , barged )
1 N‑COUNT [oft by N ] A barge is a long, narrow boat with a flat bottom. Barges are used for carrying heavy loads, especially on canals. □ Carrying goods by train costs nearly three times more than carrying them by barge.
2 VERB If you barge into a place or barge through it, you rush or push into it in a rough and rude way. [INFORMAL ] □ [V + into ] Students tried to barge into the secretariat buildings. [Also V + through ]
3 VERB If you barge into someone or barge past them, you bump against them roughly and rudely. [INFORMAL ] □ [V + past ] He barged past her and sprang at Gillian, knocking her to the floor. [Also V + into ]
▸ barge in PHRASAL VERB If you barge in or barge in on someone, you rudely interrupt what they are doing or saying. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P ] I'm sorry to barge in like this, but I have a problem I hope you can solve. [Also V P + on ]
ba rge pole also bargepole PHRASE If you say that you wouldn't touch something with a barge pole , you mean that you would not want to have anything to do with it, either because you do not trust it, or because you do not like it. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] in AM, use wouldn't touch something with a ten-foot pole
ba r graph (bar graphs ) N‑COUNT A bar graph is the same as a bar chart . [AM ]
bari|tone /bæ r I toʊn/ (baritones ) N‑COUNT In music, a baritone is a man with a fairly deep singing voice that is lower than that of a tenor but higher than that of a bass.
bar|ium /beə riəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Barium is a soft, silvery-white metal.
bark /bɑː r k/ (barks , barking , barked )
1 VERB When a dog barks , it makes a short, loud noise, once or several times. □ [V ] Don't let the dogs bark. □ [V + at ] A small dog barked at a seagull he was chasing. ● N‑COUNT Bark is also a noun. □ The Doberman let out a string of roaring barks.
2 VERB If you bark at someone, you shout at them aggressively in a loud, rough voice. □ [V + at ] I didn't mean to bark at you. □ [V n] A policeman held his gun in both hands and barked an order. [Also V with quote]
3 N‑UNCOUNT Bark is the tough material that covers the outside of a tree.
4 PHRASE If you say that someone's bark is worse than their bite , you mean that they seem much more unpleasant or hostile than they really are. [INFORMAL ] □ She can be a bit tetchy but her bark is worse than her bite.
5 to be barking up the wrong tree → see tree
bar|keep|er /bɑː r kiːpə r / (barkeepers ) N‑COUNT A barkeeper is someone who serves drinks behind a bar. [AM ]
ba rk|ing ma d ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you say that someone is barking mad , you mean that they are insane or are acting very strangely. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ The builder looked at me as though I was barking mad.
bar|ley /bɑː r li/ N‑UNCOUNT Barley is a grain that is used to make food, beer, and whisky. □ …fields of ripening wheat and barley.
ba r|ley sug|ar N‑UNCOUNT Barley sugar is a sweet made from boiled sugar.
ba r|ley wa|ter N‑UNCOUNT Barley water is a drink made from barley. It is sometimes flavoured with orange or lemon.
bar|maid /bɑː r me I d/ (barmaids ) N‑COUNT A barmaid is a woman who serves drinks behind a bar. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, use bartender
bar|man /bɑː r mən/ (barmen ) N‑COUNT A barman is a man who serves drinks behind a bar. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, use bartender
bar mitz|vah /bɑː r m I tsvə/ (bar mitzvahs ) N‑COUNT A bar mitzvah is a ceremony that takes place on the thirteenth birthday of a Jewish boy, after which he is regarded as an adult.
bar|my /bɑː r mi/ (barmier , barmiest ) ADJ If you say that someone or something is barmy , you mean that they are slightly crazy or very foolish. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ …a barmy idea.
barn /bɑː r n/ (barns ) N‑COUNT A barn is a building on a farm in which crops or animal food can be kept.
bar|na|cle /bɑː r n I k ə l/ (barnacles ) N‑COUNT Barnacles are small shellfish that fix themselves tightly to rocks and the bottoms of boats.
ba rn dance (barn dances ) N‑COUNT A barn dance is a social event people go to for country dancing.
barn|storm /bɑː r nstɔː r m/ (barnstorms , barnstorming , barnstormed ) VERB When people such as politicians or performers barnstorm , they travel around the country making speeches or giving shows. [AM ] □ [V prep/adv] He barnstormed across the nation, rallying the people to the cause. □ [V n] The president travels thousands of miles as he barnstorms the country. □ [V -ing] …his barnstorming campaign for the governorship of Louisiana. [Also V ]
barn|storm|ing /bɑː r nstɔː r m I ŋ/ ADJ [ADJ n] A barnstorming performance is full of energy and very exciting to watch. [BRIT , APPROVAL ] □ They delivered a barnstorming performance of the band's biggest hits.
barn|yard /bɑː r njɑː r d/ (barnyards ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] On a farm, the barnyard is the area in front of or next to a barn.
ba|rom|eter /bərɒ m I tə r / (barometers )
1 N‑COUNT A barometer is an instrument that measures air pressure and shows when the weather is changing.
2 N‑COUNT If something is a barometer of a particular situation, it indicates how things are changing or how things are likely to develop. □ [+ of ] In past presidential elections, Missouri has been a barometer of the rest of the country.
bar|on /bæ rən/ (barons )
1 N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE A baron is a man who is a member of the lowest rank of the nobility. [BRIT ] □ …their stepfather, Baron Michael Distemple.
2 N‑COUNT [usu n N ] You can use baron to refer to someone who controls a large amount of a particular industry or activity and who is therefore extremely powerful. □ …the battle against the drug barons. □ …the British press barons.
bar|on|ess /bæ rənes/ (baronesses ) N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE A baroness is a woman who is a member of the lowest rank of the nobility, or who is the wife of a baron. [BRIT ] □ …Baroness Blatch.
bar|on|et /bæ rən I t/ (baronets ) N‑COUNT A baronet is a man who has been made a knight. When a baronet dies, the title is passed on to his son. [BRIT ]
ba|ro|nial /bəroʊ niəl/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe a house or room as baronial , you mean that it is large, impressive, and old-fashioned in appearance, and looks as if it belongs to someone from the upper classes. □ …baronial manor houses.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Baronial means relating to a baron or barons. □ …the baronial feuding of the Middle Ages.
baro|ny /bæ rəni/ (baronies ) N‑COUNT A barony is the rank or position of a baron.
ba|roque /bərɒ k, [AM ] -roʊ k/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] Baroque architecture and art is an elaborate style of architecture and art that was popular in Europe in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. □ The baroque church of San Leonardo is worth a quick look. □ …a collection of treasures dating from the Middle Ages to the Baroque period. ● N‑SING The baroque style and period in art and architecture are sometimes referred to as the baroque . □ …the seventeenth-century taste for the baroque.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Baroque music is a style of European music that was written in the 18th century.
bar|rack /bæ rək/ (barracks , barracking , barracked ) VERB If people in an audience barrack public speakers or performers, they interrupt them, for example by making rude remarks. [BRIT ] □ [V n] Fans gained more enjoyment barracking him than cheering on the team. ● bar|rack|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ He was affected badly by the barracking that he got from the crowd.
bar|racks /bæ rəks/ N‑COUNT [oft in names] A barracks is a building or group of buildings where soldiers or other members of the armed forces live and work. ‘Barracks’ is the singular and plural form. □ …an army barracks in the north of the city.
bar|ra|cu|da /bæ rəkjuː də, [AM ] -kuː -/ (barracudas or barracuda ) N‑COUNT A barracuda is a large tropical sea fish that eats other fish.
bar|rage /bæ rɑːʒ, [AM ] bərɑː ʒ/ (barrages , barraging , barraged ) Pronounced /bɑː r I dʒ/ for meaning 4 in American English. 1 N‑COUNT A barrage is continuous firing on an area with large guns and tanks. □ The two fighters were driven off by a barrage of anti-aircraft fire.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A barrage of something such as criticism or complaints is a large number of them directed at someone, often in an aggressive way. □ [+ of ] He was faced with a barrage of angry questions from the floor.
3 VERB [usu passive] If you are barraged by people or things, you have to deal with a great number of people or things you would rather avoid. □ [be V -ed + by ] Doctors are complaining about being barraged by drug-company salesmen. □ [be V -ed + with ] He was barraged with calls from friends who were furious at the indiscreet disclosures.
4 N‑COUNT A barrage is a structure that is built across a river to control the level of the water. □ …a hydro-electric tidal barrage.
ba r|rage bal|loon (barrage balloons ) N‑COUNT Barrage balloons are large balloons which are fixed to the ground by strong steel cables. They are used in wartime, when the cables are intended to destroy low-flying enemy aircraft.
bar|rel ◆◇◇ /bæ rəl/ (barrels , barrelling , barrelled ) in AM, use barreling , barreled 1 N‑COUNT A barrel is a large, round container for liquids or food. □ The wine is aged for almost a year in oak barrels.
2 N‑COUNT In the oil industry, a barrel is a unit of measurement equal to 159 litres. □ [+ of ] Fully operational, the pipe can pump one million barrels of oil a day. □ Oil prices were closing at $19.76 a barrel.
3 N‑COUNT [n N ] The barrel of a gun is the tube through which the bullet moves when the gun is fired. □ [+ of ] He pushed the barrel of the gun into the other man's open mouth.
4 VERB If a vehicle or person is barrelling in a particular direction, they are moving very quickly in that direction. [mainly AM ] □ [V prep/adv] The car was barreling down the street at a crazy speed.
5 → see also pork barrel
6 PHRASE If you say, for example, that someone moves or buys something lock, stock, and barrel , you are emphasizing that they move or buy every part or item of it. [EMPHASIS ] □ They dug up their New Jersey garden and moved it lock, stock, and barrel back home.
7 PHRASE If you say that someone is scraping the barrel , or scraping the bottom of the barrel , you disapprove of the fact that they are using or doing something of extremely poor quality. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]
-barrelled /-bæ rəld/ in AM, use -barreled 1 COMB -barrelled combines with adjectives to form adjectives that describe a gun which has a barrel or barrels of the specified type. □ …a short-barreled rifle. □ …a double-barrelled shotgun.
2 → see also double-barrelled
ba r|rel or|gan (barrel organs ) N‑COUNT A barrel organ is a large machine that plays music when you turn the handle on the side. Barrel organs used to be played in the street to entertain people.
bar|ren /bæ rən/
1 ADJ A barren landscape is dry and bare, and has very few plants and no trees. □ …the country's landscape of high barren mountains.
2 ADJ Barren land consists of soil that is so poor that plants cannot grow in it. □ He also wants to use the water to irrigate barren desert land.
3 ADJ If you describe something such as an activity or a period of your life as barren , you mean that you achieve no success during it or that it has no useful results. [WRITTEN ] □ [+ of ] …politics that are banal and barren of purpose. □ …the player, who ended a 14-month barren spell by winning the Tokyo event in October.
4 ADJ If you describe a room or a place as barren , you do not like it because it has almost no furniture or other objects in it. [WRITTEN , DISAPPROVAL ] □ [+ of ] The room was austere, nearly barren of furniture or decoration.
5 ADJ A barren woman or female animal is unable to have babies. [OLD-FASHIONED ] □ He prayed that his barren wife would one day have a child.
bar|ri|cade /bæ r I ke I d, [AM ] -ke I d/ (barricades , barricading , barricaded )
1 N‑COUNT A barricade is a line of vehicles or other objects placed across a road or open space to stop people getting past, for example during street fighting or as a protest. □ Large areas of the city have been closed off by barricades set up by the demonstrators.
2 VERB If you barricade something such as a road or an entrance, you place a barricade or barrier across it, usually to stop someone getting in. □ [V n] The rioters barricaded streets with piles of blazing tyres. □ [be V -ed] The doors had been barricaded.
3 VERB If you barricade yourself inside a room or building, you place barriers across the door or entrance so that other people cannot get in. □ [V n prep/adv] The students have barricaded themselves into their dormitory building. □ [be V -ed] About forty prisoners are still barricaded inside the wrecked buildings.
bar|ri|er ◆◇◇ /bæ riə r / (barriers )
1 N‑COUNT A barrier is something such as a rule, law, or policy that makes it difficult or impossible for something to happen or be achieved. □ [+ to ] Duties and taxes are the most obvious barrier to free trade. [Also + against/between ]
2 N‑COUNT A barrier is a problem that prevents two people or groups from agreeing, communicating, or working with each other. □ There is no reason why love shouldn't cross the age barrier. □ When you get involved in sports and athletes, a lot of the racial barriers are broken down. [Also + between ]
3 N‑COUNT A barrier is something such as a fence or wall that is put in place to prevent people from moving easily from one area to another. □ The demonstrators broke through heavy police barriers. □ As each woman reached the barrier one of the men glanced at her papers.
4 N‑COUNT A barrier is an object or layer that physically prevents something from moving from one place to another. □ [+ between ] …a severe storm, which destroyed a natural barrier between the house and the lake. □ The packaging must provide an effective barrier to prevent contamination of the product.
5 N‑SING You can refer to a particular number or amount as a barrier when you think it is significant, because it is difficult or unusual to go above it. □ [+ of ] They are fearful that unemployment will soon break the barrier of three million.
6 → see also crash barrier , sound barrier
ba r|ri|er meth|od (barrier methods ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Barrier methods of contraception involve the use of condoms, diaphragms, or other devices that physically prevent the sperm from reaching the egg.
bar|ring /bɑː r I ŋ/ PREP You use barring to indicate that the person, thing, or event that you are mentioning is an exception to your statement. □ Barring accidents, I believe they will succeed.
bar|rio /bɑː rioʊ/ (barrios )
1 N‑COUNT A barrio is a mainly Spanish-speaking area in an American city. [AM ] □ …the barrios of Santa Cruz.
2 N‑COUNT A barrio is an urban district in a Spanish-speaking country. [mainly AM ] □ …the barrios of Mexico City.
bar|ris|ter /bæ r I stə r / (barristers ) N‑COUNT In England and Wales, a barrister is a lawyer who represents clients in the higher courts of law. Compare solicitor .
bar|room /bɑː r ruːm/ (barrooms ) also bar-room N‑COUNT A barroom is a room or building in which alcoholic drinks are served over a counter. [AM ] in BRIT, usually use bar , pub
bar|row /bæ roʊ/ (barrows )
1 N‑COUNT A barrow is the same as a wheelbarrow .
2 N‑COUNT A barrow is a cart from which fruit or other goods are sold in the street. [BRIT ] in AM, use pushcart 3 N‑COUNT A barrow is a large structure made of earth that people used to build over graves in ancient times.
ba r|row boy (barrow boys ) N‑COUNT A barrow boy is a man or boy who sells fruit or other goods from a barrow in the street. [BRIT ]
bar|tender /bɑː r tendə r / (bartenders ) N‑COUNT A bartender is a person who serves drinks behind a bar.
bar|ter /bɑː r tə r / (barters , bartering , bartered ) VERB If you barter goods, you exchange them for other goods, rather than selling them for money. □ [V n + for ] They have been bartering wheat for cotton and timber. □ [V ] The market-place and street were crowded with those who'd come to barter. □ [V n] Traders came to barter horses. ● N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Barter is also a noun. □ Overall, barter is a very inefficient means of organizing transactions. □ …a barter economy.
ba|sal /be I s ə l/ ADJ [ADJ n] Basal means relating to or forming the base of something. [TECHNICAL ] □ …the basal layer of the skin.
bas|alt /bæ sɔːlt, [AM ] bəsɔː lt/ (basalts ) N‑VAR Basalt is a type of black rock that is produced by volcanoes.
base ◆◆◆ /be I s/ (bases , basing , based , baser , basest )
1 N‑COUNT The base of something is its lowest edge or part. □ There was a cycle path running along this side of the wall, right at its base. □ Line the base and sides of a 20cm deep round cake tin with paper.
2 N‑COUNT The base of something is the lowest part of it, where it is attached to something else. □ [+ of ] The surgeon placed catheters through the veins and arteries near the base of the head.
3 N‑COUNT [usu with poss] The base of an object such as a box or vase is the lower surface of it that touches the surface it rests on. □ [+ of ] Remove from the heat and plunge the base of the pan into a bowl of very cold water.
4 N‑COUNT [oft n N ] The base of an object that has several sections and that rests on a surface is the lower section of it. □ The mattress is best on a solid bed base. □ The clock stands on an oval marble base, enclosed by a glass dome.
5 N‑COUNT A base is a layer of something which will have another layer added to it. □ Spoon the mixture on to the biscuit base and cook in a pre-heated oven. □ On many modern wooden boats, epoxy coatings will have been used as a base for varnishing.
6 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A position or thing that is a base for something is one from which that thing can be developed or achieved. □ The family base was crucial to my development.
7 VERB If you base one thing on another thing, the first thing develops from the second thing. □ [V n + on/upon ] He based his conclusions on the evidence given by the captured prisoners. ● based ADJ □ [+ on/upon ] Three of the new products are based on traditional herbal medicines.
8 N‑COUNT A company's client base or customer base is the group of regular clients or customers that the company gets most of its income from. [BUSINESS ] □ The company has been expanding its customer base using trade magazine advertising.
9 N‑COUNT A military base is a place which part of the armed forces works from. □ Gunfire was heard at an army base close to the airport. □ …a massive air base in eastern Saudi Arabia.
10 N‑COUNT [usu poss N ] Your base is the main place where you work, stay, or live. □ For most of the spring and early summer her base was her home in Scotland.
11 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If a place is a base for a certain activity, the activity can be carried out at that place or from that place. □ The two hotels are attractive bases from which to explore southeast Tuscany.
12 N‑COUNT The base of a substance such as paint or food is the main ingredient of it, to which other substances can be added. □ Drain off any excess marinade and use it as a base for a pouring sauce. □ Oils may be mixed with a base oil and massaged into the skin.
13 N‑COUNT A base is a system of counting and expressing numbers. The decimal system uses base 10, and the binary system uses base 2.
14 N‑COUNT A base in baseball, softball, or rounders is one of the places at each corner of the square on the pitch.
base|ball ◆◇◇ /be I sbɔːl/ (baseballs )
1 N‑UNCOUNT In America, baseball is a game played by two teams of nine players. Each player from one team hits a ball with a bat and then tries to run around three bases and get to the home base before the other team can get the ball back.
2 N‑COUNT A baseball is a small hard ball which is used in the game of baseball.
base|board /be I sbɔːd/ (baseboards ) N‑COUNT A baseboard is a narrow length of wood which goes along the bottom of a wall in a room and makes a border between the walls and the floor. [AM ] in BRIT, use skirting board
based ◆◆◆ /be I st/
1 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you are based in a particular place, that is the place where you live or do most of your work. □ Both firms are based in Kent. □ Based on the edge of Lake Matt, Sunbeam Yachts started boatbuilding in 1870.
2 → see also base
-based /-be I st/
1 COMB -based combines with nouns referring to places to mean something positioned or existing mainly in the place mentioned, or operating or organized from that place. □ …a Washington-based organization. □ …land-based missiles.
2 COMB -based combines with nouns to mean that the thing mentioned is a central part or feature. □ …computer-based jobs. □ …oil-based sauces.
3 COMB -based combines with adverbs to mean having a particular kind of basis. □ There are growing signs of more broadly-based popular unrest.
base|less /be I sləs/ ADJ If you describe an accusation, rumour, or report as baseless , you mean that it is not true and is not based on facts. □ The charges against her are baseless. □ …baseless allegations of corruption.
base|line /be I sla I n/ (baselines ) also base-line
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] The baseline of a tennis, badminton, or basketball court is one of the lines at each end of the court that mark the limits of play. □ Martinez, when she served, usually stayed on the baseline.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] In baseball, the baseline is the line that a player must not cross when running between bases.
3 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A baseline is a value or starting point on a scale with which other values can be compared. □ [+ for ] You'll need such information to use as a baseline for measuring progress.
base|ment /be I smənt/ (basements ) N‑COUNT The basement of a building is a floor built partly or completely below ground level. □ They bought an old schoolhouse to live in and built a workshop in the basement.
ba se me t|al (base metals ) N‑VAR A base metal is a metal such as copper, zinc, tin, or lead that is not a precious metal.
ba se rate (base rates ) N‑COUNT In Britain, the base rate is the rate of interest that banks use as a basis when they are calculating the rates that they charge on loans. [BUSINESS ] □ Bank base rates of 7 per cent are too high.
bases Pronounced /be I s I z/ for meaning 1 . Pronounced /be I siːz/ and hyphenated ba+ses for meaning 2 . 1 Bases is the plural of base .
2 Bases is the plural of basis .
bash /bæ ʃ/ (bashes , bashing , bashed )
1 N‑COUNT A bash is a party or celebration, especially a large one held by an official organization or attended by famous people. [INFORMAL ] □ He threw one of the biggest showbiz bashes of the year.
2 VERB If someone bashes you, they attack you by hitting or punching you hard. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] If someone tried to bash my best mate they would have to bash me as well. □ [V n prep/adv] I bashed him on the head and dumped him in the cold, cold water. □ [be/get V -ed] Two women were hurt and the chef was bashed over the head with a bottle.
3 VERB If you bash something, you hit it hard in a rough or careless way. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n prep/adv] Too many golfers try to bash the ball out of sand. That spells disaster. □ [V prep/adv] A stand-in drummer bashes on a single snare and a pair of cymbals. [Also V n]
4 N‑COUNT If you get a bash on a part of your body, someone or something hits you hard, or you bump into something. [INFORMAL ]
5 VERB To bash someone means to criticize them severely, usually in a public way. [JOURNALISM ] □ [V n] The President could continue to bash Democrats as being soft on crime.
6 → see also -bashing
-basher /-bæʃə r / (-bashers ) COMB -basher combines with nouns to form nouns referring to someone who is physically violent towards a particular type of person, or who is unfairly critical of a particular type of person. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …gay-bashers who go around looking for homosexuals to beat up.
bash|ful /bæ ʃfʊl/ ADJ Someone who is bashful is shy and easily embarrassed. □ He seemed bashful and awkward. □ …a bashful young lady. ● bash|ful|ly /bæ ʃfʊli/ ADV [ADV with v] □ 'No,' Wang Fu said bashfully. ● bash|ful|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ I was overcome with bashfulness when I met her.
-bashing /-bæʃ I ŋ/
1 COMB -bashing combines with nouns to form nouns or adjectives that refer to strong, public, and often unfair criticism of the people or group mentioned. [JOURNALISM , DISAPPROVAL ] □ Tory-bashing or Labour-bashing will not be enough to shift bored, suspicious voters.
2 COMB -bashing combines with nouns to form nouns or adjectives that refer to the activity of violently attacking the people mentioned just because they belong to a particular group or community. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …an outburst of violent gay-bashing in New York and other cities.
3 → see also bash
ba|sic ◆◆◇ /be I s I k/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You use basic to describe things, activities, and principles that are very important or necessary, and on which others depend. □ One of the most basic requirements for any form of angling is a sharp hook. □ …the basic skills of reading, writing and communicating. □ …the basic laws of physics. □ Access to justice is a basic right.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Basic goods and services are very simple ones which every human being needs. You can also refer to people's basic needs for such goods and services. □ …shortages of even the most basic foodstuffs. □ Hospitals lack even basic drugs for surgical operations. □ …the basic needs of food and water.
3 ADJ If one thing is basic to another, it is absolutely necessary to it, and the second thing cannot exist, succeed, or be imagined without it. □ [+ to ] …an oily liquid, basic to the manufacture of a host of other chemical substances. □ [+ to ] There are certain ethical principles that are basic to all the great religions.
4 ADJ [ADJ n] You can use basic to emphasize that you are referring to what you consider to be the most important aspect of a situation, and that you are not concerned with less important details. [EMPHASIS ] □ There are three basic types of tea. □ The basic design changed little from that patented by Edison more than 100 years ago. □ The basic point is that sanctions cannot be counted on to produce a sure result.
5 ADJ You can use basic to describe something that is very simple in style and has only the most necessary features, without any luxuries. □ We provide 2-person tents and basic cooking and camping equipment. □ …the extremely basic hotel room.
6 ADJ [ADJ n] Basic is used to describe a price or someone's income when this does not include any additional amounts. □ …an increase of more than twenty per cent on the basic pay of a typical worker. □ The basic price for a 10-minute call is only £2.49.
7 ADJ [ADJ n] The basic rate of income tax is the lowest or most common rate, which applies to people who earn average incomes. □ All this is to be done without big rises in the basic level of taxation. □ …a basic-rate taxpayer.
ba|si|cal|ly ◆◇◇ /be I s I kli/
1 ADV You use basically for emphasis when you are stating an opinion, or when you are making an important statement about something. [EMPHASIS ] □ This gun is designed for one purpose–it's basically to kill people. □ Basically I think he would be someone who complemented me in terms of character.
2 ADV You use basically to show that you are describing a situation in a simple, general way, and that you are not concerned with less important details. □ Basically you've got two choices. □ It's basically a vegan diet. SYNONYMS basically ADV 2
fundamentally: He can be very charming, but he is fundamentally a bully.
essentially: Essentially, vines and grapes need water, heat and light.
primarily: Public order is primarily an urban problem.
ba|sics /be I s I ks/
1 N‑PLURAL The basics of something are its simplest, most important elements, ideas, or principles, in contrast to more complicated or detailed ones. □ [+ of ] They will concentrate on teaching the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic. □ A strong community cannot be built until the basics are in place. □ Let's get down to basics and stop horsing around.
2 N‑PLURAL Basics are things such as simple food, clothes, or equipment that people need in order to live or to deal with a particular situation. □ …supplies of basics such as bread and milk. □ [+ of ] …items that are the basics of a stylish wardrobe.
3 PHRASE If you talk about getting back to basics , you are suggesting that people have become too concerned with complicated details or new theories, and that they should concentrate on simple, important ideas or activities. □ The back-to-basics approach will tap into customers' yearning for a traditional bank.
ba |sic trai n|ing N‑UNCOUNT Basic training is the training that someone receives when they first join the armed forces.
bas|il /bæ z ə l, [AM ] be I z ə l/ N‑UNCOUNT Basil is a strong-smelling and strong-tasting herb that is used in cooking, especially with tomatoes.
ba|sili|ca /bəz I l I kə/ (basilicas ) N‑COUNT A basilica is a church which is rectangular in shape and has a rounded end.
ba|sin /be I s ə n/ (basins )
1 N‑COUNT A basin is a large or deep bowl that you use for holding liquids, or for mixing or storing food. □ Place the eggs and sugar in a large basin. □ …a pudding basin. ● N‑COUNT A basin of something such as water is an amount of it that is contained in a basin. □ [+ of ] We were given a basin of water to wash our hands in.
2 N‑COUNT A basin is the same as a washbasin . □ …a cast-iron bath with a matching basin and WC.
3 N‑COUNT [oft in names] The basin of a large river is the area of land around it from which streams run down into it. □ …the Amazon basin.
4 N‑COUNT [oft in names] In geography, a basin is a particular region of the world where the earth's surface is lower than in other places. [TECHNICAL ] □ …countries around the Pacific Basin.
5 N‑COUNT [usu n N ] A basin is a partially enclosed area of deep water where boats or ships are kept.
ba|sis ◆◆◇ /be I s I s/ (bases /be I siːz/)
1 N‑SING [usu on N ] If something is done on a particular basis , it is done according to that method, system, or principle. □ We're going to be meeting there on a regular basis. □ They want all groups to be treated on an equal basis. □ I've always worked on the basis that any extra money would go into property.
2 N‑SING [on N , N that] If you say that you are acting on the basis of something, you are giving that as the reason for your action. □ [+ of ] McGregor must remain confined, on the basis of the medical reports we have received.
3 N‑COUNT [usu sing] The basis of something is its starting point or an important part of it from which it can be further developed. □ [+ for ] Both factions have broadly agreed that the U.N. plan is a possible basis for negotiation. □ [+ of ] …the sub-atomic particles that form the basis of nearly all matter on earth.
4 N‑COUNT [usu sing] The basis for something is a fact or argument that you can use to prove or justify it. □ …Japan's attempt to secure the legal basis to send troops overseas. □ This is a common fallacy which has no basis in fact. COLLOCATIONS basis NOUN 1
adjective + basis : annual, daily, hourly, monthly, weekly; interim, ongoing, permanent, temporary; full-time, part-time; case-by-case, first-come first-served; consistent, day-to-day, regular; voluntary
verb + basis : form, lay, provide
ba |sis point (basis points ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] In finance, a basis point is one hundredth of one per cent (.01%). [BUSINESS ]
bask /bɑː sk, bæ sk/ (basks , basking , basked )
1 VERB If you bask in the sunshine, you lie somewhere sunny and enjoy the heat. □ [V + in ] All through the hot, still days of their holiday Amy basked in the sun. □ [V ] Crocodiles bask on the small sandy beaches.
2 VERB If you bask in someone's approval, favour, or admiration, you greatly enjoy their positive reaction towards you. □ [V + in ] He has spent a month basking in the adulation of the fans back in Jamaica.
bas|ket /bɑː sk I t, bæ s-/ (baskets )
1 N‑COUNT A basket is a stiff container that is used for carrying or storing objects. Baskets are made from thin strips of materials such as straw, plastic, or wire woven together. □ …big wicker picnic baskets filled with sandwiches. □ …a laundry basket. ● N‑COUNT A basket of things is a number of things contained in a basket. □ [+ of ] …a small basket of fruit and snacks.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] In economics, a basket of currencies or goods is the average or total value of a number of different currencies or goods. [BUSINESS ] □ [+ of ] The pound's value against a basket of currencies hit a new low of 76.9.
3 N‑COUNT In basketball, the basket is a net hanging from a ring through which players try to throw the ball in order to score points. A basket is also the point scored when the ball is thrown through the ring.
4 → see also bread basket , hanging basket , wastepaper basket
5 to put all your eggs in one basket → see egg
basket|ball /bɑː sk I tbɔːl, bæ s-/ (basketballs )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Basketball is a game in which two teams of five players each try to score goals by throwing a large ball through a circular net fixed to a metal ring at each end of the court.
2 N‑COUNT A basketball is a large ball which is used in the game of basketball.
ba s|ket case (basket cases )
1 N‑COUNT If someone describes a country or organization as a basket case , they mean that its economy or finances are in a seriously bad state. [INFORMAL ] □ The country is an economic basket case with chronic unemployment and rampant crime.
2 N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a basket case , you think that they are insane. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ You're going to think I'm a basket case when I tell you this.
bas-relief /bɑː r I liː f, bæ s-/ (bas-reliefs )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Bas-relief is a technique of sculpture in which shapes are carved so that they stand out from the background. □ …a classic white bas-relief design.
2 N‑COUNT A bas-relief is a sculpture carved on a surface so that it stands out from the background. □ …columns decorated with bas-reliefs.
bass ◆◇◇ (basses ) Pronounced /be I s/ for meanings 1 to 4 , and /bæ s/ for meaning 5 . The plural of the noun in meaning 5 is bass . 1 N‑COUNT A bass is a man with a very deep singing voice. □ …the great Russian bass Chaliapin.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] A bass drum, guitar, or other musical instrument is one that produces a very deep sound. □ He had found success as a vocalist and bass guitarist with the band.
3 N‑VAR In popular music, a bass is a bass guitar or a double bass . □ …a supporting cast of musicians on bass, drums, guitar and violin.
4 N‑UNCOUNT On a stereo system or radio, the bass is the ability to reproduce the lower musical notes. The bass is also the knob which controls this.
5 N‑VAR Bass are edible fish that are found in rivers and the sea. There are several types of bass. □ They unloaded their catch of cod and bass. ● N‑UNCOUNT [oft n N ] Bass is a piece of this fish eaten as food. □ …a large fresh fillet of sea bass.
bas|set hound /bæ s I t haʊnd/ (basset hounds ) N‑COUNT A basset hound is a dog with short strong legs, a long body, and long ears. It is kept as a pet or used for hunting.
bass|ist /be I s I st/ (bassists ) N‑COUNT A bassist is someone who plays the bass guitar or the double bass.
bas|soon /bəsuː n/ (bassoons ) N‑VAR A bassoon is a large musical instrument of the woodwind family that is shaped like a tube and played by blowing into a curved metal pipe.
bas|soon|ist /bəsuː n I st/ (bassoonists ) N‑COUNT A bassoonist is someone who plays the bassoon.
bas|tard /bɑː stə r d, bæ s-/ (bastards )
1 N‑COUNT Bastard is an insulting word which some people use about a person, especially a man, who has behaved very badly. [RUDE , OFFENSIVE , DISAPPROVAL ]
2 N‑COUNT [oft N n] A bastard is a person whose parents were not married to each other at the time that he or she was born. This use could cause offence. [OLD-FASHIONED ]
bas|tard|ized /bɑː stə r da I zd, bæ s-/ in BRIT, also use bastardised ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you refer to something as a bastardized form of something else, you mean that the first thing is similar to or copied from the second thing, but is of much poorer quality. [FORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]
baste /be I st/ (bastes , basting , basted ) VERB If you baste meat, you pour hot fat and the juices from the meat itself over it while it is cooking. □ [V n] Pam was in the middle of basting the turkey. □ [V ] Bake for 15-20 minutes, basting occasionally.
bas|ti|on /bæ stiən, [AM ] -tʃən/ (bastions ) N‑COUNT If a system or organization is described as a bastion of a particular way of life, it is seen as being important and effective in defending that way of life. Bastion can be used both when you think that this way of life should be ended and when you think it should be defended. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] …a town which had been a bastion of white prejudice. □ The army was still one of the last male bastions.
bat ◆◇◇ /bæ t/ (bats , batting , batted )
1 N‑COUNT A bat is a specially shaped piece of wood that is used for hitting the ball in baseball, softball, cricket, rounders, or table tennis. □ …a baseball bat.
2 VERB When you bat , you have a turn at hitting the ball with a bat in baseball, softball, cricket, or rounders. □ [V ] Australia, put in to bat, made a cautious start. ● bat|ting N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] □ …his batting average. □ He's likely to open the batting.
3 N‑COUNT A bat is a small flying animal that looks like a mouse with wings made of skin. Bats are active at night.
4 → see also old bat
5 PHRASE When something surprising or shocking happens, if someone doesn't bat an eyelid in British English, or doesn't bat an eye in American English, they remain calm and do not show any reaction.
6 PHRASE If someone does something off their own bat , they do it without anyone else suggesting it. [BRIT ] □ Whatever she did, she did off her own bat.
7 PHRASE If something happens right off the bat , it happens immediately. [AM ] □ He learned right off the bat that you can't count on anything in this business.
batch /bæ tʃ/ (batches ) N‑COUNT A batch of things or people is a group of things or people of the same kind, especially a group that is dealt with at the same time or is sent to a particular place at the same time. □ [+ of ] …the current batch of trainee priests. □ [+ of ] She brought a large batch of newspaper cuttings.
bat|ed /be I t I d/ PHRASE If you wait for something with bated breath , you wait anxiously to find out what will happen. [FORMAL ] □ We listened with bated breath to Grandma's stories of her travels.
bath ◆◇◇ /bɑː θ, bæ θ/ (baths , bathing , bathed ) When the form baths is the plural of the noun it is pronounced /bɑː ðz/ or /bæ θs/ in British English, and /bæ ðz/ in American English. When it is used in the present tense of the verb, it is pronounced /bɑː θs/ or /bæ θs/. 1 N‑COUNT A bath is a container, usually a long rectangular one, which you fill with water and sit in while you wash your body. [BRIT ] □ In those days, only quite wealthy families had baths of their own. in AM, use bathtub 2 N‑COUNT When you have or take a bath , or when you are in the bath , you sit or lie in a bath filled with water in order to wash your body. □ …if you have a bath every morning. □ Take a shower instead of a bath.
3 VERB If you bath someone, especially a child, you wash them in a bath. [BRIT ] □ [V n] Don't feel you have to bath your child every day. ● N‑COUNT Bath is also a noun. □ The midwife gave him a warm bath. [in AM, use bathe ]
4 VERB When you bath , you have a bath. [BRIT ] □ [V prep/adv] The three children all bath in the same bath water. in AM, use bathe 5 N‑COUNT A bath or a baths is a public building containing a swimming pool, and sometimes other facilities that people can use to have a wash or a bath.
6 N‑COUNT A bath is a container filled with a particular liquid, such as a dye or an acid, in which particular objects are placed, usually as part of a manufacturing or chemical process. □ …a developing photograph placed in a bath of fixer.
7 → see also bloodbath , bubble bath , swimming bath , Turkish bath
bathe /be I ð/ (bathes , bathing , bathed )
1 VERB If you bathe in a sea, river, or lake, you swim, play, or wash yourself in it. Birds and animals can also bathe . [mainly BRIT , FORMAL ] □ [V prep/adv] The police have warned the city's inhabitants not to bathe in the polluted river. [Also V ] ● N‑SING Bathe is also a noun. □ Fifty soldiers were taking an early morning bathe in a nearby lake. ● bath|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ Nude bathing is not allowed.
2 VERB When you bathe , you have a bath. [AM , also BRIT , FORMAL ] □ [V ] At least 60% of us now bathe or shower once a day.
3 VERB If you bathe someone, especially a child, you wash them in a bath. [AM , also BRIT , FORMAL ] □ [V n] Back home, Shirley plays with, feeds and bathes the baby.
4 VERB If you bathe a part of your body or a wound, you wash it gently or soak it in a liquid. □ [V n] Bathe the infected area in a salt solution.
5 VERB If a place is bathed in light, it is covered with light, especially a gentle, pleasant light. □ [be V -ed + in ] The arena was bathed in warm sunshine. □ [V n + in ] The lamp behind him seems to bathe him in warmth. [Also V n]
6 → see also sunbathe
bathed /be I ðd/
1 ADJ If someone is bathed in sweat, they are sweating a great deal. □ [+ in ] Chantal was writhing in pain and bathed in perspiration.
2 ADJ If someone is bathed in a particular emotion such as love, they feel it constantly in a pleasant way. [LITERARY ] □ [+ in ] …a physical sensation of being bathed in love.
bath|er /be I ðə r / (bathers ) N‑COUNT A bather is a person who is swimming in the sea, or in a river or lake. [mainly BRIT , FORMAL ]
bath|house /bɑː θhaʊs/ (bathhouses ) also bath house N‑COUNT A bathhouse is a public or private building containing baths, and often other facilities such as a sauna.
bath|ing cos|tume /be I ð I ŋ kɒstjuːm, [AM ] -tuːm/ (bathing costumes ) N‑COUNT A bathing costume is a piece of clothing that is worn for swimming, especially by women and girls. [BRIT , OLD-FASHIONED ]
bath|ing suit /be I ð I ŋ suːt/ (bathing suits ) N‑COUNT A bathing suit is a piece of clothing which people wear when they go swimming. [OLD-FASHIONED ]
bath|ing trunks /be I ð I ŋ trʌŋks/ N‑PLURAL Bathing trunks are shorts that a man wears when he goes swimming. [OLD-FASHIONED ]
bath|mat /bɑː θmæt, bæ θ-/ (bathmats ) also bath mat N‑COUNT A bathmat is a mat which you stand on while you dry yourself after getting out of the bath.
ba|thos /be I θɒs/ N‑UNCOUNT In literary criticism, bathos is a sudden change in speech or writing from a serious or important subject to a ridiculous or very ordinary one. [TECHNICAL ]
bath|robe /bɑː θroʊb/ (bathrobes )
1 N‑COUNT A bathrobe is a loose piece of clothing made of the same material as towels. You wear it before or after you have a bath or a swim.
2 N‑COUNT A bathrobe is a dressing gown .
bath|room ◆◇◇ /bɑː θruːm, bæ θ-/ (bathrooms )
1 N‑COUNT A bathroom is a room in a house that contains a bath or shower, a washbasin, and sometimes a toilet.
2 N‑SING A bathroom is a room in a house or public building that contains a toilet. [AM ] □ She had gone in to use the bathroom. in BRIT, usually use toilet
3 PHRASE People say that they are going to the bathroom when they want to say that they are going to use the toilet. [POLITENESS ]
ba th tow|el (bath towels ) N‑COUNT A bath towel is a very large towel used for drying your body after you have had a bath.
bath|tub /bɑː θtʌb, bæ θ-/ (bathtubs ) N‑COUNT A bathtub is a long, usually rectangular container which you fill with water and sit in to wash your body. [AM ] in BRIT, use bath
ba th wa|ter also bathwater N‑UNCOUNT Your bath water is the water in which you sit or lie when you have a bath.
ba|tik /bətiː k, bæ t I k/ (batiks )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Batik is a process for printing designs on cloth. Wax is put on those areas of the cloth that you do not want to be coloured by dye. □ …batik bedspreads.
2 N‑VAR A batik is a cloth which has been printed with a batik design. □ …batik from Bali.
bat|man /bæ tmæn/ (batmen ) N‑COUNT [usu sing, oft poss N ] In the British armed forces, an officer's batman is his personal servant.
ba|ton /bæ tɒn, [AM ] bətɑː n/ (batons )
1 N‑COUNT A baton is a short heavy stick which is sometimes used as a weapon by the police. [BRIT ] in AM, use billy , billy club 2 N‑COUNT A baton is a light, thin stick used by a conductor to conduct an orchestra or a choir.
3 N‑COUNT In athletics or track events, a baton is a short stick that is passed from one runner to another in a relay race.
4 N‑COUNT A baton is a long stick with a knob on one end that is sometimes carried by a person marching in a parade. The baton is spun round, thrown into the air and caught.
5 PHRASE If someone passes the baton to another person, they pass responsibility for something to that person. If someone picks up the baton , they take over responsibility for something. □ Does this mean that the baton of leadership is going to be passed to other nations?
ba |ton charge (baton charges , baton charging , baton charged ) also baton-charge N‑COUNT A baton charge is an attacking forward movement made by a large group of police officers carrying batons. [BRIT ] ● VERB Baton-charge is also a verb. [JOURNALISM ] □ [V n] Police in riot gear baton-charged the crowd.
bats|man /bæ tsmən/ (batsmen ) N‑COUNT The batsman in a game of cricket is the player who is batting. □ The batsman rose on his toes and played the rising ball down into the ground. □ He was the greatest batsman of his generation.
bat|tal|ion /bətæ ljən/ (battalions )
1 N‑COUNT A battalion is a large group of soldiers that consists of three or more companies. □ Anthony was ordered to return to his battalion. □ He joined the second battalion of the Grenadier Guards.
2 N‑COUNT A battalion of people is a large group of them, especially a well-organized, efficient group that has a particular task to do. □ [+ of ] There were battalions of highly paid publicists to see that such news didn't make the press.
bat|ten /bæ t ə n/ (battens , battening , battened )
1 N‑COUNT A batten is a long strip of wood that is fixed to something to strengthen it or to hold it firm. □ …a batten to support the base timbers.
2 VERB [usu passive] If something is battened in place, it is made secure by having battens fixed across it or being closed firmly. □ [be V -ed adv/prep] The roof was never securely battened down.
3 to batten down the hatches → see hatch
bat|ter /bæ tə r / (batters , battering , battered )
1 VERB If someone is battered , they are regularly hit and badly hurt by a member of their family or by their partner. □ [be V -ed] …evidence that the child was being battered. □ [V n] …boys who witness fathers battering their mothers. □ [V -ed] …battered husbands. ● bat|ter|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ Leaving the relationship does not mean that the battering will stop.
2 VERB To batter someone means to hit them many times, using fists or a heavy object. □ [V n prep/adv] He battered her around the head. □ [be V -ed] He was battered unconscious. [Also V n] ● bat|tered ADJ □ Her battered body was discovered in a field.
3 VERB [usu passive] If a place is battered by wind, rain, or storms, it is seriously damaged or affected by very bad weather. □ [be V -ed] The country has been battered by winds of between fifty and seventy miles an hour. □ [V n] …a storm that's been battering the Northeast coastline.
4 VERB If you batter something, you hit it many times, using your fists or a heavy object. □ [V n] They were battering the door, they were breaking in. □ [V n adj] Batter the steaks flat.
5 N‑VAR Batter is a mixture of flour, eggs, and milk that is used in cooking. □ …pancake batter. □ …fish in batter.
6 N‑COUNT In sports such as baseball and softball, a batter is a person who hits the ball with a wooden bat. □ …batters and pitchers.
7 → see also battered , battering
bat|tered /bæ tə r d/ ADJ Something that is battered is old and in poor condition because it has been used a lot. □ He drove up in a battered old car. □ …a battered leather suitcase.
bat|ter|ing /bæ tər I ŋ/ (batterings ) N‑COUNT If something takes a battering , it suffers very badly as a result of a particular event or action. □ Sterling took a battering yesterday as worries grew about the state of Britain's economy.
ba t|ter|ing ram (battering rams ) also battering-ram N‑COUNT A battering ram is a long heavy piece of wood that is used to knock down the locked doors of buildings. □ They got a battering ram to smash down the door.
bat|tery /bæ təri/ (batteries )
1 N‑COUNT Batteries are small devices that provide the power for electrical items such as torches and children's toys. □ The shavers come complete with batteries. □ …a battery-operated radio. □ …rechargeable batteries.
2 N‑COUNT A car battery is a rectangular box containing acid that is found in a car engine. It provides the electricity needed to start the car. □ …a car with a flat battery.
3 N‑COUNT A battery of equipment such as guns, lights, or computers is a large set of it kept together in one place. □ [+ of ] They stopped beside a battery of abandoned guns. □ [+ of ] …batteries of spotlights set up on rooftops.
4 N‑COUNT A battery of people or things is a very large number of them. □ [+ of ] …a battery of journalists and television cameras.
5 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A battery of tests is a set of tests that is used to assess a number of different aspects of something, such as your health. □ [+ of ] We give a battery of tests to each patient.
6 ADJ [ADJ n] Battery farming is a system of breeding chickens and hens in which large numbers of them are kept in small cages, and used for their meat and eggs. [BRIT ] □ …battery hens being raised in dark, cramped conditions.
7 → see also assault and battery
8 to recharge your batteries → see recharge
bat|tle ◆◆◇ /bæ t ə l/ (battles , battling , battled )
1 N‑VAR A battle is a violent fight between groups of people, especially one between military forces during a war. □ …the victory of King William III at the Battle of the Boyne. □ …after a gun battle between police and drug traffickers. □ …men who die in battle.
2 N‑COUNT A battle is a conflict in which different people or groups compete in order to achieve success or control. □ The political battle over the pre-budget report promises to be a bitter one. □ …the eternal battle between good and evil in the world. □ …a macho battle for supremacy.
3 N‑COUNT [usu sing] You can use battle to refer to someone's efforts to achieve something in spite of very difficult circumstances. □ [+ against ] …the battle against crime. □ [+ with ] She has fought a constant battle with her weight. □ [+ against ] Greg lost his brave battle against cancer two years ago.
4 VERB To battle with an opposing group means to take part in a fight or contest against them. In American English, you can also say that one group or person is battling another. □ [V + with/against ] Thousands of people battled with police and several were reportedly wounded. □ [V ] The sides must battle again for a quarter-final place on December 16. □ [V n] They're also battling the government to win compensation.
5 VERB To battle means to try hard to do something in spite of very difficult circumstances. In British English, you battle against something or with something. In American English, you battle something. □ [V to-inf] Doctors battled throughout the night to save her life. □ [V + with/against/through ] …a lone yachtsman returning from his months of battling with the elements. □ [V n] In Wyoming, firefighters are still battling the two blazes. ● bat|tler (battlers ) N‑COUNT □ If anyone can do it, he can. He's a battler and has a strong character.
6 → see also pitched battle , running battle
7 PHRASE If one person or group does battle with another, they take part in a battle or contest against them. You can also say that two people or groups do battle . □ [+ with/against ] He himself was going south to Gojjam to do battle with the rebels.
8 PHRASE If you say that something is half the battle , you mean that it is the most important step towards achieving something. □ Choosing the right type of paint for the job is half the battle.
9 PHRASE If you are fighting a losing battle , you are trying to achieve something but are not going to be successful. □ The crew fought a losing battle to try to restart the engines. □ [+ against ] …on a day when the sun is fighting a losing battle against the lowering clouds. [Also + with ]
10 PHRASE If one group or person battles it out with another, they take part in a fight or contest against each other until one of them wins or a definite result is reached. You can also say that two groups or two people battle it out . □ [+ with ] In the Cup Final, Leeds battled it out with the old enemy, Manchester United.
11 PHRASE If you say that someone has lost the battle , but won the war , you mean that although they have been defeated in a small conflict they have won a larger, more important one of which it was a part. If you say that someone has won the battle but lost the war , you mean that they have won the small conflict but lost the larger one. □ The strikers may have won the battle, but they lost the war. SYNONYMS battle NOUN
1
conflict: …talks aimed at ending four decades of conflict.
clash: There were a number of clashes between police and demonstrators.
combat: Over 16 million men had died in combat.
attack: …a campaign of air attacks on strategic targets.
2
dispute: They have won previous pay disputes with the government.
struggle: He is currently locked in a power struggle with his Prime Minister.
debate: An intense debate is going on within the Israeli government.
ba ttle-axe (battle-axes ) The spellings battleaxe , and in American English battle-ax are also used. 1 N‑COUNT If you call a middle-aged or older woman a battle-axe , you mean she is very difficult and unpleasant because of her fierce and determined attitude. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]
2 N‑COUNT A battle-axe is a large axe that was used as a weapon.
ba t|tle cruis|er (battle cruisers ) also battlecruiser N‑COUNT A battle cruiser is a large fast warship that is lighter than a battleship and moves more easily.
ba t|tle cry (battle cries ) also battle-cry
1 N‑COUNT A battle cry is a phrase that is used to encourage people to support a particular cause or campaign. □ Their battle-cry will be: 'Sign this petition before they sign away your country.'
2 N‑COUNT A battle cry is a shout that soldiers give as they go into battle.
battle|field /bæ t ə lfiːld/ (battlefields )
1 N‑COUNT A battlefield is a place where a battle is fought. □ …the battlefields of the Somme.
2 N‑COUNT You can refer to an issue or field of activity over which people disagree or compete as a battlefield . □ …the domestic battlefield of family life.
battle|ground /bæ t ə lgraʊnd/ (battlegrounds )
1 N‑COUNT A battleground is the same as a battlefield .
2 N‑COUNT You can refer to an issue or field of activity over which people disagree or compete as a battleground . □ …the battleground of education. □ Children's literature is an ideological battleground.
bat|tle|ments /bæ t ə lmənts/ N‑PLURAL The battlements of a castle or fortress consist of a wall built round the top, with gaps through which guns or arrows can be fired.
battle|ship /bæ t ə lʃ I p/ (battleships ) N‑COUNT A battleship is a very large, heavily armed warship.
bat|ty /bæ ti/ (battier , battiest ) ADJ If you say that someone is batty , you mean that they are rather eccentric or slightly crazy. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ Laura's going a bit batty. □ …some batty uncle of theirs.
bau|ble /bɔː b ə l/ (baubles ) N‑COUNT A bauble is a small, cheap ornament or piece of jewellery. □ …Christmas trees decorated with coloured baubles.
baulk /bɔː lk, [AM ] bɔː k/ → see balk
baux|ite /bɔː ksa I t/ N‑UNCOUNT Bauxite is a clay-like substance from which aluminium is obtained.
bawdy /bɔː di/ (bawdier , bawdiest ) ADJ A bawdy story or joke contains humorous references to sex. [OLD-FASHIONED ]
bawl /bɔː l/ (bawls , bawling , bawled )
1 VERB If you bawl , you shout in a very loud voice, for example because you are angry or you want people to hear you. □ [V + at ] When I came back to the hotel Laura and Peter were shouting and bawling at each other. □ [V with quote] Then a voice bawled: 'Lay off! I'll kill you, you little rascal!'. □ [V n] He tried to direct the video like a fashion show, bawling instructions to the girls. ● PHRASAL VERB Bawl out means the same as bawl . □ [V P with quote] Someone in the audience bawled out 'Not him again!' [Also V P n, V n P , V P + to ]
2 VERB If you say that a child is bawling , you are annoyed because it is crying loudly. □ [V ] One of the toddlers was bawling, and the other had a runny nose. □ [V -ing] …a bawling baby. [Also V with quote]
bay ◆◇◇ /be I / (bays , baying , bayed )
1 N‑COUNT [oft in names] A bay is a part of a coast where the land curves inwards. □ …a short ferry ride across the bay. □ …the Bay of Bengal. □ …the San Francisco Bay area.
2 N‑COUNT A bay is a partly enclosed area, inside or outside a building, that is used for a particular purpose. □ The animals are herded into a bay, then butchered. □ The car reversed into the loading bay.
3 N‑COUNT A bay is an area of a room which extends beyond the main walls of a house, especially an area with a large window at the front of a house.
4 ADJ A bay horse is reddish-brown in colour.
5 VERB [usu cont] If a number of people are baying for something, they are demanding something angrily, usually that someone should be punished. □ [V + for ] The referee ignored voices baying for a penalty. □ [V -ing] …the baying crowd.
6 VERB If a dog or wolf bays , it makes loud, long cries. □ [V + at ] A dog suddenly howled, baying at the moon. [Also V ]
7 → see also sick bay
8 PHRASE If you keep something or someone at bay , or hold them at bay , you prevent them from reaching, attacking, or affecting you. □ Eating oranges keeps colds at bay. □ Prisoners armed with baseball bats used the hostages to hold police at bay.
ba y leaf (bay leaves ) N‑COUNT A bay leaf is a leaf of an evergreen tree that can be dried and used as a herb in cooking.
bayo|net /be I ənət/ (bayonets , bayoneting , bayoneted )
1 N‑COUNT A bayonet is a long, sharp blade that can be fixed to the end of a rifle and used as a weapon.
2 VERB To bayonet someone means to push a bayonet into them. □ [V n] The soldiers were ordered to bayonet every man they could find.
bayou /ba I uː/ (bayous ) N‑COUNT A bayou is a slow-moving, marshy area of water in the southern United States, especially Louisiana.
ba y wi n|dow (bay windows ) N‑COUNT A bay window is a window that sticks out from the outside wall of a house.
ba|zaar /bəzɑː r / (bazaars )
1 N‑COUNT In areas such as the Middle East and India, a bazaar is a place where there are many small shops and stalls. □ Kamal was a vendor in Egypt's open-air bazaar.
2 N‑COUNT A bazaar is a sale to raise money for charity. □ …a church bazaar.
ba|zoo|ka /bəzuː kə/ (bazookas ) N‑COUNT A bazooka is a long, tube-shaped gun that is held on the shoulder and fires rockets.
BBC /biː biː siː / N‑PROPER The BBC is a British organization which broadcasts programmes on radio and television. BBC is an abbreviation for 'British Broadcasting Corporation'. □ The concert will be broadcast live by the BBC. □ …the BBC correspondent in Tunis.
BBQ BBQ is the written abbreviation for barbecue .
BC /biː siː / You use BC in dates to indicate a number of years or centuries before the year in which Jesus Christ is believed to have been born. Compare AD . □ The brooch dates back to the fourth century BC.
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