big ◆◆◆ /b I g/ (bigger , biggest )
1 ADJ A big person or thing is large in physical size. □ Australia's a big country. □ Her husband was a big man. □ The car was too big to fit into our garage.
2 ADJ Something that is big consists of many people or things. □ The crowd included a big contingent from Ipswich. □ …the big backlog of applications.
3 ADJ If you describe something such as a problem, increase, or change as a big one, you mean it is great in degree, extent, or importance. □ The problem was just too big for her to tackle on her own. □ There could soon be a big increase in unemployment.
4 ADJ A big organization employs many people and has many customers. □ Exchange is largely controlled by big banks. □ …one of the biggest companies in Italy.
5 ADJ [ADJ n] If you say that someone is big in a particular organization, activity, or place, you mean that they have a lot of influence or authority in it. [INFORMAL ] □ [+ in ] Their father was very big in the army. □ I'm sure all the big names will come to the club.
6 ADJ [ADJ n] If you call someone a big bully or a big coward, you are emphasizing your disapproval of them. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ]
7 ADJ [ADJ n] Children often refer to their older brother or sister as their big brother or sister.
8 ADJ [ADJ n] Capital letters are sometimes referred to as big letters. [INFORMAL ] □ …a big letter J.
9 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Big words are long or rare words which have meanings that are difficult to understand. [INFORMAL ] □ They use a lot of big words.
10 PHRASE If you make it big , you become successful or famous. [INFORMAL ] □ We're not just looking at making it big in the U.K., we want to be big internationally.
11 PHRASE If you think big , you make plans on a large scale, often using a lot of time, effort, or money. □ Maybe we're not thinking big enough.
12 PHRASE If something is happening in a big way , it is happening on a large scale. [INFORMAL ] □ I think boxing will take off in a big way here.
biga|mist /b I gəm I st/ (bigamists ) N‑COUNT A bigamist is a person who commits the crime of marrying someone when they are already legally married to someone else.
biga|mous /b I gəməs/ ADJ A bigamous marriage is one in which one of the partners is already legally married to someone else.
biga|my /b I gəmi/ N‑UNCOUNT Bigamy is the crime of marrying a person when you are already legally married to someone else.
Bi g A p|ple N‑PROPER People sometimes refer to the city of New York as the Big Apple . [INFORMAL ] □ The main attractions of the Big Apple are well documented.
bi g ba nd (big bands ) N‑COUNT A big band is a large group of musicians who play jazz or dance music. Big bands were especially popular from the 1930s to the 1950s.
bi g ba ng theo|ry N‑SING In astronomy, the big bang theory is a theory that suggests that the universe was created as a result of an extremely large explosion.
Bi g Bro th|er N‑UNCOUNT People sometimes use Big Brother to refer to a person, government, or organization when they think it has complete control over people and is always checking what they do. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ It's an attempt to control what reaches the public. Big Brother is watching.
bi g bu si|ness
1 N‑UNCOUNT Big business is business which involves very large companies and very large sums of money. □ Big business will never let petty nationalism get in the way of a good deal.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Something that is big business is something which people spend a lot of money on, and which has become an important commercial activity. □ Sport has become big business.
bi g ca t (big cats ) N‑COUNT Big cats are lions, tigers, and other large wild animals in the cat family.
bi g ci ty N‑SING The big city is used to refer to a large city which seems attractive to someone because they think there are many exciting things to do there, and many opportunities to earn a lot of money. □ …a country girl who dreams of the big city and bright lights.
bi g da |ta N‑UNCOUNT Big data is extremely large amounts of information that can only be used with special computers. [COMPUTING ] □ …valuable analysis of big data.
bi g dea l
1 N‑SING If you say that something is a big deal , you mean that it is important or significant in some way. [INFORMAL ] □ I felt the pressure on me, winning was such a big deal for the whole family. □ It's no big deal.
2 PHRASE If someone makes a big deal out of something, they make a fuss about it or treat it as if it were very important. [INFORMAL ] □ [+ out of/of/about ] The Joneses make a big deal out of being 'different'.
3 CONVENTION You can say ' big deal ' to someone to show that you are not impressed by something that they consider important or impressive. [INFORMAL , FEELINGS ] □ 'You'll miss The Brady Bunch.'—'Big deal.'
bi g di p|per (big dippers ) N‑COUNT A big dipper is a fairground ride that carries people up and down steep slopes on a narrow railway at high speed. [BRIT ]
bi g fi sh (big fish )
1 N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a big fish , you believe that they are powerful or important in some way. [INFORMAL ] □ The four men arrested were described as really big fish by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.
2 PHRASE If you say that someone is a big fish in a small pond , you mean that they are powerful or important but only within a small group of people. [INFORMAL ] □ In South Africa, Jani was a big fish in a small pond.
bi g ga me N‑UNCOUNT Large wild animals such as lions and elephants that are hunted for sport are often referred to as big game .
big|gie /b I gi/ (biggies ) N‑COUNT People sometimes refer to something or someone successful, well-known, or big as a biggie . [INFORMAL ] □ …Hollywood box-office biggies.
big|gish /b I g I ʃ/ ADJ Something that is biggish is fairly big. [INFORMAL ] □ …a biggish room.
bi g gu n (big guns ) N‑COUNT If you refer to someone as a big gun , you mean that they have a lot of power or influence. [INFORMAL ] □ …the legal big guns who will prepare his defence.
bi g head (big heads ) N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a big head , you disapprove of them because they think they are very clever and know everything. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]
bi g-hea ded ADJ If you describe someone as big-headed , you disapprove of them because they think they are very clever and know everything. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …an arrogant, big-headed man.
bi g-hea rted ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe someone as big-hearted , you think they are kind and generous, and always willing to help people. [WRITTEN ] □ …a big-hearted Irishman.
bi g hi t|ter (big hitters ) also big-hitter
1 N‑COUNT A big hitter is a sportsperson such as a golfer or tennis player who hits the ball with a lot of force. □ The Uruguayan-born big-hitter smashed 28 aces.
2 N‑COUNT A big hitter is a powerful or influential person, especially in business or politics. [INFORMAL ] □ He has always been a really big hitter in the banking world.
bi g mo n|ey N‑UNCOUNT Big money is an amount of money that seems very large to you, especially money which you get easily. □ They began to make big money during the war.
bi g mouth (big mouths ) N‑COUNT If you say that someone is a big mouth or that they have a big mouth, you mean that they tell other people things that should have been kept secret. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ I've got a big mouth which I always manage to put my foot in.
bi g na me (big names ) N‑COUNT A big name is a person who is successful and famous because of their work. □ [+ in ] …all the big names in rock and pop.
bi g noi se (big noises ) N‑COUNT Someone who is a big noise has an important position in a group or organization. [BRIT , INFORMAL ]
big|ot /b I gət/ (bigots ) N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a bigot , you mean that they are bigoted. [DISAPPROVAL ]
big|ot|ed /b I gət I d/ ADJ Someone who is bigoted has strong, unreasonable prejudices or opinions and will not change them, even when they are proved to be wrong. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ He was bigoted and racist.
big|ot|ry /b I gətri/ N‑UNCOUNT Bigotry is the possession or expression of strong, unreasonable prejudices or opinions. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ He deplored religious bigotry.
bi g scree n N‑SING When people talk about the big screen , they are referring to films that are made for cinema rather than for television. □ She returns to the big screen to play Candy's overbearing mother, Rose.
bi g shot (big shots ) N‑COUNT A big shot is an important and powerful person in a group or organization. [INFORMAL ] □ He's a big shot in Chilean politics.
bi g-ticket ADJ [ADJ n] If you describe something as a big-ticket item, you mean that it costs a lot of money. [mainly AM ] □ Supercomputers are big-ticket items.
bi g time also big-time
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can use big time to refer to the highest level of an activity or sport where you can achieve the greatest amount of success or importance. If you describe a person as big time , you mean they are successful and important. [INFORMAL ] □ He took a long time to settle in to big-time football. □ …a big-time investment banker.
2 N‑SING If someone hits the big time , they become famous or successful in a particular area of activity. [INFORMAL ] □ He has finally fulfilled his dreams and hit the big time.
3 ADV [ADV after v] You can use big time if you want to emphasize the importance or extent of something that has happened. [AM , INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ They screwed things up big time. □ America lost big-time.
bi g toe (big toes ) N‑COUNT Your big toe is the largest toe on your foot.
bi g top N‑SING The large round tent that a circus uses for its performances is called the big top .
bi g whee l (big wheels ) N‑COUNT A big wheel is a very large upright wheel with carriages around the edge of it which people can ride in. Big wheels are often found at theme parks or fun fairs. [BRIT ] in AM, use ferris wheel
big|wig /b I gw I g/ (bigwigs ) N‑COUNT If you refer to an important person as a bigwig , you are being rather disrespectful about them. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]
bi|jou /biː ʒuː/ ADJ [ADJ n] Small houses are sometimes described as bijou houses in order to make them sound attractive or fashionable. □ …a bijou Mayfair flat.
bike ◆◇◇ /ba I k/ (bikes , biking , biked )
1 N‑COUNT A bike is a bicycle or a motorcycle. [INFORMAL ]
2 VERB To bike somewhere means to go there on a bicycle. [INFORMAL ] □ [V adv/prep] I biked home from the beach.
bi ke la ne (bike lanes ) N‑COUNT A bike lane is a part of the road which is intended to be used only by people riding bicycles.
bik|er /ba I kə r / (bikers )
1 N‑COUNT Bikers are people who ride around on motorbikes, usually in groups.
2 N‑COUNT People who ride bicycles are called bikers . [AM ] in BRIT, use cyclist
bike|way /ba I kwe I / (bikeways ) N‑COUNT A bikeway is a road, route, or path intended for use by cyclists. [AUSTRALIAN ]
bi|ki|ni /b I kiː ni/ (bikinis ) N‑COUNT A bikini is a two-piece swimming costume worn by women. WORD HISTORY bikini
The bikini takes its name from the Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean, where an atom-bomb was exploded in 1946. The bikini was given its name because it was said that the effect on men caused by women wearing bikinis was as explosive and devastating as the effect of the atom-bomb.
bi|ki |ni line N‑SING A woman's bikini line is the edges of the area where her pubic hair grows.
bi|lat|er|al /ba I læ tərəl/ ADJ [ADJ n] Bilateral negotiations, meetings, or agreements, involve only the two groups or countries that are directly concerned. [FORMAL ] □ …bilateral talks between Britain and America. ● bi|lat|er|al|ly ADV [usu ADV after v, ADV adj] □ Disputes and differences between the two neighbours would be solved bilaterally.
bil|berry /b I lbəri/ (bilberries ) N‑COUNT A bilberry is a small, round, dark-blue fruit that grows on bushes in northern Europe.
bile /ba I l/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Bile is a liquid produced by your liver which helps you to digest fat.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Bile is the bad-smelling liquid that comes out of your mouth when you vomit with no food in your stomach.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Bile is anger or bitterness towards someone or something. [LITERARY ] □ He aims his bile at religion, drugs, and politics.
bilge /b I ldʒ/ (bilges ) N‑COUNT The bilge or the bilges are the flat bottom part of a ship or boat.
bi|lin|gual /ba I l I ŋgwəl/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] Bilingual means involving or using two languages. □ …bilingual education. □ …the Collins bilingual dictionaries.
2 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] Someone who is bilingual can speak two languages equally well, usually because they learned both languages as a child. □ He is bilingual in French and English.
bi|lin|gual|ism /ba I l I ŋgwəl I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Bilingualism is the ability to speak two languages equally well.
bili|ous /b I liəs/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If someone describes the appearance of something as bilious , they mean that they think it looks unpleasant and rather disgusting. [WRITTEN , DISAPPROVAL ] □ …a bilious shade of green.
2 ADJ If you feel bilious , you feel sick and have a headache. □ She is suffering a bilious attack.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Bilious is sometimes used to describe the feelings or behaviour of someone who is extremely angry or bad-tempered. [WRITTEN ] □ His speech was a bilious, rancorous attack on young people.
bilk /b I lk/ (bilks , bilking , bilked ) VERB To bilk someone out of something, especially money, means to cheat them out of it. [AM , INFORMAL ] □ [V n + out of ] They are charged with bilking investors out of millions of dollars. [Also V n]
bill ◆◆◇ /b I l/ (bills , billing , billed )
1 N‑COUNT A bill is a written statement of money that you owe for goods or services. □ They couldn't afford to pay the bills. □ [+ for ] He paid his bill for the newspapers promptly. □ …phone bills.
2 VERB [no cont] If you bill someone for goods or services you have provided them with, you give or send them a bill stating how much money they owe you for these goods or services. □ [V n + for ] Are you going to bill me for this? [Also V n]
3 N‑SING The bill in a restaurant is a piece of paper on which the price of the meal you have just eaten is written and which you are given before you pay. [BRIT ] in AM, use check 4 N‑COUNT A bill is a piece of paper money. [AM ] □ …a large quantity of U.S. dollar bills. in BRIT, use note 5 N‑COUNT [usu sing] In government, a bill is a formal statement of a proposed new law that is discussed and then voted on. □ This is the toughest crime bill that Congress has passed in a decade. □ The bill was approved by a large majority.
6 N‑SING The bill of a show or concert is a list of the entertainers who will take part in it.
7 VERB [usu passive] If someone is billed to appear in a particular show, it has been advertised that they are going to be in it. □ [be V -ed to-inf] She was billed to play the Red Queen in Snow White. ● bill|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ …their quarrels over star billing.
8 VERB If you bill a person or event as a particular thing, you advertise them in a way that makes people think they have particular qualities or abilities. □ [V n + as ] They bill it as Britain's most exciting museum.
9 N‑COUNT A bird's bill is its beak.
10 → see also Private Member's Bill
11 PHRASE If you say that someone or something fits the bill or fills the bill , you mean that they are suitable for a particular job or purpose. □ If you fit the bill, send a CV to Rebecca Rees.
12 PHRASE If you have to foot the bill for something, you have to pay for it. □ Who is footing the bill for her extravagant holiday?
bill|board /b I lbɔː r d/ (billboards ) N‑COUNT A billboard is a very large board on which posters are displayed.
-billed /-b I ld/ COMB -billed combines with adjectives to indicate that a bird has a beak of a particular kind or appearance. □ …yellow-billed ducks.
bil|let /b I l I t/ (billets , billeting , billeted )
1 VERB [usu passive] If members of the armed forces are billeted in a particular place, that place is provided for them to stay in for a period of time. □ [be V -ed adv/prep] The soldiers were billeted in private homes.
2 N‑COUNT A billet is a house where a member of the armed forces has been billeted.
bill|fold /b I lfoʊld/ (billfolds ) N‑COUNT A billfold is a small flat folded case, usually made of leather or plastic, where you can keep banknotes and credit cards. [AM ] in BRIT, use wallet
bil|liards /b I liə r dz/ The form billiard is used as a modifier. 1 N‑UNCOUNT Billiards is a game played on a large table, in which you use a long stick called a cue to hit balls against each other or into pockets around the sides of the table. [BRIT ] in AM, use pocket billiards , pool 2 N‑UNCOUNT Billiards is a game played on a large table, in which you use a long stick called a cue to hit balls against each other or against the walls around the sides of the table. [AM ]
bil|lion ◆◆◆ /b I ljən/ (billions ) The plural form is billion after a number, or after a word or expression referring to a number, such as 'several' or 'a few'. 1 NUM A billion is a thousand million. □ …3 billion dollars. □ This year, almost a billion birds will be processed in the region.
2 QUANT If you talk about billions of people or things, you mean that there is a very large number of them but you do not know or do not want to say exactly how many. □ [+ of ] Biological systems have been doing this for billions of years. □ [+ of ] He urged U.S. executives to invest billions of dollars in his country. ● PRON You can also use billions as a pronoun. □ He thought that it must be worth billions.
bil|lion|aire /b I ljəneə r / (billionaires ) N‑COUNT A billionaire is an extremely rich person who has money or property worth at least a thousand million pounds or dollars.
bil|lionth /b I ljənθ/ (billionths )
1 ORD The billionth item in a series is the one you count as number one billion. □ Disney will claim its one billionth visitor before the end of the century.
2 FRACTION A billionth is one of a billion equal parts of something. □ …a billionth of a second.
bi ll of fa re (bills of fare ) N‑COUNT The bill of fare at a restaurant is a list of the food for a meal from which you may choose what you want to eat. [OLD-FASHIONED ]
Bi ll of Ri ghts N‑SING A Bill of Rights is a written list of citizens' rights which is usually part of the constitution of a country.
bil|low /b I loʊ/ (billows , billowing , billowed )
1 VERB When something made of cloth billows , it swells out and moves slowly in the wind. □ [V ] The curtains billowed in the breeze. □ [V out ] Her pink dress billowed out around her.
2 VERB When smoke or cloud billows , it moves slowly upwards or across the sky. □ [V prep/adv] Steam billowed from under the bonnet. □ [V -ing] …billowing clouds of cigarette smoke.
3 N‑COUNT A billow of smoke or dust is a large mass of it rising slowly into the air. □ [+ of ] …smoke stacks belching billows of almost solid black smoke.
bil|ly /b I li/ (billies ) N‑COUNT A billy or billy club is a short heavy stick which is sometimes used as a weapon by the police. [AM ] in BRIT, use baton
bil|ly goat /b I li goʊt/ (billy goats ) N‑COUNT A billy goat is a male goat.
bim|bo /b I mboʊ/ (bimbos ) N‑COUNT If someone calls a young woman a bimbo , they think that although she is pretty she is rather stupid. This use could cause offence. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]
bi|month|ly /ba I mʌ nθli/ in BRIT, also use bi-monthly ADJ [usu ADJ n] A bimonthly event or publication happens or appears every two months. □ …bimonthly newsletters.
bin /b I n/ (bins , binning , binned )
1 N‑COUNT A bin is a container that you put rubbish in. [mainly BRIT ] □ He screwed the paper small and chucked it in the bin. in AM, usually use garbage can , trash can 2 N‑COUNT [oft n N ] A bin is a container that you keep or store things in. □ …a bread bin. □ …big steel storage bins.
3 VERB If you bin something, you throw it away. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [V n] He decided to bin his paintings.
bi|na|ry /ba I nəri/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] The binary system expresses numbers using only the two digits 0 and 1. It is used especially in computing.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Binary is the binary system of expressing numbers. □ The machine does the calculations in binary.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] Binary describes something that has two different parts. [FORMAL ] □ …a binary star.
bi |na|ry co de (binary codes ) N‑VAR Binary code is a computer code that uses the binary number system. [COMPUTING ] □ The instructions are translated into binary code, a form that computers can easily handle.
bind /ba I nd/ (binds , binding , bound )
1 VERB If something binds people together , it makes them feel as if they are all part of the same group or have something in common. □ [V n with together ] It is the memory and threat of persecution that binds them together. □ [V n prep/adv] …the social and political ties that bind the U.S.A. to Britain. □ [V -ed] …a group of people bound together by shared language, culture, and beliefs. [Also V n]
2 VERB If you are bound by something such as a rule, agreement, or restriction, you are forced or required to act in a certain way. □ [be V -ed + by ] Employers are not bound by law to conduct equal pay reviews. □ [be V -ed to-inf] The authorities will be legally bound to arrest any suspects. □ [V n to-inf] The treaty binds them to respect their neighbour's independence. [Also V n] ● bound ADJ □ [+ by ] Few of them feel bound by any enduring loyalties.
3 VERB If you bind something or someone, you tie rope, string, tape, or other material around them so that they are held firmly. □ [V n adv/prep] Bind the ends of the cord together with thread. □ [V n] …the red tape which was used to bind the files.
4 VERB When a book is bound , the pages are joined together and the cover is put on. □ [be V -ed + in ] Each volume is bound in bright-coloured cloth. □ [V n] Their business came from a few big publishers, all of whose books they bound. □ [V -ed] …four immaculately bound hardbacks. ● -bound COMB □ …leather-bound stamp albums.
5 → see also binding , bound ➊, double bind
▸ bind over PHRASAL VERB If someone is bound over by a court or a judge, they are given an order and must do as the order says for a particular period of time. [LEGAL ] □ On many occasions demonstrators were bound over to keep the peace. □ [V n P ] They put us in a cell, and the next day some bumbling judge bound us over. □ [V P n] The judge refused even to bind over the woman.
bind|er /ba I ndə r / (binders ) N‑COUNT A binder is a hard cover with metal rings inside, which is used to hold loose pieces of paper.
bind|ing /ba I nd I ŋ/ (bindings )
1 ADJ A binding promise, agreement, or decision must be obeyed or carried out. □ …proposals for a legally binding commitment to reduce carbon emissions. □ [+ on ] The panel's decisions are secret and not binding on the government.
2 N‑VAR [oft with poss] The binding of a book is its cover. □ Its books are noted for the quality of their paper and bindings.
3 N‑VAR Binding is a strip of material that you put round the edge of a piece of cloth or other object in order to protect or decorate it. □ …the Regency mahogany dining table with satinwood binding.
4 N‑VAR Binding is a piece of rope, cloth, tape, or other material that you wrap around something so that it can be gripped firmly or held in place.
5 → see also bind
bind|weed /ba I ndwiːd/ N‑UNCOUNT Bindweed is a wild plant that winds itself around other plants and makes it difficult for them to grow.
binge /b I ndʒ/ (binges , bingeing , binged )
1 N‑COUNT If you go on a binge , you do too much of something, such as drinking alcohol, eating, or spending money. [INFORMAL ] □ She went on occasional drinking binges.
2 VERB If you binge , you do too much of something, such as drinking alcohol, eating, or spending money. [INFORMAL ] □ [V ] I haven't binged since 1986. □ [V + on ] I binged on pizzas or milkshakes.
bi nge dri nk|ing N‑UNCOUNT Binge drinking is the consumption of large amounts of alcohol within a short period of time. □ …a disturbing rise in binge drinking among young people. ● binge drink|er (binge drinkers ) N‑COUNT □ …the increasing number of young binge drinkers who have four or more drinks on a night out.
bi nge-watch (binge-watches , binge-watching , binge-watched ) VERB If you binge-watch a television series, you watch several episodes one after another in a short time. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] It's not uncommon for viewers to binge-watch a whole season of programmes in just a couple of evenings.
bin|go /b I ŋgoʊ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Bingo is a game in which each player has a card with numbers on. Someone calls out numbers and if you are the first person to have all your numbers called out, you win the game.
2 EXCLAM You can say ' bingo! ' when something pleasant happens, especially in a surprising, unexpected, or sudden way. □ I was in a market in Tangier and bingo! I found this.
bi n lin|er (bin liners ) N‑COUNT A bin liner is a plastic bag that you put inside a waste bin or dustbin. [BRIT ] in AM, use garbage bag , trash bag
bin|ocu|lars /b I nɒ kjʊlə r z/ N‑PLURAL [oft a pair of N ] Binoculars consist of two small telescopes joined together side by side, which you look through in order to look at things that are a long way away.
PREFIX bio-
is used at the beginning of nouns and adjectives that refer to life or to the study of living things. For example, bioengineering is the study of engineering for medical purposes, such as the design and manufacture of artificial body parts…
bio|chemi|cal /ba I oʊke m I k ə l/ ADJ [ADJ n] Biochemical changes, reactions, and mechanisms relate to the chemical processes that happen in living things.
bio|chem|ist /ba I oʊke m I st/ (biochemists ) N‑COUNT A biochemist is a scientist or student who studies biochemistry.
bio|chem|is|try /ba I oʊke m I stri/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Biochemistry is the study of the chemical processes that happen in living things.
2 N‑UNCOUNT The biochemistry of a living thing is the chemical processes that happen in it or are involved in it.
bio|degrad|able /ba I oʊd I gre I dəb ə l/ ADJ Something that is biodegradable breaks down or decays naturally without any special scientific treatment, and can therefore be thrown away without causing pollution. □ …a natural and totally biodegradable plastic.
bi|o|die|sel /ba I oʊdiː z ə l/ N‑UNCOUNT Biodiesel is fuel made from natural sources such as plant oils, that can be used in diesel engines.
bio|di|ver|sity /ba I oʊda I vɜː r s I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT Biodiversity is the existence of a wide variety of plant and animal species living in their natural environment.
bio|en|gi|neer|ing /ba I oʊendʒ I n I ə r I ŋ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT People sometimes use bioengineering to talk about genetic engineering.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Bioengineering is the use of engineering techniques to solve medical problems, for example to design and make artificial arms and legs.
bi|o|fu|el /ba I oʊfjuː əl/ N‑VAR A biofuel is a gas, liquid, or solid from natural sources such as plants that is used as a fuel. □ Biofuels can be mixed with conventional fuels.
bi|og|raph|er /ba I ɒ grəfə r / (biographers ) N‑COUNT [oft with poss] Someone's biographer is a person who writes an account of their life.
bio|graphi|cal /ba I əgræ f I k ə l/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Biographical facts, notes, or details are concerned with the events in someone's life. □ The book contains few biographical details.
bi|og|ra|phy /ba I ɒ grəfi/ (biographies )
1 N‑COUNT [oft with poss] A biography of someone is an account of their life, written by someone else.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Biography is the branch of literature which deals with accounts of people's lives. □ …a volume of biography and criticism.
biol. Biol. is a written abbreviation for biology or biological .
bio|logi|cal /ba I əlɒ dʒ I k ə l/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Biological is used to describe processes and states that occur in the bodies and cells of living things. □ The living organisms somehow concentrated the minerals by biological processes. □ This is a natural biological response. ● bio|logi|cal|ly /ba I əlɒ dʒ I kli/ ADV [ADV with v] □ Much of our behaviour is biologically determined.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Biological is used to describe activities concerned with the study of living things. □ …the university's school of biological sciences.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Biological weapons and biological warfare involve the use of bacteria or other living organisms in order to attack human beings, animals, or plants. □ Such a war could result in the use of chemical and biological weapons.
4 ADJ [ADJ n] Biological pest control is the use of bacteria or other living organisms in order to destroy other organisms which are harmful to plants or crops. □ …Jim Litsinger, a consultant on biological control of agricultural pests.
5 ADJ [ADJ n] A child's biological parents are the man and woman who caused him or her to be born, rather than other adults who look after him or her. □ …foster parents for young teenagers whose biological parents have rejected them.
bio|lo gi|cal clo ck (biological clocks ) N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Your biological clock is your body's way of registering time. It does not rely on events such as day or night, but on factors such as your habits, your age, and chemical changes taking place in your body. □ For women, the 'biological clock' governs the time for having children.
bio|lo gi|cal di|ve r|sity N‑UNCOUNT Biological diversity is the same as biodiversity .
bi|ol|ogy /ba I ɒ lədʒi/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Biology is the science which is concerned with the study of living things. ● bi|olo|gist /ba I ɒ lədʒ I st/ (biologists ) N‑COUNT □ …biologists studying the fruit fly.
2 N‑UNCOUNT The biology of a living thing is the way in which its body or cells behave. □ The biology of these diseases is terribly complicated. □ …human biology.
3 → see also molecular biology
bio|medi|cal /ba I oʊme d I k ə l/ ADJ [ADJ n] Biomedical research examines the effects of drugs and medical techniques on the biological systems of living creatures. □ Biomedical research will enable many individuals infected with the disease to live longer, more comfortable lives.
bio|met|ric /ba I oʊme tr I k/ ADJ [ADJ n] Biometric tests and devices use biological information about a person to create a detailed record of their personal characteristics. □ …the use of biometric information such as fingerprints.
bi|on|ic /ba I ɒ n I k/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] In science fiction books or films, a bionic person is someone who has special powers, such as being exceptionally strong or having exceptionally good sight, because parts of their body have been replaced by electronic machinery. □ …the Bionic Woman.
bio|pic /ba I oʊp I k/ (biopics ) N‑COUNT A biopic is a film that tells the story of someone's life.
bi|op|sy /ba I ɒpsi/ (biopsies ) N‑VAR A biopsy is the removal and examination of fluids or tissue from a patient's body in order to discover why they are ill.
bio|sphere /ba I oʊsf I ə r / N‑SING The biosphere is the part of the earth's surface and atmosphere where there are living things. [TECHNICAL ]
bio|tech /ba I oʊtek/ N‑UNCOUNT [usu N n] Biotech means the same as biotechnology . □ …the biotech industry.
bio|tech|no|logi|cal /ba I oʊte knəlɒ dʒ I k ə l/ ADJ [ADJ n] Biotechnological means relating to biotechnology. [TECHNICAL ] □ …modern biotechnological methods of genetic manipulation.
bio|tech|nol|ogy /ba I oʊteknɒ lədʒi/ N‑UNCOUNT Biotechnology is the use of living parts such as cells or bacteria in industry and technology. [TECHNICAL ] ● bio|tech|nolo|gist /ba I oʊteknɒ lədʒ I st/ (biotechnologists ) N‑COUNT □ …biotechnologists turning proteins into pharmaceuticals.
bio|ter|ror|ism /ba I oʊte rər I zəm/ also bio-terrorism N‑UNCOUNT Bioterrorism is terrorism that involves the use of biological weapons. □ …the threat of bioterrorism. ● bio|ter|ror|ist /ba I oʊte rər I st/ (bioterrorists ) N‑COUNT [oft N n] □ …the war against bioterrorists. □ …a bioterrorist attack.
bio|weap|on /ba I oʊwe pən/ also bio-weapon (bioweapons ) N‑COUNT Bioweapons are biological weapons, which involve the use of bacteria or other living organisms in order to destroy other organisms which are harmful to plants and crops.
bi|par|ti|san /ba I pɑː r t I zæ n, [AM ] ba I pɑː rt I z ə n/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Bipartisan means concerning or involving two different political parties or groups. □ …a bipartisan approach to educational reform.
bi|ped /ba I ped/ (bipeds ) N‑COUNT A biped is a creature with two legs. [TECHNICAL ]
bi|plane /ba I ple I n/ (biplanes ) N‑COUNT A biplane is an old-fashioned type of aeroplane with two pairs of wings, one above the other.
bi|po|lar /ba I poʊ lə r / ADJ [usu ADJ n] Bipolar systems or situations are dominated by two strong and opposing opinions or elements. [FORMAL ] □ …the bipolar world of the Cold War years.
bi|po |lar dis|o r|der (bipolar disorders ) N‑VAR Bipolar disorder is a mental illness in which a person's state of mind changes between extreme happiness and extreme depression.
birch /bɜː r tʃ/ (birches ) N‑VAR A birch or a birch tree is a type of tall tree with thin branches.
bird ◆◆◇ /bɜː r d/ (birds )
1 N‑COUNT A bird is a creature with feathers and wings. Female birds lay eggs. Most birds can fly.
2 N‑COUNT Some men refer to young women as birds . This use could cause offence. [BRIT , INFORMAL ]
3 → see also early bird , game bird
4 PHRASE If you refer to two people as birds of a feather , you mean that they have the same interests or are very similar.
5 PHRASE A bird in the hand is something that you already have and do not want to risk losing by trying to get something else.
6 PHRASE If you say that a little bird told you about something, you mean that someone has told you about it, but you do not want to say who it was.
7 PHRASE If you say that doing something will kill two birds with one stone , you mean that it will enable you to achieve two things that you want to achieve, rather than just one.
bird|cage /bɜː r dke I dʒ/ (birdcages ) also bird cage N‑COUNT A birdcage is a cage in which birds are kept.
bi rd flu N‑UNCOUNT Bird flu is a virus which can be transmitted from chickens, ducks, and other birds to people.
birdie /bɜː r di/ (birdies , birdying , birdied )
1 N‑COUNT In golf, if you get a birdie , you get the golf ball into a hole in one stroke fewer than the number of strokes which has been set as the standard for a good player.
2 VERB If a golfer birdies a hole, he or she gets a birdie at that hole. □ [V n] He birdied five of the first seven holes.
bird|life /bɜː r dla I f/ also bird life N‑UNCOUNT The birdlife in a place is all the birds that live there.
bird|like /bɜː r dla I k/ also bird-like ADJ If someone has a birdlike manner, they move or look like a bird. □ …the birdlike way she darted about.
bi rd of pa ra|dise (birds of paradise ) N‑COUNT A bird of paradise is a songbird which is found mainly in New Guinea. The male birds have very brightly coloured feathers.
bi rd of pa s|sage (birds of passage ) N‑COUNT If you refer to someone as a bird of passage , you mean that they are staying in a place for a short time before going to another place. □ Most of these emigrants were birds of passage who returned to Spain after a relatively short stay.
bi rd of pre y (birds of prey ) N‑COUNT A bird of prey is a bird such as an eagle or a hawk that kills and eats other birds and animals.
bi rd's eye vie w (bird's eye views ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] You say that you have a bird's eye view of a place when you are looking down at it from a great height, so that you can see a long way but everything looks very small.
bird|song /bɜː r dsɒŋ, [AM ] -sɔːŋ/ (birdsongs ) also bird song N‑UNCOUNT Birdsong is the sound of a bird or birds calling in a way which sounds musical. □ The air is filled with birdsong.
bi rd ta|ble (bird tables ) N‑COUNT A bird table is a small wooden platform on a pole which some people put in their garden in order to put food for the birds on it.
bi rd-watcher (bird-watchers ) also birdwatcher N‑COUNT A bird-watcher is a person whose hobby is watching and studying wild birds in their natural surroundings.
bi rd-watching also birdwatching N‑UNCOUNT Bird-watching is the activity of watching and studying wild birds in their natural surroundings.
Biro /ba I roʊ/ (Biros ) N‑COUNT A Biro is a pen with a small metal ball at its tip which transfers the ink onto the paper. [BRIT , TRADEMARK ]
birth ◆◇◇ /bɜː r θ/ (births )
1 N‑VAR When a baby is born, you refer to this event as his or her birth . □ [+ of ] It was the birth of his grandchildren which gave him greatest pleasure. □ She weighed 5lb 7oz at birth. □ …premature births.
2 N‑UNCOUNT [with poss] You can refer to the beginning or origin of something as its birth . □ [+ of ] …the birth of popular democracy.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Some people talk about a person's birth when they are referring to the social position of the person's family. □ …men of low birth. □ His birth, background and career show that you can make it in this country on merit alone.
4 → see also date of birth , home birth
5 PHRASE If, for example, you are French by birth , you are French because your parents are French, or because you were born in France. □ Sadrudin was an Iranian by birth.
6 PHRASE When a woman gives birth , she produces a baby from her body. □ She's just given birth to a baby girl.
7 PHRASE To give birth to something such as an idea means to cause it to start to exist. □ A competition involving injured war veterans gave birth to the modern Paralympic movement.
8 PHRASE The country, town, or village of your birth is the place where you were born.
bi rth cer|tifi|cate (birth certificates ) N‑COUNT Your birth certificate is an official document which gives details of your birth, such as the date and place of your birth, and the names of your parents.
bi rth con|trol N‑UNCOUNT Birth control means planning whether to have children, and using contraception to prevent having them when they are not wanted.
birth|date /bɜː r θde I t/ (birthdates ) N‑COUNT Your birthdate is the same as your date of birth .
birth|day ◆◇◇ /bɜː r θde I , -di/ (birthdays ) N‑COUNT Your birthday is the anniversary of the date on which you were born.
bi rth|day suit (birthday suits ) N‑COUNT If you are in your birthday suit , you are not wearing any clothes. [INFORMAL , HUMOROUS or OLD-FASHIONED ]
birth|ing /bɜː r θ I ŋ/ ADJ [ADJ n] Birthing means relating to or used during the process of giving birth. □ The hospital has pioneered the use of birthing pools.
birth|mark /bɜː r θmɑː r k/ (birthmarks ) N‑COUNT A birthmark is a mark on someone's skin that has been there since they were born.
birth|place /bɜː r θple I s/ (birthplaces )
1 N‑COUNT Your birthplace is the place where you were born. [WRITTEN ]
2 N‑COUNT The birthplace of something is the place where it began. □ [+ of ] Ironbridge Gorge is known as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.
bi rth rate (birth rates ) also birth-rate N‑COUNT The birth rate in a place is the number of babies born there for every 1000 people during a particular period of time. □ …improvements in food production and public health resulting in increasing birth rate. □ …a falling birth-rate.
birth|right /bɜː r θra I t/ (birthrights ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] Something that is your birthright is something that you feel you have a basic right to have, simply because you are a human being. □ Freedom is the natural birthright of every human.
bis|cuit /b I sk I t/ (biscuits )
1 N‑COUNT A biscuit is a small flat cake that is crisp and usually sweet. [BRIT ] in AM, use cookie 2 N‑COUNT A biscuit is a small round dry cake that is made with baking powder, baking soda, or yeast. [AM ]
3 PHRASE If someone has done something very stupid, rude, or selfish, you can say that they take the biscuit or that what they have done takes the biscuit , to emphasize your surprise at their behaviour. [BRIT , EMPHASIS ] in AM, use take the cake
bi|sect /ba I se kt/ (bisects , bisecting , bisected ) VERB If something long and thin bisects an area or line, it divides the area or line in half. □ [V n] The main street bisects the town from end to end.
bi|sex|ual /ba I se kʃuəl/ (bisexuals ) ADJ Someone who is bisexual is sexually attracted to both men and women. ● N‑COUNT Bisexual is also a noun. □ He was an active bisexual. ● bi|sexu|al|ity /ba I se kʃuæl I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT □ Lillian opened up to Frank about her bisexuality.
bish|op /b I ʃəp/ (bishops )
1 N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE A bishop is a clergyman of high rank in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox churches.
2 N‑COUNT In chess, a bishop is a piece that can be moved diagonally across the board on squares that are the same colour.
bish|op|ric /b I ʃəpr I k/ (bishoprics ) N‑COUNT A bishopric is the area for which a bishop is responsible, or the rank or office of being a bishop.
bi|son /ba I s ə n/ (bison ) N‑COUNT A bison is a large hairy animal with a large head that is a member of the cattle family. They used to be very common in North America and Europe. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, usually use buffalo
bis|tro /biː stroʊ/ (bistros ) N‑COUNT A bistro is a small, informal restaurant or a bar where food is served.
bit ◆◆◆ /b I t/ (bits )
1 QUANT A bit of something is a small amount of it. □ All it required was a bit of work. □ I got paid a little bit of money.
2 PHRASE A bit means to a small extent or degree. It is sometimes used to make a statement less extreme. [VAGUENESS ] □ This girl was a bit strange. □ She looks a bit like his cousin Maureen. □ That sounds a bit technical. □ Isn't that a bit harsh?
3 PHRASE You can use a bit of to make a statement less forceful. For example, the statement 'It's a bit of a nuisance' is less forceful than 'It's a nuisance'. [VAGUENESS ] □ It's all a bit of a mess. □ This comes as a bit of a disappointment.
4 PHRASE Quite a bit means quite a lot. □ They're worth quite a bit of money. □ Things have changed quite a bit. □ He's quite a bit older than me.
5 PHRASE You use a bit before 'more' or 'less' to mean a small amount more or a small amount less. □ I still think I have a bit more to offer. □ Maybe we'll hear a little bit less noise.
6 PHRASE If you do something a bit , you do it for a short time. In British English, you can also say that you do something for a bit . □ Let's wait a bit. □ I hope there will be time to talk a bit. □ That should keep you busy for a bit.
7 N‑COUNT A bit of something is a small part or section of it. [mainly BRIT ] □ [+ of ] That's the bit of the meeting that I missed. □ Now comes the really important bit. □ The best bit was walking along the glacier.
8 N‑COUNT A bit of something is a small piece of it. [mainly BRIT ] □ [+ of ] Only a bit of string looped round a nail in the doorpost held it shut. □ [+ of ] …crumpled bits of paper.
9 N‑COUNT You can use bit to refer to a particular item or to one of a group or set of things. For example, a bit of information is an item of information. □ [+ of ] There was one bit of vital evidence which helped win the case. □ [+ of ] Not one single bit of work has been started towards the repair of this road.
10 N‑COUNT In computing, a bit is the smallest unit of information that is held in a computer's memory. It is either 1 or 0. Several bits form a byte. [COMPUTING ]
11 N‑COUNT A bit is 12½ cents; mainly used in expressions such as two bits , which means 25 cents, or four bits , which means 50 cents. [AM ]
12 Bit is the past tense of bite .
13 PHRASE If something happens bit by bit , it happens in stages. □ Bit by bit I began to understand what they were trying to do.
14 PHRASE If someone is champing at the bit or is chomping at the bit , they are very impatient to do something, but they are prevented from doing it, usually by circumstances that they have no control over. □ I expect you're champing at the bit, so we'll get things going as soon as we can.
15 PHRASE If you do your bit , you do something that, to a small or limited extent, helps to achieve something. □ Marcie always tried to do her bit.
16 PHRASE You say that one thing is every bit as good, interesting, or important as another to emphasize that the first thing is just as good, interesting, or important as the second. [EMPHASIS ] □ My dinner jacket is every bit as good as his.
17 PHRASE If you say that something is a bit much , you are annoyed because you think someone has behaved in an unreasonable way. [mainly BRIT , INFORMAL , FEELINGS ] □ It's a bit much expecting me to dump your boyfriend for you.
18 PHRASE You use not a bit when you want to make a strong negative statement. [mainly BRIT , EMPHASIS ] □ I'm really not a bit surprised. □ 'Are you disappointed?'—'Not a bit.'
19 PHRASE You say not a bit of it to emphasize that something that you might expect to be the case is not the case. [BRIT , EMPHASIS ] □ Did he give up? Not a bit of it!
20 PHRASE You can use bits and pieces or bits and bobs to refer to a collection of different things. [INFORMAL ]
21 PHRASE If you get the bit between your teeth , or take the bit between your teeth , you become very enthusiastic about a job you have to do.
22 PHRASE If something is smashed or blown to bits , it is broken into a number of pieces. If something falls to bits , it comes apart so that it is in a number of pieces. □ She found a pretty yellow jug smashed to bits.
23 thrilled to bits → see thrilled
bitch /b I tʃ/ (bitches , bitching , bitched )
1 N‑COUNT If someone calls a woman a bitch , they are saying in a very rude way that they think she behaves in a very unpleasant way. [RUDE , OFFENSIVE , DISAPPROVAL ]
2 → see also son of a bitch
3 VERB [oft cont] If you say that someone is bitching about something, you mean that you disapprove of the fact that they are complaining about it in an unpleasant way. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V + about ] They're forever bitching about everybody else. [Also V ]
4 N‑COUNT A bitch is a female dog.
bitchy /b I tʃi/ ADJ If someone is being bitchy or is making bitchy remarks, they are saying unkind things about someone. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ I'm sorry. I know I was bitchy on the phone. ● bitchi|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ There's a lot of bitchiness.
bit|coin /b I tkɔ I n/ (bitcoins ) also Bitcoin N‑UNCOUNT Bitcoin is a digital currency used as a means of payment on the internet. □ Is bitcoin the gold standard of online currency? ● N‑COUNT A bitcoin is a unit of this currency. □ Shops in some parts of Berlin now take payments in bitcoins as well as euros.
bite ◆◆◆ /ba I t/ (bites , biting , bit , bitten )
1 VERB If you bite something, you use your teeth to cut into it, for example in order to eat it or break it. If an animal or person bites you, they use their teeth to hurt or injure you. □ [V n] Both sisters bit their nails as children. □ [V + into ] He bit into his sandwich. □ [V n adv/prep] He had bitten the cigarette in two. □ [V ] Llamas won't bite or kick.
2 N‑COUNT A bite of something, especially food, is the action of biting it. □ [+ of ] He took another bite of apple. □ You cannot eat a bun in one bite. ● N‑COUNT A bite is also the amount of food you take into your mouth when you bite it. □ Look forward to eating the food and enjoy every bite.
3 N‑SING [usu N to-inf] If you have a bite to eat, you have a small meal or a snack. [INFORMAL ] □ It was time to go home for a little rest and a bite to eat.
4 VERB If a snake or a small insect bites you, it makes a mark or hole in your skin, and often causes the surrounding area of your skin to become painful or itchy. □ [be V -ed] We were all badly bitten by mosquitoes. [Also V ]
5 N‑COUNT [oft n N ] A bite is an injury or a mark on your body where an animal, snake, or small insect has bitten you. □ Any dog bite, no matter how small, needs immediate medical attention.
6 VERB When an action or policy begins to bite , it begins to have a serious or harmful effect. □ [V ] As the sanctions begin to bite there will be more political difficulties ahead. □ [V prep/adv] The recession started biting deeply into British industry.
7 VERB If an object bites into a surface, it presses hard against it or cuts into it. □ [V prep/adv] There may even be some wire or nylon biting into the flesh. [Also V ]
8 N‑UNCOUNT If you say that a food or drink has bite , you like it because it has a strong or sharp taste. [APPROVAL ] □ …the addition of tartaric acid to give the wine some bite.
9 N‑SING If the air or the wind has a bite , it feels very cold. □ There was a bite in the air, a smell perhaps of snow.
10 VERB If a fish bites when you are fishing, it takes the hook or bait at the end of your fishing line in its mouth. □ [V ] After half an hour, the fish stopped biting and we moved on. ● N‑COUNT Bite is also a noun. □ If I don't get a bite in a few minutes I lift the rod and twitch the bait.
11 → see also love bite , nail-biting
12 PHRASE If someone bites the hand that feeds them, they behave badly or in an ungrateful way towards someone who they depend on. □ She is cynical about the film industry, but ultimately she has no intention of biting the hand that feeds her.
13 PHRASE If you bite your lip or your tongue , you stop yourself from saying something that you want to say, because it would be the wrong thing to say in the circumstances. □ I must learn to bite my lip. □ He bit his tongue as he found himself on the point of saying 'follow that car'.
14 PHRASE If something takes a bite out of a sum of money, part of the money is spent or taken away in order to pay for it. □ Local taxes are going to be taking a bigger bite out of people's income.
15 someone's bark is worse than their bite → see bark
16 to bite the bullet → see bullet
17 to bite off more than one can chew → see chew
18 to bite the dust → see dust SYNONYMS bite VERB 1
nibble: He started to nibble his biscuit.
gnaw: Woodlice attack living plants and gnaw at the stems.
chew: Be certain to eat slowly and chew your food extremely well.
crunch: Richard crunched into the apple. COLLOCATIONS bite NOUN 5
noun + bite : flea, insect, mosquito, spider, tick; dog, shark, snake
adjective + bite : fatal
bi te-sized also bite-size
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Bite-sized pieces of food are small enough to fit easily in your mouth. □ …bite-sized pieces of cheese.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe something as bite-sized , you like it because it is small enough to be considered or dealt with easily. [APPROVAL ] □ …bite-sized newspaper items.
bit|ing /ba I t I ŋ/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Biting wind or cold is extremely cold. □ …a raw, biting northerly wind. □ Antarctic air brought biting cold to southern Chile on Thursday.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Biting criticism or wit is very harsh or unkind, and is often caused by such feelings as anger or dislike. □ …a furore caused by the author's biting satire on the Church.
bit|map /b I tmæp/ (bitmaps , bitmapping , bitmapped ) N‑COUNT A bitmap is a type of graphics file on a computer. [COMPUTING ] □ …bitmap graphics for representing complex images such as photographs. ● VERB Bitmap is also a verb. □ [V -ed] Bitmapped maps require huge storage space.
bi t part (bit parts ) also bit-part N‑COUNT A bit part is a small and unimportant role for an actor in a film or play.
bit|ten /b I t ə n/ Bitten is the past participle of bite .
bit|ter ◆◇◇ /b I tə r / (bitterest , bitters )
1 ADJ In a bitter argument or conflict, people argue very angrily or fight very fiercely. □ …the scene of bitter fighting during the Second World War. □ …a bitter attack on the Government's failure to support manufacturing. ● bit|ter|ly ADV [usu ADV with v, oft ADV adj] □ Any such thing would be bitterly opposed by most of the world's democracies. □ …a bitterly fought football match. ● bit|ter|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] The rift within the organization reflects the growing bitterness of the dispute.
2 ADJ If someone is bitter after a disappointing experience or after being treated unfairly, they continue to feel angry about it. □ She is said to be very bitter about the way she was sacked. □ His long life was marked by bitter personal and political memories. ● bit|ter|ly ADV [usu ADV with v, oft ADV adj] □ 'And he sure didn't help us,' Grant said bitterly. □ …the party bureaucrats who bitterly resented their loss of power. ● bit|ter|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ I still feel bitterness and anger towards the person who knocked me down.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A bitter experience makes you feel very disappointed. You can also use bitter to emphasize feelings of disappointment. □ I think the decision was a bitter blow from which he never quite recovered. □ The statement was greeted with bitter disappointment by many of the other delegates. ● bit|ter|ly ADV [ADV adj, ADV with v] □ I was bitterly disappointed to have lost yet another race so near the finish.
4 ADJ Bitter weather, or a bitter wind, is extremely cold. □ Outside, a bitter east wind was accompanied by flurries of snow. ● bit|ter|ly ADV [ADV adj] □ It's been bitterly cold here in Moscow.
5 ADJ A bitter taste is sharp, not sweet, and often slightly unpleasant. □ The leaves taste rather bitter.
6 N‑VAR Bitter is a kind of beer that is light brown in colour. [BRIT ] □ …a pint of bitter.
7 PHRASE If you say that you will continue doing something to the bitter end , especially something difficult or unpleasant, you are emphasizing that you will continue doing it until it is completely finished. [EMPHASIS ] □ The guerrillas would fight to the bitter end, he said, in order to achieve their main goal.
8 a bitter pill → see pill
bit|ter|ly /b I tə r li/ ADV [ADV adj] You use bitterly when you are describing an attitude which involves strong, unpleasant emotions such as anger or dislike. □ We are bitterly upset at what has happened.
bitter|sweet /b I tə r swiː t/ also bitter-sweet
1 ADJ If you describe an experience as bittersweet , you mean that it has some happy aspects and some sad ones. □ …bittersweet memories of his first appearance for the team.
2 ADJ A bittersweet taste seems bitter and sweet at the same time. □ …a wine with a bitter-sweet flavour.
bit|ty /b I ti/
1 ADJ If you say that something is bitty , you mean that it seems to be formed from a lot of different parts which you think do not fit together or go together well. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ The programme was bitty and pointless.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] If you describe someone or something as a little bitty person or thing, you are emphasizing that they are very small. [AM , INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ She's just a little bitty wisp of a girl.
bi|tu|men /b I tʃʊm I n, [AM ] b I tuː mən/ N‑UNCOUNT Bitumen is a black sticky substance which is obtained from tar or petrol and is used in making roads.
bivou|ac /b I vuæk/ (bivouacs , bivouacking , bivouacked )
1 N‑COUNT A bivouac is a temporary camp made by soldiers or mountain climbers.
2 VERB If you bivouac in a particular place, you stop and stay in a bivouac there. □ [V prep/adv] We bivouacked on the outskirts of the city. [Also V ]
bi|week|ly /ba I wiː kli/ ADJ [ADJ n] A biweekly event or publication happens or appears once every two weeks. [AM ] □ He used to see them at the biweekly meetings. □ …Beverage Digest, the industry's biweekly newsletter. ● ADV [ADV with v] Biweekly is also an adverb. □ The group meets on a regular basis, usually weekly or biweekly. [in BRIT, use fortnightly ]
biz /b I z/
1 N‑SING [oft n N ] Biz is sometimes used to refer to the entertainment business, especially pop music or films. [JOURNALISM , INFORMAL ] □ …a girl in the music biz.
2 → see also showbiz
bi|zarre /b I zɑː r / ADJ Something that is bizarre is very odd and strange. □ The game was also notable for the bizarre behaviour of the team's manager. ● bi|zarre|ly ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □ She dressed bizarrely.
blab /blæ b/ (blabs , blabbing , blabbed ) VERB If someone blabs about something secret, they tell people about it. [INFORMAL ] □ [V + about ] Her mistake was to blab about their affair. □ [V + to ] No blabbing to your mates! □ [V n prep] She'll blab it all over the school. [Also V ]
black ◆◆◆ /blæ k/ (blacker , blackest , blacks , blacking , blacked )
1 COLOUR Something that is black is of the darkest colour that there is, the colour of the sky at night when there is no light at all. □ She was wearing a black coat with a white collar. □ He had thick black hair. □ I wear a lot of black. □ He was dressed all in black.
2 ADJ A black person belongs to a race of people with dark skins, especially a race from Africa. □ He worked for the rights of black people. □ …the traditions of the black community.
3 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Black people are sometimes referred to as blacks . This use could cause offence. □ There are about thirty-one million blacks in the U.S…
4 ADJ [ADJ n] Black coffee or tea has no milk or cream added to it. □ A cup of black tea or black coffee contains no calories. □ I drink coffee black.
5 ADJ If you describe a situation as black , you are emphasizing that it is very bad indeed. [EMPHASIS ] □ It was, he said later, one of the blackest days of his political career. □ The future for the industry looks even blacker.
6 ADJ If someone is in a black mood, they feel very miserable and depressed. □ Her mood was blacker than ever.
7 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Black humour involves jokes about sad or difficult situations. □ 'So you can all go over there and get shot,' he said, with the sort of black humour common among British troops here. □ It's a black comedy of racial prejudice, mistaken identity and thwarted expectations.
8 ADJ [ADJ n] People who believe in black magic believe that it is possible to communicate with evil spirits. □ He was also alleged to have conducted black magic ceremonies. □ The King was unjustly accused of practising the black arts.
9 PHRASE If you say that someone is black and blue , you mean that they are badly bruised. □ Whenever she refused, he'd beat her black and blue. □ Bud's nose was still black and blue.
10 PHRASE If a person or an organization is in the black , they do not owe anyone any money. □ Until his finances are in the black I don't want to get married.
11 PHRASE If someone gives you a black look , they look at you in a way that shows that they are very angry about something. □ Passing my stall, she cast black looks at the amount of stuff still unsold.
12 PHRASE If you say that a particular colour is the new black , you mean that it has become fashionable. □ Beige is the new black, and works wonders for figures and complexions.
13 PHRASE People say that something is the new black to mean that it is suddenly fashionable or popular. □ Intelligence is the new black, and books with an intellectual content are making a comeback.
▸ black out
1 PHRASAL VERB If you black out , you lose consciousness for a short time. □ [V P ] Samadov said that he felt so ill that he blacked out.
2 PHRASAL VERB If a place is blacked out , it is in darkness, usually because it has no electricity supply. □ [be V -ed P ] Large parts of the capital were blacked out after electricity pylons were blown up.
3 PHRASAL VERB [usu passive] If a film or a piece of writing is blacked out , it is prevented from being broadcast or published, usually because it contains information which is secret or offensive. □ [be V -ed P ] TV pictures of the demonstration were blacked out.
4 PHRASAL VERB If you black out a piece of writing, you colour over it in black so that it cannot be seen. □ [V P n] They went through each page, blacking out any information a foreign intelligence expert could use. [Also V n P ]
5 PHRASAL VERB If you black out the memory of something, you try not to remember it because it upsets you. □ [V n P ] I tried not to think about it. I blacked it out. [Also V P n]
6 → see also blackout
Bla ck A f|ri|ca N‑PROPER Black Africa is the part of Africa to the south of the Sahara Desert.
bla ck and whi te also black-and-white
1 COLOUR In a black and white photograph or film, everything is shown in black, white, and grey. □ …old black and white film footage.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A black and white television set shows only black-and-white pictures.
3 ADJ A black and white issue or situation is one which involves issues which seem simple and therefore easy to make decisions about. □ She saw things in black and white.
4 PHRASE You say that something is in black and white when it has been written or printed, and not just said. □ He'd seen the proof in black and white.
black|ball /blæ kbɔːl/ (blackballs , blackballing , blackballed ) VERB If the members of a club blackball someone, they vote against that person being allowed to join their club. □ [V n] Members can blackball candidates in secret ballots.
bla ck be lt (black belts )
1 N‑COUNT A black belt is worn by someone who has reached a very high standard in a sport such as judo or karate. □ He holds a black belt in karate.
2 N‑COUNT You can refer to someone who has a black belt in judo or karate as a black belt . □ Murray is a judo black belt.
black|berry /blæ kbəri, [AM ] -beri/ (blackberries ) N‑COUNT A blackberry is a small, soft black or dark purple fruit.
black|bird /blæ kbɜː r d/ (blackbirds )
1 N‑COUNT A blackbird is a common European bird. The male has black feathers and a yellow beak, and the female has brown feathers.
2 N‑COUNT A blackbird is a common North American bird. The male has black feathers and often a red patch on its wings.
black|board /blæ kbɔː r d/ (blackboards ) N‑COUNT A blackboard is a dark-coloured board that you can write on with chalk. [BRIT ] in AM, use chalkboard
bla ck bo x (black boxes )
1 N‑COUNT A black box is an electronic device in an aircraft which records information about its flights. Black boxes are often used to provide evidence about accidents.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] You can refer to a system or device as a black box when you know that it produces a particular result but you have no understanding of how it works. □ They were part of the black box associated with high-flyer management development.
black|cur|rant /blæ kkʌ rənt, [AM ] -kɜːrənt/ (blackcurrants ) N‑COUNT In Europe, blackcurrants are a type of very small, dark purple fruits that grow in bunches on bushes. [BRIT ] □ …a carton of blackcurrant drink.
bla ck eco no|my N‑SING The black economy consists of the buying, selling, and producing of goods or services that goes on without the government being informed, so that people can avoid paying tax on them. [BRIT ] □ …an attempt to clamp down on the black economy.
black|en /blæ kən/ (blackens , blackening , blackened )
1 VERB To blacken something means to make it black or very dark in colour. Something that blackens becomes black or very dark in colour. □ [V n] The married women of Shitamachi maintained the custom of blackening their teeth. □ [V ] You need to grill the tomatoes until the skins blacken.
2 VERB If someone blackens your character, they make other people believe that you are a bad person. □ [V n] They're trying to blacken our name.
bla ck e ye (black eyes ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] If someone has a black eye , they have a dark-coloured bruise around their eye. □ We had a fight: I won and he got a black eye.
black|head /blæ khed/ (blackheads ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Blackheads are small, dark spots on someone's skin caused by blocked pores.
bla ck ho le (black holes ) N‑COUNT Black holes are areas in space, where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape from them. Black holes are thought to be formed by collapsed stars.
bla ck i ce N‑UNCOUNT Black ice is a thin, transparent layer of ice on a road or path that is very difficult to see.
black|ish /blæ k I ʃ/ COLOUR Something that is blackish is very dark in colour. □ The water was blackish. □ Katy has long blackish hair.
black|list /blæ kl I st/ (blacklists , blacklisting , blacklisted )
1 N‑COUNT If someone is on a blacklist , they are seen by a government or other organization as being one of a number of people who cannot be trusted or who have done something wrong. □ A government official disclosed that they were on a secret blacklist.
2 VERB [usu passive] If someone is blacklisted by a government or organization, they are put on a blacklist. □ [be V -ed] He has been blacklisted since being convicted of possessing marijuana in 1969. □ [V -ed] …the full list of blacklisted airports. ● black|list|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ …a victim of Hollywood's notorious blacklisting.
black|mail /blæ kme I l/ (blackmails , blackmailing , blackmailed )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Blackmail is the action of threatening to reveal a secret about someone, unless they do something you tell them to do, such as giving you money. □ It looks like the pictures were being used for blackmail.
2 N‑UNCOUNT If you describe an action as emotional or moral blackmail , you disapprove of it because someone is using a person's emotions or moral values to persuade them to do something against their will. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ The tactics employed can range from overt bullying to subtle emotional blackmail.
3 VERB If one person blackmails another person, they use blackmail against them. □ [be V -ed] The government insisted that it would not be blackmailed by violence. □ [V n + into ] I thought he was trying to blackmail me into saying whatever he wanted. [Also V n + with ] ● black|mail|er (blackmailers ) N‑COUNT □ The nasty thing about a blackmailer is that his starting point is usually the truth.
bla ck ma rk (black marks ) N‑COUNT A black mark against someone is something bad that they have done or a bad quality that they have which affects the way people think about them. □ There was one black mark against him.
bla ck ma r|ket (black markets ) N‑COUNT If something is bought or sold on the black market , it is bought or sold illegally. □ There is a plentiful supply of arms on the black market.
bla ck mar|ket|ee r (black marketeers ) N‑COUNT A black marketeer is someone who sells goods on the black market. [JOURNALISM ]
black|ness /blæ knəs/ N‑UNCOUNT Blackness is the state of being very dark. [LITERARY ] □ The twilight had turned to a deep blackness.
black|out /blæ kaʊt/ (blackouts ) also black-out
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A blackout is a period of time during a war in which towns and buildings are made dark so that they cannot be seen by enemy planes. □ …blackout curtains.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing, usu n N ] If a blackout is imposed on a particular piece of news, journalists are prevented from broadcasting or publishing it. □ …a media blackout imposed by the Imperial Palace. □ Journalists said there was a virtual news blackout about the rally.
3 N‑COUNT [usu sing, usu n N ] If there is a power blackout , the electricity supply to a place is temporarily cut off. □ There was an electricity black-out in a large area in the north of the country.
4 N‑COUNT If you have a blackout , you temporarily lose consciousness. □ I suffered a black-out which lasted for several minutes.
bla ck pe p|per N‑UNCOUNT Black pepper is pepper which is dark in colour and has been made from the dried berries of the pepper plant, including their black outer cases.
bla ck pu d|ding (black puddings ) N‑VAR Black pudding is a thick sausage which has a black skin and is made from pork fat and pig's blood. [mainly BRIT ]
bla ck shee p N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you describe someone as the black sheep of their family or of a group that they are a member of, you mean that they are considered bad or worthless by other people in that family or group. [DISAPPROVAL ]
black|smith /blæ ksm I θ/ (blacksmiths ) N‑COUNT A blacksmith is a person whose job is making things by hand out of metal that has been heated to a high temperature.
bla ck spot (black spots ) also blackspot
1 N‑COUNT If you describe a place, time, or part of a situation as a black spot , you mean that it is particularly bad or likely to cause problems. [BRIT ] □ There are recognised black spots in marriages which can lead to trouble.
2 N‑COUNT A black spot is a place on a road where accidents often happen. [BRIT ] □ The accident happened on a notorious black spot on the A43.
bla ck tie also black-tie
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A black tie event is a formal social event such as a party at which people wear formal clothes called evening dress. □ …a black-tie dinner for former students.
2 N‑UNCOUNT If a man is dressed in black tie , he is wearing formal evening dress, which includes a dinner jacket or tuxedo and a bow tie. □ Most of the guests will be wearing black tie.
black|top /blæ ktɒp/ N‑UNCOUNT Blacktop is a hard black substance which is used as a surface for roads. [AM ] □ …waves of heat rising from the blacktop. in BRIT, use tarmac
blad|der /blæ də r / (bladders )
1 N‑COUNT Your bladder is the part of your body where urine is stored until it leaves your body.
2 → see also gall bladder
blade /ble I d/ (blades )
1 N‑COUNT The blade of a knife, axe, or saw is the edge, which is used for cutting. □ Many of these tools have sharp blades, so be careful.
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] The blades of a propeller are the long, flat parts that turn round.
3 N‑COUNT The blade of an oar is the thin flat part that you put into the water.
4 N‑COUNT A blade of grass is a single piece of grass.
5 → see also razor blade , shoulder blade
6 rotor blade → see rotor
blag /blæ g/ (blags , blagging , blagged ) VERB To blag something such as a concert ticket means to persuade someone to give it to you free. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [V n] We'd love to blag backstage tickets for his show.
blah /blɑː / CONVENTION You use blah, blah, blah to refer to something that is said or written without giving the actual words, because you think that they are boring or unimportant. [INFORMAL ] □ …the different challenges of their career, their need to change, to evolve, blah blah blah.
blame ◆◆◇ /ble I m/ (blames , blaming , blamed )
1 VERB If you blame a person or thing for something bad, you believe or say that they are responsible for it or that they caused it. □ [V n + for ] The commission is expected to blame the army for many of the atrocities. □ [V n + on ] The bank blamed the error on technological failings. □ [V n] If it wasn't Sam's fault, why was I blaming him? ● N‑UNCOUNT Blame is also a noun. □ Nothing could relieve my terrible sense of blame.
2 N‑UNCOUNT The blame for something bad that has happened is the responsibility for causing it or letting it happen. □ [+ for ] Some of the blame for the miscarriage of justice must be borne by the solicitors. □ The president put the blame squarely on his opponent.
3 VERB If you say that you do not blame someone for doing something, you mean that you consider it was a reasonable thing to do in the circumstances. □ [V n + for ] I do not blame them for trying to make some money. □ [V n] He slammed the door and stormed off. I could hardly blame him.
4 PHRASE If someone is to blame for something bad that has happened, they are responsible for causing it. □ If their forces were not involved, then who is to blame? □ [+ for ] The policy is partly to blame for causing the worst unemployment in Europe.
5 PHRASE If you say that someone has only themselves to blame or has no-one but themselves to blame , you mean that they are responsible for something bad that has happened to them and that you have no sympathy for them. □ My life is ruined and I suppose I only have myself to blame.
blame|less /ble I mləs/ ADJ Someone who is blameless has not done anything wrong. □ He feels he is blameless. □ The U.S. itself, of course, is not entirely blameless in trading matters.
blanch /blɑː ntʃ, blæ ntʃ/ (blanches , blanching , blanched )
1 VERB If you blanch , you suddenly become very pale. □ [V ] His face blanched as he looked at Sharpe's blood-drenched uniform. □ [V + at ] She felt herself blanch at the unpleasant memories.
2 VERB If you say that someone blanches at something, you mean that they find it unpleasant and do not want to be involved with it. □ [V + at ] Everything he had said had been a mistake. He blanched at his miscalculations.
3 VERB If you blanch vegetables, fruit, or nuts, you put them into boiling water for a short time, usually in order to remove their skins, or to prepare them for freezing. □ [V n] Skin the peaches by blanching them.
blanc|mange /bləmɒ ndʒ/ (blancmanges ) N‑VAR Blancmange is a cold dessert that is made from milk, sugar, cornflour or corn starch, and flavouring, and looks rather like jelly.
bland /blæ nd/ (blander , blandest )
1 ADJ If you describe someone or something as bland , you mean that they are rather dull and unexciting. □ Serle has a blander personality than Howard. □ …a bland, 12-storey office block. ● bland|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ …the blandness of television.
2 ADJ Food that is bland has very little flavour. □ It tasted bland and insipid, like warmed cardboard.
blan|dish|ments /blæ nd I ʃmənts/ N‑PLURAL [oft with poss] Blandishments are pleasant things that someone says to another person in order to persuade them to do something. [FORMAL ] □ At first Lewis resisted their blandishments.
bland|ly /blæ ndli/ ADV [ADV with v] If you do something blandly , you do it in a calm and quiet way. □ 'It's not important,' he said blandly. □ The nurse smiled blandly.
blank /blæ ŋk/ (blanks , blanking , blanked )
1 ADJ Something that is blank has nothing on it. □ We could put some of the pictures over on that blank wall over there. □ He tore a blank page from his notebook. □ … a blank screen.
2 N‑COUNT A blank is a space which is left in a piece of writing or on a printed form for you to fill in particular information. □ Put a word in each blank to complete the sentence.
3 ADJ If you look blank , your face shows no feeling, understanding, or interest. □ Abbot looked blank. 'I don't quite follow, sir.'. □ His daughter gave him a blank look. ● blank|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ She stared at him blankly. ● blank|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ His eyes have the blankness of someone half-asleep.
4 N‑SING If your mind or memory is a blank , you cannot think of anything or remember anything. □ I'm sorry, but my mind is a blank. □ I came round in hospital and did not know where I was. Everything was a complete blank.
5 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Blanks are gun cartridges which contain explosive but do not contain a bullet, so that they cause no harm when the gun is fired. □ …a starter pistol which only fires blanks.
6 → see also point-blank
7 PHRASE If you draw a blank when you are looking for someone or something, you do not succeed in finding them. [INFORMAL ] □ They drew a blank in their search for the driver.
8 PHRASE If your mind goes blank , you are suddenly unable to think of anything appropriate to say, for example in reply to a question. □ My mind went totally blank.
▸ blank out PHRASAL VERB If you blank out a particular feeling or thought, you do not allow yourself to experience that feeling or to have that thought. □ [V n P ] I learned to blank those feelings out. □ [V P n] I was trying to blank out previous situations from my mind.
bla nk che que (blank cheques ) in AM, use blank check 1 N‑COUNT If someone is given a blank cheque , they are given the authority to spend as much money as they need or want. [JOURNALISM ] □ We are not prepared to write a blank cheque for companies that have run into trouble.
2 N‑COUNT If someone is given a blank cheque , they are given the authority to do what they think is best in a particular situation. [JOURNALISM ] □ America should not be given a blank cheque to do whatever it wants.
blan|ket /blæ ŋk I t/ (blankets , blanketing , blanketed )
1 N‑COUNT A blanket is a large square or rectangular piece of thick cloth, especially one which you put on a bed to keep you warm.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A blanket of something such as snow is a continuous layer of it which hides what is below or beyond it. □ [+ of ] The mud disappeared under a blanket of snow. □ [+ of ] Cold damp air brought in the new year under a blanket of fog.
3 VERB If something such as snow blankets an area, it covers it. □ [V n] More than a foot of snow blanketed parts of Michigan.
4 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You use blanket to describe something when you want to emphasize that it affects or refers to every person or thing in a group, without any exceptions. [EMPHASIS ] □ It is tempting to support a blanket ban on junk food advertising.
5 → see also electric blanket , security blanket , wet blanket
bla nk ve rse N‑UNCOUNT Blank verse is poetry that does not rhyme. In English literature it usually consists of lines with five stressed syllables.
blare /bleə r / (blares , blaring , blared ) VERB If something such as a siren or radio blares or if you blare it, it makes a loud, unpleasant noise. □ [V ] The fire engines were just pulling up, sirens blaring. □ [V n] I blared my horn. ● N‑SING Blare is also a noun. □ [+ of ] …the blare of a radio through a thin wall. ● PHRASAL VERB Blare out means the same as blare . □ [V P ] Music blares out from every cafe. □ [V P n] …giant loudspeakers which blare out patriotic music and the speeches of their leader. [Also V n P ]
blar|ney /blɑː r ni/ N‑UNCOUNT Blarney is things someone says that are flattering and amusing but probably untrue, and which you think they are only saying in order to please you or to persuade you to do something. [DISAPPROVAL ]
bla|sé /blɑː ze I , [AM ] blɑːze I / also blase ADJ If you describe someone as blasé , you mean that they are not easily impressed, excited, or worried by things, usually because they have seen or experienced them before. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [+ about ] Far too many people are blasé about their driving skills. □ …his seemingly blasé attitude.
blas|pheme /blæsfiː m/ (blasphemes , blaspheming , blasphemed ) VERB If someone blasphemes , they say rude or disrespectful things about God or religion, or they use God's name as a swear word. □ [V ] 'Don't blaspheme,' my mother said. □ [V + against ] He had blasphemed against the Mother of God. ● blas|phem|er (blasphemers ) N‑COUNT □ Such a figure is liable to be attacked as a blasphemer.
blas|phe|mous /blæ sfəməs/ ADJ You can describe someone who shows disrespect for God or a religion as blasphemous . You can also describe what they are saying or doing as blasphemous . □ She was accused of being blasphemous. □ Critics attacked the film as blasphemous.
blas|phe|my /blæ sfəmi/ (blasphemies ) N‑VAR You can describe something that shows disrespect for God or a religion as blasphemy . □ He was found guilty of blasphemy and sentenced to three years in jail.
blast ◆◇◇ /blɑː st, blæ st/ (blasts , blasting , blasted )
1 N‑COUNT A blast is a big explosion, especially one caused by a bomb. □ 250 people were killed in the blast.
2 VERB If something is blasted into a particular place or state, an explosion causes it to be in that place or state. If a hole is blasted in something, it is created by an explosion. □ [be V -ed prep/adv] …a terrible accident in which his left arm was blasted off by some kind of a bomb. □ [V n with adv] The explosion which followed blasted out the external supporting wall of her flat. [Also V n adj, V n prep]
3 VERB If workers are blasting rock, they are using explosives to make holes in it or destroy it, for example so that a road or tunnel can be built. □ [V n] Their work was taken up with boring and blasting rock with gelignite. □ [V n with adv] They're using dynamite to blast away rocks to put a road in. [Also V ] ● blast|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ Three miles away there was a salvo of blasting in the quarry.
4 VERB To blast someone means to shoot them with a gun. [JOURNALISM ] □ [V n + to ] …a son who blasted his father to death after a life-time of bullying. □ [be V -ed + with ] He was blasted with a sawn-off shotgun in Oldham on Thursday. ● N‑COUNT Blast is also a noun. □ …the man who killed Nigel Davies with a shotgun blast.
5 VERB If someone blasts their way somewhere, they get there by shooting at people or causing an explosion. □ [V n] The police were reported to have blasted their way into the house using explosives. □ [V n prep/adv] One armoured column attempted to blast a path through a barricade of buses and trucks.
6 VERB If something blasts water or air somewhere, it sends out a sudden, powerful stream of it. □ [V n prep/adv] A blizzard was blasting great drifts of snow across the lake. ● N‑COUNT Blast is also a noun. □ [+ of ] Blasts of cold air swept down from the mountains.
7 VERB If you blast something such as a car horn, or if it blasts , it makes a sudden, loud sound. If something blasts music, or music blasts , the music is very loud. □ [V n] …drivers who do not blast their horns. □ [V ] The sound of western music blasted as she entered. ● N‑COUNT Blast is also a noun. □ [+ of ] The buzzer suddenly responded in a long blast of sound.
8 PHRASE If something such as a radio or a heater is on full blast , or on at full blast , it is producing as much sound or power as it is able to. □ In many of those homes the television is on full blast 24 hours a day.
▸ blast away
1 PHRASAL VERB If a gun, or a person firing a gun, blasts away , the gun is fired continuously for a period of time. □ [V P ] Suddenly all the men pull out pistols and begin blasting away.
2 PHRASAL VERB If something such as a radio or a pop group is blasting away , it is producing a loud noise. □ [V P ] Alarms blast away until you get up.
▸ blast off
1 PHRASAL VERB When a space rocket blasts off , it leaves the ground at the start of its journey.
2 → see also blast-off
▸ blast out PHRASAL VERB If music or noise is blasting out , loud music or noise is being produced. □ [V P n] …loudspeakers blasting out essential tourist facts in every language known to man. □ [V P ] Pop music can be heard 10 miles away blasting out from the huge tented shanty-town.
blast|ed /blɑː st I d, blæ st I d/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] Some people use blasted to express anger or annoyance at something or someone. [INFORMAL , OLD-FASHIONED , FEELINGS ]
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A blasted landscape has very few plants or trees, and makes you feel sad or depressed when you look at it. [LITERARY ] □ …the blasted landscape where the battle was fought.
bla st fur|nace (blast furnaces ) N‑COUNT A blast furnace is a large structure in which iron ore is heated under pressure so that it melts and the pure iron metal separates out and can be collected.
bla st-off N‑UNCOUNT Blast-off is the moment when a rocket leaves the ground and rises into the air to begin a journey into space. □ The original planned launch was called off four minutes before blast-off.
bla|tant /ble I t ə nt/ ADJ You use blatant to describe something bad that is done in an open or very obvious way. [EMPHASIS ] □ Outsiders will continue to suffer the most blatant discrimination. □ …a blatant attempt to spread the blame for the fiasco. □ The elitism was blatant. ● bla|tant|ly ADV [ADV adj, ADV with v] □ …a blatantly sexist question. □ They said the song blatantly encouraged the killing of police officers.
bla|tant|ly /ble I t ə ntli/ ADV [usu ADV adj, oft ADV with v] Blatantly is used to add emphasis when you are describing states or situations which you think are bad. [EMPHASIS ] □ It became blatantly obvious to me that the band wasn't going to last. □ For years, blatantly false assertions have gone unchallenged.
blath|er /blæ ðə r / (blathers , blathering , blathered ) VERB If someone is blathering on about something, they are talking for a long time about something that you consider boring or unimportant. □ [V with on ] The old men blather on and on. □ [V ] Stop blathering. □ [V + about ] He kept on blathering about police incompetence. ● N‑UNCOUNT Blather is also a noun. □ Anyone knows that all this is blather.
blaze /ble I z/ (blazes , blazing , blazed )
1 VERB When a fire blazes , it burns strongly and brightly. □ [V ] Three people died as wreckage blazed, and rescuers fought to release trapped drivers. □ [V -ing] …a blazing fire.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A blaze is a large fire which is difficult to control and which destroys a lot of things. [JOURNALISM ] □ Two firemen were hurt in a blaze which swept through a tower block last night.
3 VERB If something blazes with light or colour, it is extremely bright. [LITERARY ] □ [V + with ] The gardens blazed with colour. ● N‑COUNT [usu a N of n] Blaze is also a noun. □ I wanted the front garden to be a blaze of colour.
4 N‑SING A blaze of publicity or attention is a great amount of it. □ He was arrested in a blaze of publicity. □ …the sporting career that began in a blaze of glory.
5 VERB If guns blaze , or blaze away , they fire continuously, making a lot of noise. □ [V ] Guns were blazing, flares going up and the sky was lit up all around. □ [V with away ] She took the gun and blazed away with calm and deadly accuracy.
6 with all guns blazing → see gun
7 PHRASE If someone blazes a trail , they discover or develop something new. □ These surgeons have blazed the trail in the treatment of bomb victims.
blaz|er /ble I zə r / (blazers ) N‑COUNT A blazer is a kind of jacket which is often worn by members of a particular group, especially schoolchildren and members of a sports team.
blaz|ing /ble I z I ŋ/ ADJ [ADJ n] Blazing sun or blazing hot weather is very hot. □ Quite a few people were eating outside in the blazing sun.
bldg (bldgs ) in AM, use bldg. Bldg is a written abbreviation for building , and is used especially in the names of buildings. □ …Old National Bank Bldg.
bleach /bliː tʃ/ (bleaches , bleaching , bleached )
1 VERB If you bleach something, you use a chemical to make it white or pale in colour. □ [V n] These products don't bleach the hair. □ [V -ed] …bleached pine tables. □ [V -ing] …a bleaching agent.
2 VERB If the sun bleaches something, or something bleaches , its colour gets paler until it is almost white. □ [V ] The tree's roots are stripped and hung to season and bleach. □ [V n] The sun will bleach the hairs on your face.
3 N‑VAR Bleach is a chemical that is used to make cloth white, or to clean things thoroughly and kill germs.
bleach|ers /bliː tʃə r z/ N‑PLURAL The bleachers are a part of an outdoor sports stadium, or the seats in that area, which are usually uncovered and are the least expensive place where people can sit. [AM ]
bleak /bliː k/ (bleaker , bleakest )
1 ADJ If a situation is bleak , it is bad, and seems unlikely to improve. □ The immediate outlook remains bleak. □ Many predicted a bleak future. ● bleak|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] The continued bleakness of the American job market was blamed.
2 ADJ If you describe a place as bleak , you mean that it looks cold, empty, and unattractive. □ The island's pretty bleak. □ …bleak inner-city streets.
3 ADJ When the weather is bleak , it is cold, dull, and unpleasant. □ The weather can be quite bleak on the coast.
4 ADJ If someone looks or sounds bleak , they look or sound depressed, as if they have no hope or energy. □ Alberg gave him a bleak stare. ● bleak|ly ADV [usu ADV with v, oft ADV adj] □ 'There is nothing left,' she says bleakly.
bleary /bl I ə ri/ ADJ If your eyes are bleary , they look dull or tired, as if you have not had enough sleep or have drunk too much alcohol. □ I arrived bleary-eyed and rumpled. □ He stared at Leo with great bleary eyes.
bleat /bliː t/ (bleats , bleating , bleated )
1 VERB When a sheep or goat bleats , it makes the sound that sheep and goats typically make. □ [V ] From the slope below, the wild goats bleated faintly. □ [V -ing] …a small flock of bleating ewes and lambs. ● N‑COUNT Bleat is also a noun. □ …the faint bleat of a distressed animal.
2 VERB If you say that someone bleats about something, you mean that they complain about it in a way which makes them sound weak and irritating. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V + about ] They are always bleating about 'unfair' foreign competition. □ [V prep/adv] Don't come bleating to me every time something goes wrong. [Also V that]
bled /ble d/ Bled is the past tense and past participle of bleed .
bleed /bliː d/ (bleeds , bleeding , bled )
1 VERB When you bleed , you lose blood from your body as a result of injury or illness. □ [V ] His head had struck the sink and was bleeding. □ [V + to ] She's going to bleed to death! ● bleed|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ This results in internal bleeding.
2 VERB If the colour of one substance bleeds into the colour of another substance that it is touching, it goes into the other thing so that its colour changes in an undesirable way. □ [V prep] The colouring pigments from the skins are not allowed to bleed into the grape juice.
3 VERB If someone is being bled , money or other resources are gradually being taken away from them. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [be V -ed] We have been gradually bled for twelve years. □ [V n] They mean to bleed the British to the utmost.
4 → see also nosebleed
bleed|ing /bliː d I ŋ/ ADJ [ADJ n] Bleeding is used by some people to emphasize what they are saying, especially when they feel strongly about something or dislike something. [BRIT , INFORMAL , RUDE , EMPHASIS ]
blee d|ing e dge The spelling bleeding-edge is used for meaning 2 . 1 N‑SING If you are at the bleeding edge of a particular field of activity, you are involved in its most advanced or most exciting developments. □ McNally has spent 17 years at the bleeding edge of computing.
2 ADJ Bleeding-edge equipment or technology is the most advanced that there is in a particular field. □ …an RAF facility with bleeding-edge electronics and communications systems.
blee d|ing hea rt (bleeding hearts ) also bleeding-heart N‑COUNT [oft N n] If you describe someone as a bleeding heart , you are criticizing them for being sympathetic towards people who are poor and suffering, without doing anything practical to help. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ I'm not a bleeding heart liberal.
bleep /bliː p/ (bleeps , bleeping , bleeped )
1 N‑COUNT A bleep is a short, high-pitched sound, usually one of a series, that is made by an electrical device. [mainly BRIT ]
2 VERB If something electronic bleeps , it makes a short, high-pitched sound. [mainly BRIT ] □ [V ] When we turned the boat about, the signal began to bleep again constantly.
bleep|er /bliː pə r / (bleepers ) N‑COUNT A bleeper is the same as a beeper . [BRIT , INFORMAL ]
blem|ish /ble m I ʃ/ (blemishes , blemishing , blemished )
1 N‑COUNT A blemish is a small mark on something that spoils its appearance. □ Every piece is inspected, and if there is the slightest blemish on it, it is rejected.
2 N‑COUNT A blemish on something is a small fault in it. □ [+ on ] This is the one blemish on an otherwise resounding success.
3 VERB If something blemishes someone's character or reputation, it spoils it or makes it seem less good than it was in the past. □ [V n] He wasn't about to blemish that pristine record.
blem|ished /ble m I ʃt/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] You use blemished to describe something such as someone's skin or a piece of fruit when its appearance is spoiled by small marks. □ …a skin tonic for oily, blemished complexions.
blend /ble nd/ (blends , blending , blended )
1 VERB If you blend substances together or if they blend , you mix them together so that they become one substance. □ [V n + with ] Blend the butter with the sugar and beat until light and creamy. □ [V n] Blend the ingredients until you have a smooth cream. □ [V ] Put the soap and water in a pan and leave to stand until they have blended.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A blend of things is a mixture or combination of them that is useful or pleasant. □ [+ of ] The public areas offer a subtle blend of traditional charm with modern amenities.
3 VERB When colours, sounds, or styles blend , they come together or are combined in a pleasing way. □ [V ] You could paint the walls and ceilings the same colour so they blend together. □ [V + with ] …the picture, furniture and porcelain collections that blend so well with the house itself.
4 VERB If you blend ideas, policies, or styles, you use them together in order to achieve something. □ [V n + with ] The Glasgow-based cartoonist is a master at blending humour with the macabre. □ [V n] …a band that blended jazz, folk and classical music.
▸ blend in or blend into
1 PHRASAL VERB If something blends into the background, it is so similar to the background that it is difficult to see or hear it separately. □ [V P + with ] The toad had changed its colour to blend in with its new environment. □ [V P n] …a continuous pale neutral grey, almost blending into the sky.
2 PHRASAL VERB If someone blends into a particular group or situation, they seem to belong there, because their appearance or behaviour is similar to that of the other people involved. □ [V P n] It must have reinforced my determination to blend into my surroundings. □ [V P ] She felt she would blend in nicely. □ [V P + with ] He blended in with the crowd at the art sale.
blend|er /ble ndə r / (blenders ) N‑COUNT A blender is an electrical kitchen appliance used for mixing liquids and soft foods together or turning fruit or vegetables into liquid.
bless /ble s/ (blesses , blessing , blessed )
1 VERB When someone such as a priest blesses people or things, he asks for God's favour and protection for them. □ [V n] …asking for all present to bless this couple and their loving commitment to one another.
2 CONVENTION Bless is used in expressions such as ' God bless ' or ' bless you ' to express affection, thanks, or good wishes. [INFORMAL , SPOKEN , FEELINGS ] □ 'Bless you, Eva,' he whispered. □ God bless and thank you all so much.
3 CONVENTION You can say ' bless you ' to someone who has just sneezed. [SPOKEN , FORMULAE ]
4 → see also blessed , blessing
bless|ed Pronounced /ble st/ for meaning 1 , and /ble s I d/ for meaning 2 . 1 ADJ [v-link ADJ with n] If someone is blessed with a particular good quality or skill, they have that good quality or skill. □ Both are blessed with uncommon ability to fix things.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] You use blessed to describe something that you think is wonderful, and that you are grateful for or relieved about. [APPROVAL ] □ Rainy weather brings blessed relief to hay fever victims. ● bless|ed|ly ADV [usu ADV adj] □ Most British election campaigns are blessedly brief.
3 → see also bless
bless|ing /ble s I ŋ/ (blessings )
1 N‑COUNT A blessing is something good that you are grateful for. □ [+ for ] Rivers are a blessing for an agricultural country. □ [+ of ] …the blessings of prosperity.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing, with poss] If something is done with someone's blessing , it is done with their approval and support. □ [+ of ] With the blessing of the White House, a group of Democrats in Congress is meeting to find additional budget cuts. □ In April Thai and Indonesian leaders gave their formal blessing to the idea.
3 N‑COUNT A blessing is a prayer asking God to look kindly upon the people who are present or the event that is taking place.
4 → see also bless
5 PHRASE If you tell someone to count their blessings , you are saying that they should think about how lucky they are instead of complaining. □ Some would argue this was no burden in fact, and that she should count her blessings.
6 PHRASE If you say that something is a blessing in disguise , you mean that it causes problems and difficulties at first but later you realize that it was the best thing that could have happened. □ The failure to conclude the trade talks last December could prove a blessing in disguise.
7 PHRASE If you say that a situation is a mixed blessing , you mean that it has disadvantages as well as advantages. □ For ordinary Italians, Sunday's news probably amounts to a mixed blessing.
blew /bluː / Blew is the past tense of blow .
blight /bla I t/ (blights , blighting , blighted )
1 N‑VAR You can refer to something as a blight when it causes great difficulties, and damages or spoils other things. □ This discriminatory policy has really been a blight on America. □ Manchester still suffers from urban blight and unacceptable poverty.
2 VERB If something blights your life or your hopes, it damages and spoils them. If something blights an area, it spoils it and makes it unattractive. □ [V n] An embarrassing blunder nearly blighted his career before it got off the ground. □ [V -ed] …a strategy to redevelop blighted inner-city areas.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Blight is a disease which makes plants dry up and die.
blight|er /bla I tə r / (blighters )
1 N‑COUNT You can refer to someone you do not like as a blighter . [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ He was a nasty little blighter.
2 N‑COUNT You can use blighter as an informal way of referring to someone. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ Lucky blighter, thought King.
Blighty /bla I ti/ N‑PROPER Blighty is a way of referring to England. [BRIT , HUMOROUS , OLD-FASHIONED ] □ See you back in Blighty!
bli|mey /bla I mi/ EXCLAM You say blimey when you are surprised by something or feel strongly about it. [BRIT , INFORMAL , FEELINGS ] □ 'We walked all the way to Moseley.'—'Blimey!'
blimp /bl I mp/ (blimps ) N‑COUNT A blimp is the same as an airship .
blind ◆◇◇ /bla I nd/ (blinds , blinding , blinded )
1 ADJ Someone who is blind is unable to see because their eyes are damaged. □ I started helping him run the business when he went blind. ● N‑PLURAL The blind are people who are blind. This use could cause offence. □ He was a teacher of the blind. ● blind|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ Early diagnosis and treatment can usually prevent blindness.
2 VERB If something blinds you, it makes you unable to see, either for a short time or permanently. □ [V n] The sun hit the windscreen, momentarily blinding him.
3 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you are blind with something such as tears or a bright light, you are unable to see for a short time because of the tears or light. □ [+ with ] Her mother groped for the back of the chair, her eyes blind with tears. ● blind|ly ADV □ Lettie groped blindly for the glass.
4 ADJ If you say that someone is blind to a fact or a situation, you mean that they ignore it or are unaware of it, although you think that they should take notice of it or be aware of it. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ All the time I was blind to your suffering. ● blind|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ …blindness in government policy to the very existence of the unemployed.
5 VERB If something blinds you to the real situation, it prevents you from realizing that it exists or from understanding it properly. □ [V n + to ] He never allowed his love of Australia to blind him to his countrymen's faults.
6 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can describe someone's beliefs or actions as blind when you think that they seem to take no notice of important facts or behave in an unreasonable way. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …her blind faith in the wisdom of the Church. □ Lesley yelled at him with blind, hating rage.
7 ADJ [ADJ n] A blind corner is one that you cannot see round because something is blocking your view. □ He tried to overtake three cars on a blind corner and crashed head-on into a lorry.
8 N‑COUNT A blind is a roll of cloth or paper which you can pull down over a window as a covering.
9 → see also blinding , blindly , colour-blind , Venetian blind
10 PHRASE If you say that someone is turning a blind eye to something bad or illegal that is happening, you mean that you think they are pretending not to notice that it is happening so that they will not have to do anything about it. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Teachers are turning a blind eye to pupils smoking at school, a report reveals today.
bli nd a l|ley (blind alleys ) N‑COUNT If you describe a situation as a blind alley , you mean that progress is not possible or that the situation can have no useful results. □ Ben wanted to go to drama school, which I worried would end up being a blind alley.
bli nd da te (blind dates ) N‑COUNT A blind date is an arrangement made for you to spend a romantic evening with someone you have never met before.
blind|er /bla I ndə r / (blinders ) N‑PLURAL Blinders are the same as blinkers . [AM ]
blind|fold /bla I ndfoʊld/ (blindfolds , blindfolding , blindfolded )
1 N‑COUNT A blindfold is a strip of cloth that is tied over someone's eyes so that they cannot see.
2 VERB If you blindfold someone, you tie a blindfold over their eyes. □ [V n] His abductors blindfolded him and drove him to a flat in southern Beirut. □ [V -ed] The report says prisoners were often kept blindfolded.
3 ADJ [ADJ after v] If someone does something blindfold , they do it while wearing a blindfold. □ The Australian chess grandmaster took on six opponents blindfold and beat five.
4 PHRASE If you say that you can do something blindfold , you are emphasizing that you can do it easily, for example because you have done it many times before. [EMPHASIS ] □ He read the letter again although already he could have recited its contents blindfold.
blind|ing /bla I nd I ŋ/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A blinding light is extremely bright. □ The doctor worked busily beneath the blinding lights of the delivery room.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] You use blinding to emphasize that something is very obvious. [EMPHASIS ] □ I woke up in the middle of the night with a blinding flash of realization. ● blind|ing|ly ADV [ADV adj/adv] □ It is so blindingly obvious that defence must be the responsibility of the state.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Blinding pain is very strong pain. □ There was a pain then, a quick, blinding agony that jumped along Danlo's spine.
blind|ly /bla I ndli/
1 ADV [usu ADV with v, oft ADV adj] If you say that someone does something blindly , you mean that they do it without having enough information, or without thinking about it. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Don't just blindly follow what the banker says. □ Without adequate information, many students choose a college almost blindly.
2 → see also blind
bli nd spot (blind spots )
1 N‑COUNT If you say that someone has a blind spot about something, you mean that they seem to be unable to understand it or to see how important it is. □ The prime minister has a blind spot on ethical issues. □ When I was single I never worried about money–it was a bit of a blind spot.
2 N‑COUNT A blind spot is an area in your range of vision that you cannot see properly but which you really should be able to see. For example, when you are driving a car, the area just behind your shoulders is often a blind spot.
bli nd tru st (blind trusts ) N‑COUNT A blind trust is a financial arrangement in which someone's investments are managed without the person knowing where the money is invested. Blind trusts are used especially by people such as members of parliament, so that they cannot be accused of using their position to make money unfairly. [BUSINESS ] □ His shares were placed in a blind trust when he became a government minister.
bling /bl I ŋ/ or bling-bling N‑UNCOUNT Some people refer to expensive or fancy jewellery as bling or bling-bling . [INFORMAL ] □ Big-name jewellers are battling it out to get celebrities to wear their bling. □ …gangsta rap's love of bling-bling.
blink /bl I ŋk/ (blinks , blinking , blinked )
1 VERB When you blink or when you blink your eyes, you shut your eyes and very quickly open them again. □ [V ] Kathryn blinked and forced a smile. □ [V n] She was blinking her eyes rapidly. □ [V + at ] He blinked at her. ● N‑COUNT Blink is also a noun. □ He kept giving quick blinks.
2 VERB When a light blinks , it flashes on and off. □ [V ] Green and yellow lights blinked on the surface of the harbour. □ [V on ] A warning light blinked on. [Also V out/off ]
3 PHRASE If a machine goes on the blink , it stops working properly. [INFORMAL ] □ …an old TV that's on the blink.
blink|ered /bl I ŋkə r d/ ADJ A blinkered view, attitude, or approach is narrow and does not take into account other people's opinions. A blinkered person has this kind of attitude. [BRIT , DISAPPROVAL ] □ They've got a very blinkered view of life. □ Haig was limited by his blinkered approach to strategy and tactics.
blink|ers /bl I ŋkə r z/ N‑PLURAL Blinkers are two pieces of leather which are placed at the side of a horse's eyes so that it can only see straight ahead. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, use blinders
blip /bl I p/ (blips )
1 N‑COUNT A blip is a small spot of light, sometimes occurring with a short, high-pitched sound, which flashes on and off regularly on a piece of equipment such as a radar screen.
2 N‑COUNT A blip in a straight line, such as the line on a graph, is a point at which the line suddenly makes a sharp change of direction before returning to its original direction.
3 N‑COUNT A blip in a situation is a sudden but temporary change or interruption in it. □ …a minor blip in the upward trajectory of the markets.
bliss /bl I s/ N‑UNCOUNT Bliss is a state of complete happiness. □ It was a scene of such domestic bliss.
bliss|ful /bl I sfʊl/
1 ADJ A blissful situation or period of time is one in which you are extremely happy. □ We spent a blissful week together. □ There's just nothing more blissful than lying by that pool. ● bliss|ful|ly /bl I sfʊli/ ADV [ADV adj, ADV after v] □ We're blissfully happy. □ The summer passed blissfully.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] If someone is in blissful ignorance of something unpleasant or serious, they are totally unaware of it. □ Many country parishes were still living in blissful ignorance of the post-war crime wave. ● bliss|ful|ly ADV [usu ADV adj, oft ADV before v] □ At first, he was blissfully unaware of the conspiracy against him.
blis|ter /bl I stə r / (blisters , blistering , blistered )
1 N‑COUNT A blister is a painful swelling on the surface of your skin. Blisters contain a clear liquid and are usually caused by heat or by something repeatedly rubbing your skin.
2 VERB When your skin blisters or when something blisters it, blisters appear on it. □ [V ] The affected skin turns red and may blister. □ [V n] The sap of this plant blisters the skin. □ [V -ed] …pausing to bathe their blistered feet.
blis|ter|ing /bl I stər I ŋ/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Blistering heat is very great heat. □ …a blistering summer day.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A blistering remark expresses great anger or dislike. □ The president responded to this with a blistering attack on his critics.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] Blistering is used to describe actions in sport to emphasize that they are done with great speed or force. [JOURNALISM , EMPHASIS ] □ David set a blistering pace at first.
blithe /bla I ð/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] You use blithe to indicate that something is done casually, without serious or careful thought. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ It does so with blithe disregard for best scientific practice. ● blithe|ly ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □ Your editorial blithely ignores the hard facts.
blitz /bl I ts/ (blitzes , blitzing , blitzed )
1 VERB If a city or building is blitzed during a war, it is attacked by bombs dropped by enemy aircraft. □ [be V -ed] In the autumn of 1940, London was blitzed by an average of two hundred aircraft a night. □ [V n] They blitzed the capital with tanks, artillery, anti-aircraft weapons and machine guns.
2 N‑PROPER The heavy bombing of British cities by German aircraft in 1940 and 1941 is referred to as the Blitz .
3 N‑COUNT If you have a blitz on something, you make a big effort to deal with it or to improve it. [INFORMAL ] □ [+ on ] Regional accents are still acceptable but there is to be a blitz on incorrect grammar.
4 N‑COUNT An advertising or publicity blitz is a major effort to make the public aware of something. □ On December 8, the media blitz began in earnest.
blitz|krieg /bl I tskriːg/ (blitzkriegs )
1 N‑COUNT A blitzkrieg is a fast and intense military attack that takes the enemy by surprise and is intended to achieve a very quick victory.
2 N‑COUNT Journalists sometimes refer to a rapid and powerful attack or campaign in, for example, sport, politics, or advertising as a blitzkrieg . [INFORMAL ] □ …a blitzkrieg of media hype.
bliz|zard /bl I zə r d/ (blizzards ) N‑COUNT A blizzard is a very heavy snowstorm with strong winds.
bloat|ed /bloʊ t I d/
1 ADJ If someone's body or a part of their body is bloated , it is much larger than normal, usually because it has a lot of liquid or gas inside it. □ …the bloated body of a dead bullock. □ His face was bloated.
2 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you feel bloated after eating a large meal, you feel very full and uncomfortable. □ Diners do not want to leave the table feeling bloated.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe an organization as bloated , you mean that it is larger and less efficient than it should be. □ …its massive state apparatus and bloated bureaucracy.
bloat|ing /bloʊ t I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Bloating is the swelling of a body or part of a body, usually because it has a lot of gas or liquid in it. □ …abdominal bloating and pain.
blob /blɒ b/ (blobs )
1 N‑COUNT A blob of thick or sticky liquid is a small, often round, amount of it. [INFORMAL ] □ …a blob of chocolate mousse.
2 N‑COUNT You can use blob to refer to something that you cannot see very clearly, for example because it is in the distance. [INFORMAL ] □ You could just see vague blobs of faces.
bloc /blɒ k/ (blocs )
1 N‑COUNT A bloc is a group of countries which have similar political aims and interests and that act together over some issues. □ …the former Soviet bloc. □ …the world's largest trading bloc.
2 → see also en bloc
block ◆◆◇ /blɒ k/ (blocks , blocking , blocked )
1 N‑COUNT A block of flats or offices is a large building containing them. □ [+ of ] …blocks of council flats. □ …a white-painted apartment block.
2 N‑COUNT A block in a town is an area of land with streets on all its sides. □ She walked four blocks down High Street. □ He walked around the block three times.
3 N‑COUNT A block of a substance is a large rectangular piece of it. □ [+ of ] …a block of ice.
4 VERB To block a road, channel, or pipe means to put an object across it or in it so that nothing can pass through it or along it. □ [V n] Some students today blocked a highway that cuts through the center of the city. □ [V -ed] He can clear blocked drains.
5 VERB If something blocks your view, it prevents you from seeing something because it is between you and that thing. □ [V n] …a row of spruce trees that blocked his view of the long north slope of the mountain.
6 VERB If you block someone's way, you prevent them from going somewhere or entering a place by standing in front of them. □ [V n] I started to move round him, but he blocked my way.
7 VERB If you block something that is being arranged, you prevent it from being done. □ [V n] For years the country has tried to block imports of various cheap foreign products.
8 N‑COUNT A block of something such as tickets or shares is a large quantity of them, especially when they are all sold at the same time and are in a particular sequence or order. □ [+ of ] Those booking a block of seats get them at reduced rates.
9 N‑COUNT If you have a mental block or a block , you are temporarily unable to do something that you can normally do which involves using, thinking about, or remembering something.
10 → see also breeze-block , building block , roadblock , starting block , stumbling block , tower block
11 a chip off the old block → see chip
▸ block in PHRASAL VERB If you are blocked in , someone has parked their car in such a way that you cannot drive yours away. □ [get V -ed P ] Our cars get blocked in and we can't leave for ages. □ [V n P ] Oh, is that your car outside? I may have blocked you in. [Also V P n]
▸ block off PHRASAL VERB When you block off a door, window, or passage, you put something across it so that nothing can pass through it. □ [V P n] They had blocked off the fireplaces to stop draughts. [Also V n P ]
▸ block out
1 PHRASAL VERB If someone blocks out a thought, they try not to think about it. □ [V P n] She accuses me of having blocked out the past. □ [V n P + of ] I had to block the thought out of my mind.
2 PHRASAL VERB Something that blocks out light prevents it from reaching a place. □ [V P n] Thick chipboard across the window frames blocked out the daylight. □ [V n P ] Those clouds would have cast shadows that would have blocked some sunlight out.
block|ade /blɒke I d/ (blockades , blockading , blockaded )
1 N‑COUNT A blockade of a place is an action that is taken to prevent goods or people from entering or leaving it. □ [+ of ] Striking lorry drivers agreed to lift their blockades of main roads. □ [+ of ] …the economic blockade of Lithuania.
2 VERB If a group of people blockade a place, they stop goods or people from reaching that place. If they blockade a road or a port, they stop people using that road or port. □ [V n] Truck drivers have blockaded roads to show their anger over new driving regulations. [Also V -ed]
block|age /blɒ k I dʒ/ (blockages ) N‑COUNT A blockage in a pipe, tube, or tunnel is an object which blocks it, or the state of being blocked. □ …a total blockage in one of the coronary arteries.
block|bust|er /blɒ kbʌstə r / (blockbusters ) N‑COUNT A blockbuster is a film or book that is very popular and successful, usually because it is very exciting. [INFORMAL ]
block|bust|ing /blɒ kbʌst I ŋ/ ADJ [ADJ n] A blockbusting film or book is one that is very successful, usually because it is very exciting. [JOURNALISM , INFORMAL ] □ …a four-hour blockbusting disaster movie spread over two nights.
blo ck ca pi|tals N‑PLURAL [usu in N ] Block capitals are simple capital letters that are not decorated in any way.
blo ck le t|ters N‑PLURAL [usu in N ] Block letters are the same as block capitals .
blo ck vo te (block votes ) N‑COUNT A block vote is a large number of votes that are all cast in the same way by one person on behalf of a group of people.
blog /blɒ g, [AM ] blɔː g/ (blogs , blogging , blogged )
1 N‑COUNT A blog is a website where someone regularly records their thoughts or experiences or talks about a subject [COMPUTING ] □ When Barbieux started his blog, his aspirations were small; he simply hoped to communicate with a few people. ● blog|ger (bloggers ) N‑COUNT □ While most bloggers comment on news reported elsewhere, some do their own reporting. ● blog|ging N‑UNCOUNT □ …the explosion in the popularity of blogging.
2 VERB Someone who blogs writes a blog. □ [V n] She blogs about US politics.
blogo|sphere /blɒ gəsf I ə r / or blogsphere /blɒ gsf I ə r / N‑SING In computer technology, the blogosphere or the blogsphere is all the weblogs on the internet, considered collectively. [COMPUTING ] □ The blogosphere has been buzzing with theories as to who the victim is. □ The blogsphere has changed a lot in the past few years.
blog|post /blɒ gpoʊst/ (blogposts ) N‑COUNT A blogpost is a piece of writing that forms part of a regular blog. □ His latest blogpost describes the journey.
bloke /bloʊ k/ (blokes ) N‑COUNT A bloke is a man. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ He is a really nice bloke.
blonde /blɒ nd/ (blondes , blonder , blondest ) The form blonde is usually used to refer to women, and blond to refer to men. 1 COLOUR A woman who has blonde hair has pale-coloured hair. Blonde hair can be very light brown or light yellow. The form blond is used when describing men. □ There were two little girls, one Asian and one with blonde hair. □ The baby had blond curls.
2 ADJ Someone who is blonde has blonde hair. □ He was blonder than his brother. □ …the striking blond actor.
3 N‑COUNT A blonde is a woman who has blonde hair.
blo nde bo mb|shell (blonde bombshells ) N‑COUNT Journalists sometimes use blonde bombshell to refer to a woman with blonde hair who is very attractive. [INFORMAL ]
blood ◆◆◇ /blʌ d/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Blood is the red liquid that flows inside your body, which you can see if you cut yourself.
2 N‑UNCOUNT You can use blood to refer to the race or social class of someone's parents or ancestors. □ There was Greek blood in his veins.
3 PHRASE If you say that there is bad blood between people, you mean that they have argued about something and dislike each other. □ There is, it seems, some bad blood between Mills and the Baldwins.
4 PHRASE If you say that something makes your blood boil , you are emphasizing that it makes you very angry. [EMPHASIS ] □ It makes my blood boil to think two thugs decided to pick on an innocent young girl.
5 PHRASE If something violent and cruel is done in cold blood , it is done deliberately and in an unemotional way. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ The crime had been committed in cold blood.
6 → see also cold-blooded
7 PHRASE If you say that something makes your blood run cold or makes your blood freeze , you mean that it makes you feel very frightened. [EMPHASIS ] □ The rage in his eyes made her blood run cold. □ He could hear a sudden roaring. His blood froze.
8 PHRASE If you say that someone has a person's blood on their hands , you mean that they are responsible for that person's death. □ He has my son's blood on his hands. I hope it haunts him for the rest of his days.
9 PHRASE If a quality or talent is in your blood , it is part of your nature, and other members of your family have it too. □ Diplomacy was in his blood: his ancestors had been feudal lords. □ He has adventure in his blood.
10 PHRASE You can use the expressions new blood , fresh blood , or young blood to refer to people who are brought into an organization to improve it by thinking of new ideas or new ways of doing things. □ There's been a major reshuffle of the cabinet to bring in new blood.
11 PHRASE If you say that someone sweats blood trying to do something, you are emphasizing that they try very hard to do it. [EMPHASIS ] □ I had to sweat blood for an M.A.
12 PHRASE If you say that someone draws first blood , you mean that they have had a success at the beginning of a competition or conflict. [mainly BRIT ] □ The home side drew first blood with a penalty from Murray Strang.
13 flesh and blood → see flesh
14 own flesh and blood → see flesh COLLOCATIONS blood NOUN 1
verb + blood : shed, spill; lose
bloo d and thu n|der also blood-and-thunder ADJ [ADJ n] A blood and thunder performer or performance is very loud and emotional. □ He was a blood-and-thunder preacher.
bloo d bank (blood banks ) N‑COUNT A blood bank is a place where blood which has been taken from blood donors is stored until it is needed for people in hospital.
blood|bath /blʌ dbɑːθ, -bæθ/ (bloodbaths ) also blood bath N‑COUNT If you describe an event as a bloodbath , you are emphasizing that a lot of people were killed very violently. [EMPHASIS ] □ The war degenerated into a bloodbath of tribal killings.
bloo d broth|er (blood brothers ) also blood-brother N‑COUNT A man's blood brother is a man he has sworn to treat as a brother, often in a ceremony which involves mixing a small amount of their blood.
bloo d count (blood counts ) N‑COUNT Your blood count is the number of red and white cells in your blood. A blood count can also refer to a medical examination which determines the number of red and white cells in your blood. □ Her blood count was normal. □ We do a blood count to ensure that all is well.
bloo d-curdling also bloodcurdling ADJ [usu ADJ n] A blood-curdling sound or story is very frightening and horrible. □ …blood-curdling tales.
blo od do|nor (blood donors ) N‑COUNT A blood donor is someone who gives some of their blood so that it can be used in operations.
bloo d feud (blood feuds ) N‑COUNT A blood feud is a long-lasting, bitter disagreement between two or more groups of people, particularly family groups. Blood feuds often involve members of each group murdering or fighting with members of the other.
bloo d group (blood groups ) N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Someone's blood group is the type of blood that they have in their body. There are four main types: A, B, AB, and O.
bloo d hea t N‑UNCOUNT Blood heat is a temperature of 37°C, which is about the same as the normal temperature of the human body.
blood|hound /blʌ dhaʊnd/ (bloodhounds ) N‑COUNT A bloodhound is a large dog with a very good sense of smell. Bloodhounds are often used to find people or other animals by following their scent.
blood|less /blʌ dləs/
1 ADJ A bloodless coup or victory is one in which nobody is killed. □ Reports from the area indicate that it was a bloodless coup. □ The campaign would be short and relatively bloodless. ● blood|less|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ This war had to be fought fast and relatively bloodlessly.
2 ADJ If you describe someone's face or skin as bloodless , you mean that it is very pale. □ …her face grey and bloodless.
bloo d-letting
1 N‑UNCOUNT Blood-letting is violence or killing between groups of people, especially between rival armies. □ Once again there's been ferocious blood-letting in the township.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Journalists sometimes refer to a bitter quarrel between two groups of people from within the same organization as blood-letting . □ Hopefully a satisfactory solution can be reached without much blood-letting.
blood|line /blʌ dla I n/ (bloodlines ) N‑COUNT A person's bloodline is their ancestors over many generations, and the characteristics they are believed to have inherited from these ancestors.
bloo d lust also blood-lust N‑UNCOUNT [oft a N ] If you say that someone is driven by a blood lust , you mean that they are acting in an extremely violent way because their emotions have been aroused by the events around them. □ The mobs became driven by a crazed blood-lust to take the city.
bloo d mon|ey
1 N‑UNCOUNT If someone makes a payment of blood money to the family of someone who has been killed, they pay that person's family a sum of money as compensation. □ The US agreed to pay blood money to the families of the two victims.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Blood money is money that is paid to someone for murdering someone.
bloo d poi|son|ing N‑UNCOUNT Blood poisoning is a serious illness resulting from an infection in your blood.
bloo d pres|sure N‑UNCOUNT Your blood pressure is the amount of force with which your blood flows around your body. □ Your doctor will monitor your blood pressure. □ The Prime Minister had been taken ill with high blood pressure.
blo od pu d|ding (blood puddings ) N‑VAR Blood pudding is another word for black pudding .
bloo d-re d also blood red COLOUR Something that is blood-red is bright red in colour. □ …blood-red cherries.
bloo d re|la|tion (blood relations ) also blood relative N‑COUNT A blood relation or blood relative is someone who is related to you by birth rather than by marriage.
blood|shed /blʌ dʃed/ N‑UNCOUNT Bloodshed is violence in which people are killed or wounded. □ The government must increase the pace of reforms to avoid further bloodshed.
blood|shot /blʌ dʃɒt/ ADJ If your eyes are bloodshot , the parts that are usually white are red or pink. Your eyes can be bloodshot for a variety of reasons, for example because you are tired or you have drunk too much alcohol. □ John's eyes were bloodshot and puffy.
bloo d sport (blood sports ) also bloodsport N‑COUNT Blood sports are sports such as hunting in which animals are killed.
blood|stain /blʌ dste I n/ (bloodstains ) N‑COUNT A bloodstain is a mark on a surface caused by blood.
blood|stained /blʌ dste I nd/ ADJ Someone or something that is bloodstained is covered with blood. □ The killer must have been heavily bloodstained. □ …bloodstained clothing.
blood|stock /blʌ dstɒk/ N‑UNCOUNT [usu N n] Horses that are bred for racing are referred to as bloodstock .
blood|stream /blʌ dstriːm/ (bloodstreams ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] Your bloodstream is the blood that flows around your body. □ The disease releases toxins into the bloodstream.
blood|sucker /blʌ dsʌkə r / (bloodsuckers )
1 N‑COUNT A bloodsucker is any creature that sucks blood from a wound that it has made in an animal or person.
2 N‑COUNT If you call someone a bloodsucker , you disapprove of them because you think they do not do anything worthwhile but live off the efforts of other people. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ At last he was free from the financial bloodsuckers.
bloo d test (blood tests ) N‑COUNT A blood test is a medical examination of a small amount of your blood.
blood|thirsty /blʌ dθɜː r sti/ ADJ Bloodthirsty people are eager to use violence or display a strong interest in violent things. You can also use bloodthirsty to refer to very violent situations. □ They were savage and bloodthirsty. □ …some of the most tragic scenes witnessed even in this bloodthirsty war.
bloo d trans|fu|sion (blood transfusions ) N‑VAR A blood transfusion is a process in which blood is injected into the body of a person who is badly injured or ill.
bloo d type (blood types ) N‑COUNT Someone's blood type is the same as their blood group .
bloo d ves|sel (blood vessels ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Blood vessels are the narrow tubes through which your blood flows.
bloody ◆◇◇ /blʌ di/ (bloodier , bloodiest , bloodies , bloodying , bloodied )
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Bloody is used by some people to emphasize what they are saying, especially when they are angry. [BRIT , RUDE , EMPHASIS ]
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe a situation or event as bloody , you mean that it is very violent and a lot of people are killed. □ Forty-three demonstrators were killed in bloody clashes. □ They came to power after a bloody civil war. ● bloodi|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ Rebellions in the area were bloodily repressed by pro-government forces.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can describe someone or something as bloody if they are covered in a lot of blood. □ He was arrested last October, still carrying a bloody knife. □ Yulka's fingers were bloody and cracked. ● bloodi|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ The soldier reeled bloodily away.
4 VERB If you have bloodied part of your body, there is blood on it, usually because you have had an accident or you have been attacked. □ [V n] One of our children fell and bloodied his knee. □ [V -ed] She stared at her own bloodied hands, unable to think or move.
Bloody Mary /blʌ di meə ri/ (Bloody Marys ) also bloody mary N‑COUNT A Bloody Mary is a drink made from vodka and tomato juice.
bloo dy-mi nded ADJ If you say that someone is being bloody-minded , you are showing that you disapprove of their behaviour because you think they are being deliberately difficult instead of being helpful. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ He had a reputation for being bloody-minded and difficult. ● bloody-mindedness N‑UNCOUNT □ This is sheer bloody-mindedness. □ …a rare mixture of courage and bloody-mindedness.
bloom /bluː m/ (blooms , blooming , bloomed )
1 N‑COUNT A bloom is the flower on a plant. [LITERARY , TECHNICAL ] □ …the sweet fragrance of the white blooms. □ Harry carefully picked the bloom.
2 PHRASE A plant or tree that is in bloom has flowers on it. □ …a pink climbing rose in full bloom. □ …the sweet smell of the blackberry in bloom.
3 VERB When a plant or tree blooms , it produces flowers. When a flower blooms , it opens. □ [V ] This plant blooms between May and June. ● -blooming COMB □ …the scent of night-blooming flowers.
4 VERB If someone or something blooms , they develop good, attractive, or successful qualities. □ [V ] Not many economies bloomed that year, least of all gold exporters like Australia. □ [V + into ] She bloomed into an utterly beautiful creature.
5 N‑UNCOUNT [oft a N ] If something such as someone's skin has a bloom , it has a fresh and healthy appearance. □ The skin loses its youthful bloom.
6 → see also blooming
bloom|ers /bluː mə r z/ N‑PLURAL [oft a pair of N ] Bloomers are an old-fashioned kind of women's underwear which consists of wide, loose trousers gathered at the knees.
bloom|ing /bluː m I ŋ/ ADJ Someone who is blooming looks attractively healthy and full of energy. □ She's in blooming health. □ If they were blooming with confidence they wouldn't need me.
bloop|er /bluː pə r / (bloopers ) N‑COUNT A blooper is a silly mistake. [mainly AM , INFORMAL ] □ …the overwhelming appeal of television bloopers.
blos|som /blɒ səm/ (blossoms , blossoming , blossomed )
1 N‑VAR Blossom is the flowers that appear on a tree before the fruit. □ The cherry blossom came out early in Washington this year. □ …the blossoms of plants, shrubs and trees.
2 VERB If someone or something blossoms , they develop good, attractive, or successful qualities. □ [V ] Why do some people take longer than others to blossom? □ [V + into ] What began as a local festival has blossomed into an international event. □ [V -ing] The pair have tried to keep their blossoming relationship under wraps. ● blos|som|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the blossoming of British art, pop and fashion.
3 VERB When a tree blossoms , it produces blossom. □ [V ] Rain begins to fall and peach trees blossom.
blot /blɒ t/ (blots , blotting , blotted )
1 N‑COUNT If something is a blot on a person's or thing's reputation, it spoils their reputation. □ [+ on ] …a blot on the reputation of the architectural profession. □ [+ on ] This drugs scandal is another blot on the competition.
2 N‑COUNT A blot is a drop of liquid that has fallen on to a surface and has dried. □ …an ink blot.
3 VERB If you blot a surface, you remove liquid from it by pressing a piece of soft paper or cloth onto it. □ [V n] Before applying make-up, blot the face with a tissue to remove any excess oils. [Also V n adj]
4 PHRASE If you describe something such as a building as a blot on the landscape , you mean that you think it is very ugly and spoils an otherwise attractive place. □ The developers insist the £80m village will not leave a blot on the landscape.
▸ blot out
1 PHRASAL VERB If one thing blots out another thing, it is in front of the other thing and prevents it from being seen. □ [V P n] About the time the three climbers were halfway down, clouds blotted out the sun. □ [V n P ] …with mist blotting everything out except the endless black of the spruce on either side.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you try to blot out a memory, you try to forget it. If one thought or memory blots out other thoughts or memories, it becomes the only one that you can think about. □ [V P n] Are you saying that she's trying to blot out all memory of the incident? □ [V n P ] The boy has gaps in his mind about it. He is blotting certain things out. □ [V n P + of ] She has suffered an extremely unhappy childhood, but simply blotted it out of her memory.
blotch /blɒ tʃ/ (blotches ) N‑COUNT A blotch is a small unpleasant-looking area of colour, for example on someone's skin.
blotched /blɒ tʃt/ ADJ Something that is blotched has blotches on it. □ Her face is blotched and swollen. □ [+ with ] …a dozen cargo planes blotched with camouflage colors.
blotchy /blɒ tʃi/ ADJ Something that is blotchy has blotches on it. □ My skin goes red and blotchy. □ …blotchy marks on the leaves.
blot|ter /blɒ tə r / (blotters ) N‑COUNT A blotter is a large sheet of blotting paper kept in a special holder on a desk.
blo t|ting pa|per N‑UNCOUNT Blotting paper is thick soft paper that you use for soaking up and drying ink on a piece of paper.
blouse /blaʊ z, [AM ] blaʊ s/ (blouses ) N‑COUNT A blouse is a kind of shirt worn by a girl or woman.
blow
➊ VERB USES
➋ NOUN USES
➊ blow ◆◆◇ /bloʊ / (blows , blowing , blew , blown )
→ Please look at categories 15 to 22 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1 VERB When a wind or breeze blows , the air moves. □ [V ] We woke to find a gale blowing outside.
2 VERB If the wind blows something somewhere or if it blows there, the wind moves it there. □ [V n with adv] Strong winds blew away most of the dust. □ [V adv/prep] Her cap fell off in the street and blew away. □ [V ] The bushes and trees were blowing in the wind. [Also V n prep]
3 VERB If you blow , you send out a stream of air from your mouth. □ [V prep/adv] Danny rubbed his arms and blew on his fingers to warm them. □ [V ] Take a deep breath and blow.
4 VERB If you blow something somewhere, you move it by sending out a stream of air from your mouth. □ [V n with adv] He picked up his mug and blew off the steam. [Also V n prep]
5 VERB If you blow bubbles or smoke rings, you make them by blowing air out of your mouth through liquid or smoke. □ [V n] He blew a ring of blue smoke.
6 VERB When a whistle or horn blows or someone blows it, they make a sound by blowing into it. □ [V ] The whistle blew and the train slid forward. □ [V n] A guard was blowing his whistle.
7 VERB When you blow your nose, you force air out of it through your nostrils in order to clear it. □ [V n] He took out a handkerchief and blew his nose.
8 VERB To blow something out , off , or away means to remove or destroy it violently with an explosion. □ [V n with adv] The can exploded, wrecking the kitchen and bathroom and blowing out windows. □ [V n prep] Rival gunmen blew the city to bits.
9 VERB If you say that something blows an event, situation, or argument into a particular extreme state, especially an uncertain or unpleasant state, you mean that it causes it to be in that state. □ [V n prep] Someone took my comment and tried to blow it into a major controversy.
10 VERB If you blow a large amount of money, you spend it quickly on luxuries. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] My brother lent me some money and I went and blew the lot.
11 VERB If you blow a chance or attempt to do something, you make a mistake which wastes the chance or causes the attempt to fail. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] He has almost certainly blown his chance of touring India this winter. □ [V n] …the high-risk world of real estate, where one careless word could blow a whole deal. □ [V it ] Oh you fool! You've blown it!
12 → see also full-blown , overblown
13 to blow away the cobwebs → see cobweb
14 to blow someone's cover → see cover
15 to blow hot and cold → see hot
16 to blow a kiss → see kiss
17 to blow your top → see top
18 to blow the whistle → see whistle
▸ blow away PHRASAL VERB If you say that you are blown away by something, or if it blows you away , you mean that you are very impressed by it. [INFORMAL ] □ [be V -ed P ] I was blown away by the tone and the quality of the story. □ [V n P ] She just totally blew me away with her singing.
▸ blow out
1 PHRASAL VERB If you blow out a flame or a candle, you blow at it so that it stops burning. □ [V P n] I blew out the candle. [Also V n P ]
2 → see also blowout
▸ blow over PHRASAL VERB If something such as trouble or an argument blows over , it ends without any serious consequences. □ [V P ] Wait, and it'll all blow over.
▸ blow up
1 PHRASAL VERB If someone blows something up or if it blows up , it is destroyed by an explosion. □ [V P n] He was jailed for 45 years for trying to blow up a plane. □ [V P ] Their boat blew up as they slept. [Also V n P ]
2 PHRASAL VERB If you blow up something such as a balloon or a tyre, you fill it with air. □ [V P n] Other than blowing up a tyre I hadn't done any car maintenance. [Also V n P ]
3 PHRASAL VERB If a wind or a storm blows up , the weather becomes very windy or stormy. □ [V P ] A storm blew up over the mountains.
4 PHRASAL VERB If you blow up at someone, you lose your temper and shout at them. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P + at ] I'm sorry I blew up at you. □ [V P ] When Myra told Karp she'd expose his past, he blew up.
5 PHRASAL VERB If someone blows an incident up or if it blows up , it is made to seem more serious or important than it really is. □ [V P n] Newspapers blew up the story. □ [V n P ] The media may be blowing it up out of proportion. □ [V P prep/adv] The scandal blew up into a major political furore. [Also V P ]
6 PHRASAL VERB If a photographic image is blown up , a large copy is made of it. □ [be V -ed P ] The image is blown up on a large screen. □ [V -ed P ] …two blown up photos of Paddy. [Also V P n, V n P ]
7 → see also blow-up
➋ blow ◆◇◇ /bloʊ / (blows )
1 N‑COUNT If someone receives a blow , they are hit with a fist or weapon. □ [+ to/on ] He went off to hospital after a blow to the face.
2 N‑COUNT If something that happens is a blow to someone or something, it is very upsetting, disappointing, or damaging to them. □ [+ to ] That ruling comes as a blow to environmentalists. □ [+ to ] His death dealt a severe blow to the army's morale.
3 PHRASE If two people or groups come to blows , they start fighting. □ The representatives almost came to blows at a meeting. USAGE explode or blow up?
If someone destroys a building with a bomb, you say that they blow
it up
. Don’t say ‘
He wanted to explode the place
.’ Say ‘He wanted to blow
the place up
’.
blo w-by-blo w ADJ [usu ADJ n] A blow-by-blow account of an event describes every stage of it in great detail. [INFORMAL ] □ She wanted a blow-by-blow account of what happened.
blo w-dry (blow-dries , blow-drying , blow-dried ) VERB If you blow-dry your hair, you dry it with a hairdryer, often to give it a particular style. □ [V n] I find it hard to blow-dry my hair. □ [V -ed] He has blow-dried blonde hair. ● N‑SING Blow-dry is also a noun. □ The price of a cut and blow-dry varies widely.
blow|er /bloʊ ə r / N‑SING The blower is the telephone. [BRIT , INFORMAL , OLD-FASHIONED ]
blow|lamp /bloʊ læmp/ (blowlamps ) also blow lamp N‑COUNT A blowlamp is a device which produces a hot flame, and is used to heat metal or remove old paint. [BRIT ] in AM, use blowtorch
blown /bloʊ n/ Blown is the past participle of blow .
blow|out /bloʊ aʊt/ (blowouts ) also blow-out
1 N‑COUNT A blowout is a large meal, often a celebration with family or friends, at which people may eat too much. [INFORMAL ] □ Once in a while we had a major blowout.
2 N‑COUNT If you have a blowout while you are driving a car, one of the tyres suddenly bursts. □ A lorry travelling south had a blow-out and crashed.
3 N‑COUNT A blowout in an amount or a price is a sudden increase in it. [AUSTRALIAN , JOURNALISM ] □ [+ in ] …a blowout in surgery costs.
blow|torch /bloʊ tɔː r tʃ/ (blowtorches ) N‑COUNT A blowtorch is the same as a blowlamp .
blo w-up (blow-ups ) also blowup
1 N‑COUNT A blow-up is a photograph or picture that has been made bigger. [INFORMAL ] □ …blow-ups of photographs she found on the internet.
2 N‑COUNT A blow-up is a sudden fierce argument. [INFORMAL ] □ He and Cohen appeared headed for a major blowup.
blub /blʌ b/ (blubs , blubbing , blubbed ) VERB If someone blubs , they cry because they are unhappy or frightened. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [V ] Don't blub.
blub|ber /blʌ bə r / (blubbers , blubbering , blubbered )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Blubber is the fat of whales, seals, and similar sea animals. □ The baby whale develops a thick layer of blubber to protect it from the cold sea.
2 VERB If someone blubbers , they cry noisily and in an unattractive way. [INFORMAL ] □ [V ] She started to blubber like a child.
bludg|eon /blʌ dʒ ə n/ (bludgeons , bludgeoning , bludgeoned )
1 VERB To bludgeon someone means to hit them several times with a heavy object. □ [V n] He broke into the old man's house and bludgeoned him with a hammer. □ [V -ed + to ] A wealthy businessman has been found bludgeoned to death.
2 VERB If someone bludgeons you into doing something, they make you do it by behaving aggressively. □ [V n + into ] Their approach simply bludgeons you into submission.
blue ◆◆◆ /bluː / (bluer , bluest , blues )
1 COLOUR Something that is blue is the colour of the sky on a sunny day. □ There were swallows in the cloudless blue sky. □ She fixed her pale blue eyes on her father's. □ …colourful blues and reds.
2 N‑PLURAL The blues is a type of music which was developed by African American musicians in the southern United States. It is characterized by a slow tempo and a strong rhythm.
3 N‑PLURAL If you have got the blues , you feel sad and depressed. [INFORMAL ] □ Interfering in-laws are the prime sources of the blues.
4 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you are feeling blue , you are feeling sad or depressed, often when there is no particular reason. [INFORMAL ] □ There's no earthly reason for me to feel so blue.
5 ADJ [ADJ n] Blue films, stories, or jokes are about sex. □ …a secret stash of porn mags and blue movies.
6 PHRASE If something happens out of the blue , it happens unexpectedly. □ One of them wrote to us out of the blue several years later.
7 blue moon → see moon
blue ^baby (blue babies ) N‑COUNT A blue baby is a baby whose skin is slightly blue because it has been born with something wrong with its heart.
blue|bell /bluː bel/ (bluebells ) N‑COUNT Bluebells are plants that have blue bell-shaped flowers on thin upright stems. Bluebells flower in the spring.
blue|berry /bluː bəri, [AM ] -beri/ (blueberries ) N‑COUNT A blueberry is a small dark blue fruit that is found in North America. Blueberries are usually cooked before they are eaten.
blue -bla ck COLOUR Something that is blue-black is bluish black in colour. □ …blue-black feathers.
blue -bloo ded ADJ A blue-blooded person is from a royal or noble family. □ …blue-blooded aristocrats.
blue book (blue books ) also Blue Book N‑COUNT A blue book is an official government report or register of statistics. [BRIT ]
blue|bottle /bluː bɒt ə l/ (bluebottles ) N‑COUNT A bluebottle is a large fly with a shiny dark-blue body.
blue chi p (blue chips ) N‑COUNT [oft N n] Blue chip stocks and shares are an investment which are considered fairly safe to invest in while also being profitable. [BUSINESS ] □ Blue chip issues were sharply higher by the end of the day.
blue -co llar ADJ [ADJ n] Blue-collar workers work in industry, doing physical work, rather than in offices.
blue -eyed bo y (blue-eyed boys ) N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Someone's blue-eyed boy is a young man who they like better than anyone else and who therefore receives better treatment than other people. [BRIT , DISAPPROVAL ] □ He was the media's blue-eyed boy. in AM, use fair-haired boy
blue|grass /bluː grɑːs, -græs/ N‑UNCOUNT Bluegrass is a style of fast folk music that began in the Southern United States.
blue|ish /bluː I ʃ/ → see bluish
blue jeans N‑PLURAL [oft a pair of N ] Blue jeans are the same as jeans . □ …faded blue jeans.
blue|print /bluː pr I nt/ (blueprints )
1 N‑COUNT A blueprint for something is a plan or set of proposals that shows how it is expected to work. □ [+ for ] The country's president will offer delegates his blueprint for the country's future. □ [+ of ] …the blueprint of a new plan of economic reform.
2 N‑COUNT A blueprint of an architect's building plans or a designer's pattern is a photographic print consisting of white lines on a blue background. Blueprints contain all of the information that is needed to build or make something. □ [+ of ] …a blueprint of the whole place, complete with heating ducts and wiring. □ The documents contain a blueprint for a nuclear device.
3 N‑COUNT A genetic blueprint is a pattern which is contained within all living cells. This pattern decides how the organism develops and what it looks like. □ [+ of ] The offspring contain a mixture of the genetic blueprint of each parent.
blue rib|and /bluː r I bənd/ (blue ribands ) also blue ribband N‑COUNT If someone or something wins the blue riband in a competition, they win first prize. The prize is sometimes in the shape of a blue ribbon. [BRIT ] □ Olga did not win the all-round championship, the blue riband event. in AM, use blue ribbon
blue ri b|bon (blue ribbons ) N‑COUNT A blue ribbon is the same as a blue riband . [AM ]
blue|stocking /bluː stɒk I ŋ/ (bluestockings ) also blue-stocking N‑COUNT A bluestocking is an intellectual woman. [OLD-FASHIONED , DISAPPROVAL ]
bluesy /bluː zi/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe a song or the way it is performed as bluesy , you mean that it is performed in a way that is characteristic of the blues. □ …bluesy sax-and-strings theme music.
blue tit (blue tits ) N‑COUNT A blue tit is a small European bird with a blue head, wings, and tail, and a yellow front.
Blue|tooth /bluː tuːθ/ N‑UNCOUNT Bluetooth is a technology that allows computers, mobile phones and other devices to communicate with each other without being connected by wires. [TRADEMARK ]
bluff /blʌ f/ (bluffs , bluffing , bluffed )
1 N‑VAR A bluff is an attempt to make someone believe that you will do something when you do not really intend to do it. □ It is essential to build up the military option and show that this is not a bluff. □ What we're at here is a game of bluff.
2 → see also double bluff
3 VERB If you bluff , you make someone believe that you will do something when you do not really intend to do it, or that you know something when you do not really know it. □ [V ] Either side, or both, could be bluffing. □ [V n] In each case the hijackers bluffed the crew using fake grenades.
4 PHRASE If you call someone's bluff , you tell them to do what they have been threatening to do, because you are sure that they will not really do it. □ Instead, you must call his bluff the next time he suggests a crazy idea.
blu|ish /bluː I ʃ/ also blueish COLOUR Something that is bluish is slightly blue in colour. □ …bluish-grey eyes.
blun|der /blʌ ndə r / (blunders , blundering , blundered )
1 N‑COUNT A blunder is a stupid or careless mistake. □ I think he made a tactical blunder by announcing it so far ahead of time.
2 VERB If you blunder , you make a stupid or careless mistake. □ [V ] No doubt I had blundered again.
3 VERB If you blunder into a dangerous or difficult situation, you get involved in it by mistake. □ [V + into ] People wanted to know how they had blundered into war, and how to avoid it in future.
4 VERB If you blunder somewhere, you move there in a clumsy and careless way. □ [V prep/adv] He had blundered into the table, upsetting the flowers.
blunt /blʌ nt/ (blunter , bluntest , blunts , blunting , blunted )
1 ADJ If you are blunt , you say exactly what you think without trying to be polite. □ She is blunt about her personal life. □ She told the industry in blunt terms that such discrimination is totally unacceptable. ● blunt|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ 'I don't believe you!' Jeanne said bluntly. □ To put it bluntly, he became a pain. ● blunt|ness N‑UNCOUNT [oft poss N ] □ His bluntness got him into trouble.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] A blunt object has a rounded or flat end rather than a sharp one. □ One of them had been struck 13 times over the head with a blunt object.
3 ADJ A blunt knife or blade is no longer sharp and does not cut well.
4 VERB If something blunts an emotion, a feeling or a need, it weakens it. □ [V n] The constant repetition of violence has blunted the human response to it.
blur /blɜː r / (blurs , blurring , blurred )
1 N‑COUNT A blur is a shape or area which you cannot see clearly because it has no distinct outline or because it is moving very fast. □ [+ of ] Out of the corner of my eye I saw a blur of movement on the other side of the glass. □ Her face is a blur.
2 VERB When a thing blurs or when something blurs it, you cannot see it clearly because its edges are no longer distinct. □ [V n] This creates a spectrum of colours at the edges of objects which blurs the image. □ [V ] If you move your eyes and your head, the picture will blur. ● blurred ADJ □ …blurred black and white photographs.
3 VERB If something blurs an idea or a distinction between things, that idea or distinction no longer seems clear. □ [V n] His latest work blurs the distinction between fact and fiction. ● blurred ADJ □ The line between fact and fiction is becoming blurred.
4 VERB If your vision blurs , or if something blurs it, you cannot see things clearly. □ [V ] Her eyes, behind her glasses, began to blur. □ [V n] Sweat ran from his forehead into his eyes, blurring his vision. ● blurred ADJ □ …visual disturbances like eye-strain and blurred vision.
Blu-Ray /bluː re I / N‑VAR Blu-Ray is a type of video disk that is used for storing large amounts of high quality digital information. [TRADEMARK ] □ Blu-Ray disks store data using a blue laser rather than a regular red one.
blurb /blɜː r b/ (blurbs ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] The blurb about a new book, film, or exhibition is information about it that is written in order to attract people's interest. [INFORMAL ]
blur|ry /blɜː ri/ ADJ A blurry shape is one that has an unclear outline. □ …a blurry picture of a man.
blurt /blɜː r t/ (blurts , blurting , blurted ) VERB If someone blurts something, they say it suddenly, after trying hard to keep quiet or to keep it secret. □ [V with quote] 'I was looking for Sally', he blurted, and his eyes filled with tears. [Also V that]
▸ blurt out PHRASAL VERB If someone blurts something out , they blurt it. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P with quote] 'You're mad,' the driver blurted out. □ [V P n] Over the food, Richard blurted out what was on his mind. [Also V n P ]
blush /blʌ ʃ/ (blushes , blushing , blushed ) VERB When you blush , your face becomes redder than usual because you are ashamed or embarrassed. □ [V ] 'Hello, Maria,' he said, and she blushed again. □ [V colour] I blushed scarlet at my stupidity. ● N‑COUNT Blush is also a noun. □ 'The most important thing is to be honest,' she says, without the trace of a blush.
blush|er /blʌ ʃə r / (blushers ) N‑VAR Blusher is a coloured substance that women put on their cheeks.
blus|ter /blʌ stə r / (blusters , blustering , blustered ) VERB If you say that someone is blustering , you mean that they are speaking aggressively but without authority, often because they are angry or offended. □ [V with quote] 'That's lunacy,' he blustered. □ [V ] He was still blustering, but there was panic in his eyes. ● N‑UNCOUNT Bluster is also a noun. □ …the bluster of the Conservatives' campaign.
blus|tery /blʌ stəri/ ADJ Blustery weather is rough, windy, and often rainy, with the wind often changing in strength or direction. □ It's a cold night here, with intermittent rain showers and a blustery wind. □ …a cool, blustery day.
Blvd in AM, use Blvd. Blvd is a written abbreviation for boulevard . It is used especially in addresses and on maps or signs. □ …1515 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22209.
BMI /biː em a I / (BMIs ) N‑COUNT BMI is an abbreviation for body mass index . [MEDICAL ] □ The average BMI in women is around 23.
B -movie (B-movies ) N‑COUNT A B-movie is a film which is produced quickly and cheaply and is often considered to have little artistic value. □ …some old Hollywood B-movie.
bn. bn. is a written abbreviation for billion . □ …total value, dollars bn 15.6.
B.O. /biː oʊ / N‑UNCOUNT B.O. is an unpleasant smell caused by sweat on a person's body. B.O. is an abbreviation for body odour . [BRIT ]
boa /boʊ ə/ (boas )
1 N‑COUNT A boa or a feather boa is a long soft scarf made of feathers or of short pieces of very light fabric. □ She wore a large pink boa around her neck.
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