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1 Bachelor of Arts 2 British Airwaysbaa vb baaing, baaed 1 (of a sheep) to make a characteristic bleating sound ▸ n 2 the cry made by a sheepbaas n (S African offensive) a bossbabble vb -bling, -bled 1 to talk in a quick, foolish, or muddled way 2 to make meaningless sounds: children first gurgle and babble at random 3 to disclose secrets carelessly 4 (literary) (of streams) to make a low murmuring sound ▸ n 5 muddled or foolish speech 6 a murmuring sound > babbler n > babbling nbabe n 1 a baby 2 babe in arms (informal) a naive or inexperienced person 3 (informal) an attractive person, esp. a young womanbabel (babe-el) n 1 a confusion of noises or voices 2 a scene of noise and confusionbaboon n a medium-sized monkey with a long face, large teeth, and a fairly long tailbaby n, pl -bies 1 a newborn child ◇ SYNONYMS: child, infant, babe, bairn (Scot & N English), newborn child, babe in arms, ankle biter (Austral slang), tacker (Austral slang) 2 the youngest or smallest of a family or group 3 a recently born animal 4 an immature person 5 (slang) a sweetheart 6 a project of personal concern 7 be left holding the baby to be left with a responsibility ▸ adj 8 comparatively small of its type: baby carrots ◇ SYNONYMS: small, little, minute, tiny, mini, wee, miniature, petite ▸ vb -bies, -bying, -bied 9 to treat like a baby > babyhood n > babyish adjbaby-sit vb -sitting, -sat to act or work as a baby-sitter > baby-sitting n, adjbaby-sitter n a person who takes care of a child while the parents are outbaccarat (back-a-rah) n a card game in which two or more punters gamble against the bankerbacchanalian (back-a-nail-ee-an) adj (literary) (of a party) unrestrained and involving a great deal of drinking and sometimes sexual activitybach (batch) (NZ) n 1 a small holiday cottage ▸ vb 2 to look after oneself when one's spouse is awaybachelor n 1 an unmarried man 2 a person who holds a first degree from a university or college > bachelorhood nbacillus (bass-ill-luss) n, pl -li (-lie) a rod-shaped bacterium, esp. one causing diseaseback n 1 the rear part of the human body, from the neck to the pelvis 2 the spinal column ◇ SYNONYMS: spine, backbone, vertebrae, spinal column, vertebral column 3 the part or side of an object opposite the front ◇ SYNONYMS: rear 4 the part of anything less often seen or used ◇ SYNONYMS: reverse, rear, other side, wrong side, underside, flip side 5 (ball games) a defensive player or position 6 at the back of one's mind not in one's conscious thoughts 7 behind someone's back secretly or deceitfully 8 put or get someone's back up to annoy someone 9 turn one's back on someone to refuse to help someone ▸ vb 10 to move or cause to move backwards 11 to provide money for (a person or enterprise) ◇ SYNONYMS: subsidize, help, support, sponsor, assist 12 to bet on the success of: to back a horse 13 to provide (a pop singer) with a musical accompaniment 14 (foll. by on or onto) to have the back facing (towards): his garden backs onto a school 15 (of the wind) to change direction anticlockwise ▸ adj 16 situated behind: back garden ◇ SYNONYMS: rear 17 owing from an earlier date: back rent 18 remote: a back road ▸ adv 19 at, to, or towards the rear 20 to or towards the original starting point or condition: I went back home 21 in reply or retaliation: to hit someone back 22 in concealment or reserve: to keep something back 23 back and forth to and fro 24 back to front A in reverse B in disorderbackbencher n a Member of Parliament who does not hold office in the government or oppositionbackbite vb -biting, -bit, -bitten or -bit to talk spitefully about an absent person > backbiter nbackbone n 1 the spinal column ◇ SYNONYMS: spinal column, spine, vertebrae, vertebral column 2 strength of character ◇ SYNONYMS: strength of character, character, resolution, nerve, daring, courage, determination, pluck 3 the part of something that gives it strength: they formed the backbone of the regimentbackchat n (informal) impudent repliesbackcloth n a painted curtain at the back of a stage set. Also called: backdropbackdate vb -dating, -dated to make (a document or arrangement) effective from a date earlier than its completionbacker n a person who gives financial or other support ◇ SYNONYMS: supporter, second, angel (informal), patron, promoter, subscriber, helper, benefactorbackfire vb -firing, -fired 1 (of a plan or scheme) to fail to have the desired effect ◇ SYNONYMS: fail, founder, flop (informal), rebound, boomerang, miscarry, misfire 2 (of an internal-combustion engine) to make a loud noise as a result of an explosion of unburnt gases in the exhaust systembackgammon n a game for two people played on a board with pieces moved according to throws of the dicebackground n 1 the events or circumstances that help to explain something ◇ SYNONYMS: circumstances, history, conditions, situation, atmosphere, environment, framework, ambience 2 a person's social class, education, or experience ◇ SYNONYMS: upbringing, history, culture, environment, tradition, circumstances 3 the part of a scene furthest from the viewer 4 an inconspicuous position: in the background 5 the space behind the chief figures or objects in a picturebackhand (tennis, squash, etc.) adj 1 (of a stroke) made from across the body with the back of the hand facing the direction of the stroke ▸ n 2 a backhand strokebackhanded adj 1 (of a blow or shot) performed with the arm moving from across the body 2 ambiguous or implying criticism: a backhanded complimentbackhander n 1 (slang) a bribe 2 a backhanded stroke or blowbacking n 1 support ◇ SYNONYMS: support, encouragement, endorsement, moral support 2 something that forms or strengthens the back of something 3 musical accompaniment for a pop singerbacklash n 1 a sudden and adverse reaction ◇ SYNONYMS: reaction, response, resistance, retaliation, repercussion, counterblast, counteraction 2 a recoil between interacting badly fitting parts in machinerybacklog n an accumulation of things to be dealt withbackpack n 1 a rucksack ▸ vb 2 to go hiking or travelling with a backpack > backpacker nbackside n (informal) the buttocksbackslide vb -sliding, -slid to relapse into former bad habits or vices > backslider nbackstage adv 1 behind the stage in a theatre ▸ adj 2 situated backstagebackstop n 1 (sport) a screen or fence to prevent balls leaving the playing area 2 a system that will come into effect if no other arrangement is madebackstroke n (swimming) a stroke performed on the back, using backward circular strokes of each armbacktrack vb 1 to go back along the same route one has just travelled 2 to retract or reverse one's opinion or policyback up vb 1 to support 2 (computers) to make a copy of (a data file), esp. as a security copy 3 (of traffic) to become jammed behind an obstruction ▸ n backup 4 support or reinforcement 5 a reserve or substitute ▸ adj backup 6 able to be substituted: a backup copybackward adj 1 directed towards the rear 2 (sometimes offensive) slow in physical or material development ◇ SYNONYMS: slow, behind, underdeveloped 3 reluctant or bashful ▸ adv 4 same as backwards > backwardness nbackwards or backward adv 1 towards the rear ◇ SYNONYMS: towards the rear, behind you, in reverse, rearwards 2 with the back foremost ◇ SYNONYMS: towards the rear, behind you, in reverse, rearwards 3 in the reverse of the usual direction 4 into a worse state: the Gothic novel's been going backwards since Radcliffe 5 bend over backwards (informal) to make a special effort to please someonebackwash n 1 water washed backwards by the motion of oars or a ship 2 an unpleasant aftereffect of an event or situationbackwater n 1 an isolated or backward place or condition 2 a body of stagnant water connected to a riverbackwoods pl n 1 any remote, sparsely populated place 2 partially cleared, sparsely populated forests > backwoodsman nbacon n 1 meat from the back and sides of a pig, dried, salted, and often smoked 2 bring home the bacon (informal) A to achieve success B to provide material supportBACS Bankers' Automated Clearing System: a method of making payments directly to a creditor's bankbacteria pl n, sing -rium a large group of microorganisms, many of which cause disease ◇ SYNONYMS: microorganisms, viruses, bugs (slang), germs, microbes, pathogens, bacilli > bacterial adjbacteriology n the study of bacteria > bacteriologist nbad adj worse, worst 1 not good; of poor quality ◇ SYNONYMS: harmful, damaging, dangerous, destructive, unhealthy, detrimental, hurtful, ruinous 2 lacking skill or talent: I'm so bad at that sort of thing ◇ SYNONYMS: incompetent, poor, useless (informal), incapable, unfit, inexpert 3 harmful: smoking is bad for you ◇ SYNONYMS: harmful, damaging, dangerous, destructive, unhealthy, detrimental, hurtful, ruinous 4 evil or immoral ◇ SYNONYMS: wicked, criminal, evil, corrupt, immoral, sinful, depraved 5 naughty or mischievous ◇ SYNONYMS: naughty, defiant, wayward, mischievous, wicked, unruly, impish, undisciplined 6 rotten or decayed: a bad egg ◇ SYNONYMS: rotten, off, rank, sour, rancid, mouldy, putrid, festy (Austral slang) 7 severe: a bad headache 8 incorrect or faulty: bad grammar 9 sorry or upset: I feel bad about saying no 10 unfavourable or distressing: bad news ◇ SYNONYMS: unfavourable, distressing, unfortunate, grim, unpleasant, gloomy, adverse 11 offensive or unpleasant: bad language 12 not valid: a bad cheque 13 not recoverable: a bad debt 14 badder, baddest (slang) good; excellent 15 not bad or not so bad (informal) fairly good 16 too bad (informal) (often used dismissively) regrettable ▸ n 17 unfortunate or unpleasant events: you've got to take the good with the bad ▸ adv 18 (not standard) badly: to want something bad > badness nbade or bad vb a past tense of bidbadge n 1 a distinguishing emblem or mark worn to show membership or achievement ◇ SYNONYMS: image, brand, stamp, identification, crest, emblem, insignia 2 any revealing feature or mark ◇ SYNONYMS: mark, sign, tokenbadger n 1 a stocky burrowing mammal with a black and white striped head ▸ vb 2 to pester or harass ◇ SYNONYMS: pester, harry, bother, bug (informal), bully, plague, hound, harassbadinage (bad-in-nahzh) n playful and witty conversationbadly adv worse, worst 1 poorly; inadequately ◇ SYNONYMS: poorly, incorrectly, carelessly, inadequately, imperfectly, ineptly 2 unfavourably: our plan worked out badly ◇ SYNONYMS: unfavourably, unsuccessfully 3 severely: badly damaged ◇ SYNONYMS: severely, greatly, deeply, seriously, desperately, intensely, exceedingly 4 very much: he badly needed to improve his image 5 badly off poorbadminton n a game played with rackets and a shuttlecock which is hit back and forth across a high netBafana Bafana (bah-fan-na) pl n (S African) the South African national soccer teambaffle vb -fling, -fled 1 to perplex ◇ SYNONYMS: puzzle, confuse, stump, bewilder, confound, perplex, mystify, flummox ▸ n 2 a mechanical device to limit or regulate the flow of fluid, light, or sound > bafflement n > baffling adjbag n 1 a flexible container with an opening at one end ◇ SYNONYMS: sack, container, sac, receptacle 2 the contents of such a container 3 a piece of luggage 4 a handbag 5 a loose fold of skin under the eyes 6 any sac in the body of an animal 7 (derogatory, slang) an ugly or bad-tempered woman: an old bag 8 the amount of game taken by a hunter 9 in the bag (slang) assured of succeeding ▸ vb bagging, bagged 10 to put into a bag 11 to bulge or cause to bulge 12 to capture or kill, as in hunting ◇ SYNONYMS: catch, kill, shoot, capture, acquire, trap 13 (informal) to succeed in securing: he bagged the best chair ◇ SYNONYMS: get, land (informal), score (slang), capture, acquire, procurebagatelle n 1 something of little value 2 a board game in which balls are struck into holes 3 a short piece of musicbagel (bay-gl) n a hard ring-shaped bread rollbaggage n 1 suitcases packed for a journey ◇ SYNONYMS: luggage, things, cases, bags, equipment, gear, suitcases, belongings 2 an army's portable equipment 3 (informal) previous knowledge or experience that may have an influence in new circumstances: cultural baggagebaggy adj -gier, -giest (of clothes) hanging loosely ◇ SYNONYMS: loose, slack, bulging, sagging, sloppy, floppy, roomy, ill-fitting > bagginess nbagpipes pl n a musical wind instrument in which sounds are produced in reed pipes by air from an inflated bagbail1 (law) n 1 a sum of money deposited with the court as security for a person's reappearance in court ◇ SYNONYMS: security, bond, guarantee, pledge, warranty, surety 2 the person giving such security 3 jump bail to fail to reappear in court after bail has been paid 4 stand or go bail to act as surety for someone ▸ vb 5 (foll. by out) to obtain the release of (a person) from custody by depositing money with the courtbail2 or bale2 vb bail out to remove water from (a boat)bail3 n 1 (cricket) either of two small wooden bars across the tops of the stumps 2 a partition between stalls in a stable or barn 3 (Austral & NZ) a framework in a cow shed used to secure the head of a cow during milking 4 a movable bar on a typewriter that holds the paper against the rollerbailey n the outermost wall or court of a castlebailiff n 1 (Brit) a sheriff's officer who serves writs and summonses 2 the agent of a landlord or landownerbairn n (Scot & N English) a childbait n 1 something edible fixed to a hook or in a trap to attract fish or animals 2 an enticement ◇ SYNONYMS: lure, attraction, incentive, carrot (informal), temptation, snare, inducement, decoy ▸ vb 3 to put a piece of food on or in (a hook or trap) 4 to persecute or tease ◇ SYNONYMS: tease, annoy, irritate, bother, mock, wind up (Brit slang), hound, torment 5 to set dogs upon (a bear or badger)baize n a feltlike woollen fabric, usually green, which is used for the tops of billiard and card tablesbake vb baking, baked 1 to cook by dry heat in an oven 2 to cook bread, pastry, or cakes 3 to make or become hardened by heat 4 (informal) to be extremely hotbakeoff n a baking competitionbaker n a person who makes or sells bread, cakes, etc.baker's dozen n thirteenbakery n, pl -eries a place where bread, cakes, etc. are made or soldbaking powder n a powdered mixture that contains sodium bicarbonate and cream of tartar: used in baking as a raising agentbakkie (buck-ee) n (S African) a small truck with an enclosed cab and an open goods area at the back ◇ SYNONYMS: truck, pick-up, van, lorry, pick-up truckBalaclava or Balaclava helmet n a close-fitting woollen hood that covers the ears and neckbalalaika n a Russian musical instrument with a triangular body and three stringsbalance n 1 stability of mind or body: lose one's balance ◇ SYNONYMS: equilibrium, stability, steadiness, evenness 2 a state of being in balance ◇ SYNONYMS: stability, equanimity, steadiness 3 harmony in the parts of a whole 4 the power to influence or control: the balance of power 5 something that remains: the balance of what you owe ◇ SYNONYMS: remainder, rest, difference, surplus, residue 6 (accounting) A the matching of debit and credit totals in an account B a difference between such totals ◇ SYNONYMS: remainder, rest, difference, surplus, residue 7 a weighing device 8 in the balance in an undecided condition 9 on balance after weighing up all the factors ▸ vb -ancing, -anced 10 to weigh in or as if in a balance ◇ SYNONYMS: weigh, consider, compare, estimate, contrast, assess, evaluate, set against 11 to be or come into equilibrium 12 to bring into or hold in equilibrium ◇ SYNONYMS: stabilize, level, steady 13 to compare the relative weight or importance of ◇ SYNONYMS: weigh, consider, compare, estimate, contrast, assess, evaluate, set against 14 to arrange so as to create a state of harmony 15 (accounting) to compare or equalize the credit and debit totals of (an account) ◇ SYNONYMS: calculate, total, determine, estimate, settle, count, square, reckonbalcony n, pl -nies 1 a platform projecting from a building with a balustrade along its outer edge, often with access from a door ◇ SYNONYMS: terrace, veranda 2 an upper tier of seats in a theatre or cinema ◇ SYNONYMS: upper circle, gods, gallerybald adj 1 having no hair or fur, esp. of a person having no hair on the scalp ◇ SYNONYMS: hairless, depilated, baldheaded 2 lacking natural covering 3 plain or blunt: the bald facts ◇ SYNONYMS: plain, direct, frank, straightforward, blunt, rude, forthright, unadorned 4 (of a tyre) having a worn tread > baldly adv > baldness nbalderdash n stupid or illogical talkbalding adj becoming baldbale1 n 1 a large bundle of hay or goods bound by ropes or wires for storage or transportation ▸ vb baling, baled 2 to make (hay) or put (goods) into a bale or balesbale2 vb baling, baled same as bailbaleful adj harmful, menacing, or vindictive > balefully advbalk or baulk vb 1 to stop short: the horse balked at the jump 2 to recoil: France balked at the parliament having a veto 3 to thwart, check, or foil: he was balked in his plansBalkan adj of any of the countries of the Balkan Peninsula in SE Europe, between the Adriatic and Aegean Seasball1 n 1 a spherical or nearly spherical mass: a ball of wool ◇ SYNONYMS: sphere, drop, globe, pellet, orb, globule, spheroid 2 a round or roundish object used in various games 3 a single delivery of the ball in a game 4 any more or less rounded part of the body: the ball of the foot 5 have the ball at one's feet to have the chance of doing something 6 on the ball (informal) alert; informed 7 play ball (informal) to cooperate 8 set or keep the ball rolling to initiate or maintain the progress of an action, discussion, or project ▸ vb 9 to form into a ballball2 n 1 a lavish or formal social function for dancing 2 have a ball (informal) to have a very enjoyable timeballad n 1 a narrative song or poem often with a chorus that is repeated 2 a slow sentimental songballast n 1 a substance, such as sand, used to stabilize a ship when it is not carrying cargo 2 crushed rock used for the foundation of a road or railway track ▸ vb 3 to give stability or weight toball cock n a device consisting of a floating ball and valve for regulating the flow of liquid into a tank or cisternballerina n a female ballet dancerballet n 1 a classical style of expressive dancing based on precise conventional steps 2 a theatrical representation of a story performed by ballet dancers > balletic adjballistic missile n a launched weapon which is guided automatically in flight but falls freely at its targetballistics n the study of the flight of projectiles, often in relation to firearms > ballistic adjballoon n 1 an inflatable rubber bag used as a plaything or party decoration 2 a large bag inflated with a lighter-than-air gas, designed to rise and float in the atmosphere with a basket for carrying passengers 3 an outline containing the words or thoughts of a character in a cartoon ▸ vb 4 to fly in a balloon 5 to swell or increase rapidly in size: the cost of health care has ballooned ◇ SYNONYMS: expand, rise, increase, swell, blow up, inflate, bulge, billow > balloonist nballot n 1 the practice of selecting a representative or course of action by voting ◇ SYNONYMS: vote, election, voting, poll, polling, referendum, show of hands 2 the number of votes cast in an election 3 the actual vote or paper indicating a person's choice ▸ vb -loting, -loted 4 to vote or ask for a vote from: we balloted the members on this issue 5 to vote for or decide on something by ballotballpoint or ballpoint pen n a pen which has a small ball bearing as a writing pointballroom n a large hall for dancingballyhoo n (informal) unnecessary or exaggerated fussbalm n 1 an aromatic substance obtained from certain tropical trees and used for healing and soothing 2 something comforting or soothing: her calmness was like a balm to my troubled mind 3 an aromatic herb, lemon balmbalmy adj balmier, balmiest 1 (of weather) mild and pleasant 2 same as barmybaloney or boloney n (informal) nonsensebalsa (bawl-sa) n 1 a tree of tropical America which yields light wood 2 Also: balsawood the light wood of this tree, used for making rafts, models, etc.balsam n 1 an aromatic resin obtained from various trees and shrubs and used in medicines and perfumes 2 any plant yielding balsam 3 a flowering plant, such as busy lizziebaluster n a set of posts supporting a railbalustrade n an ornamental rail supported by a set of postsbamboo n a tall treelike tropical grass with hollow stems which are used to make canes, furniture, etc.bamboozle vb -zling, -zled (informal) 1 to cheat; mislead 2 to confuse > bamboozlement nBAME Black, Asian, and minority ethnicban vb banning, banned 1 to prohibit or forbid officially ◇ SYNONYMS: prohibit, bar, block, veto, forbid, boycott, outlaw, banish ▸ n 2 an official prohibition ◇ SYNONYMS: prohibition, restriction, veto, boycott, embargo, injunction, taboo, disqualification, rahui (NZ), restraining order (US, law)banal (ban-nahl) adj lacking originality > banality nbanana n a crescent-shaped fruit that grows on a tropical or subtropical treelike plantband1 n 1 a group of musicians playing together, esp. on brass or percussion instruments ◇ SYNONYMS: ensemble, group, orchestra, combo 2 a group of people having a common purpose: a band of revolutionaries ◇ SYNONYMS: gang, company, group, party, team, body, crowd, pack ▸ vb 3 (foll. by together) to uniteband2 n 1 a strip of some material, used to hold objects together: a rubber band 2 a strip of fabric used as an ornament or to reinforce clothing ◇ SYNONYMS: headband, strip, ribbon 3 a stripe of contrasting colour or texture 4 a driving belt in machinery 5 (physics) a range of frequencies or wavelengths between two limits ▸ vb 6 to fasten or mark with a bandbandage n 1 a piece of material used to dress a wound or wrap an injured limb ◇ SYNONYMS: dressing, plaster, compress, gauze ▸ vb -daging, -daged 2 to cover or wrap with a bandage ◇ SYNONYMS: dress, cover, bind, swathebandanna or bandana n a large brightly-coloured handkerchief or neckerchiefB & B bed and breakfastbandicoot n 1 an Australian marsupial with a long pointed muzzle and a long tail 2 bandicoot rat any of three burrowing rats of S and SE Asiabandit n a robber, esp. a member of an armed gang ◇ SYNONYMS: robber, outlaw, raider, plunderer, mugger (informal), looter, highwayman or woman, desperado > banditry nbandolier n a shoulder belt with small pockets for cartridgesbandsman n, pl -men a player in a musical bandbandstand n a roofed outdoor platform for a bandbandwagon n jump or climb on the bandwagon to join a popular party or movement that seems assured of successbandwidth n the range of frequencies used for transmitting electronic informationbandy adj -dier, -diest 1 Also: bandy-legged having legs curved outwards at the knees 2 (of legs) curved outwards at the knees ▸ vb -dies, -dying, -died 3 to exchange (words), sometimes in a heated manner 4 bandy about to use (a name, term, etc.) frequentlybane n a person or thing that causes misery or distress: the bane of my life > baneful adjbang n 1 a short loud explosive noise, such as the report of a gun ◇ SYNONYMS: explosion, pop, clash, crack, blast, slam, discharge, thump 2 a hard blow or loud knock ◇ SYNONYMS: blow, knock, stroke, punch, bump, sock (slang), smack, thump 3 (vulgar, slang) an act of sexual intercourse 4 with a bang successfully: the party went with a bang ▸ vb 5 to hit or knock, esp. with a loud noise ◇ SYNONYMS: hit, strike, knock, belt (informal), slam, thump, clatter, beat or knock seven bells out of (informal) 6 to close (a door) noisily 7 to make or cause to make a loud noise, as of an explosion ◇ SYNONYMS: resound, boom, explode, thunder, thump, clang 8 (vulgar, slang) to have sexual intercourse with ▸ adv 9 with a sudden impact: the car drove bang into a lamppost 10 precisely: bang in the middle ◇ SYNONYMS: exactly, straight, square, squarely, precisely, slap, smack (informal), plumb (informal)banger n 1 (Brit & Austral informal) an old decrepit car 2 (slang) a sausage 3 a firework that explodes loudlybangle n a bracelet worn round the arm or sometimes round the anklebanish vb 1 to send into exile ◇ SYNONYMS: expel, exile, outlaw, deport 2 to drive away: it's the only way to banish weeds from the garden ◇ SYNONYMS: get rid of, remove > banishment nbanisters or bannisters pl n the railing and supporting balusters on a staircasebanjo n, pl -jos or -joes a stringed musical instrument with a long neck and a circular drumlike body > banjoist nbank1 n 1 an institution offering services, such as the safekeeping and lending of money at interest ◇ SYNONYMS: financial institution, repository, depository 2 the building used by such an institution 3 the funds held by a banker or dealer in some gambling games 4 any supply, store, or reserve: a data bank ◇ SYNONYMS: store, fund, stock, source, supply, reserve, pool, reservoir ▸ vb 5 to deposit (cash or a cheque) in a bank ◇ SYNONYMS: deposit, keep, save 6 to transact business with a bank ▸ See also bank onbank2 n 1 a long raised mass, esp. of earth 2 a slope, as of a hill ◇ SYNONYMS: mound, banking, rise, hill, mass, pile, heap, ridge, kopje or koppie (S African) 3 the sloping side and ground on either side of a river ◇ SYNONYMS: side, edge, margin, shore, brink ▸ vb 4 to form into a bank or mound 5 to cover (a fire) with ashes and fuel so that it will burn slowly 6 (of an aircraft) to tip to one side in turning ◇ SYNONYMS: tilt, tip, pitch, heel, slope, incline, slant, cantbank3 n 1 an arrangement of similar objects in a row or in tiers ◇ SYNONYMS: row, group, line, range, series, file, rank, sequence ▸ vb 2 to arrange in a bankbanker n 1 a person who owns or manages a bank 2 the keeper of the bank in various gambling gamesbanking n the business engaged in by a bankbanknote n a piece of paper money issued by a central bankbank on vb to rely onbankrupt n 1 a person, declared by a court to be unable to pay his or her debts, whose property is sold and the proceeds distributed among the creditors 2 a person no longer having a particular quality: a spiritual bankrupt ▸ adj 3 declared insolvent ◇ SYNONYMS: insolvent, broke (informal), ruined, wiped out (informal), impoverished, in the red, destitute, gone bust (informal) 4 financially ruined ◇ SYNONYMS: insolvent, broke (informal), ruined, wiped out (informal), impoverished, in the red, destitute, gone bust (informal) 5 no longer having a particular quality: morally bankrupt ▸ vb 6 to make bankrupt > bankruptcy nbanksia n an Australian evergreen tree or shrubbanner n 1 a long strip of material displaying a slogan, advertisement, etc. ◇ SYNONYMS: flag, standard, colours, pennant, ensign, streamer 2 a placard carried in a demonstration ◇ SYNONYMS: placard 3 Also called: banner headline a large headline in a newspaper extending across the page 4 an advertisement, often animated, that extends across the width of a web pagebanns pl n the public announcement of an intended marriagebanquet n 1 an elaborate formal dinner often followed by speeches ◇ SYNONYMS: feast, spread (informal), dinner, meal, revel, repast, hakari (NZ) ▸ vb -queting, -queted 2 to hold or take part in a banquetbanshee n (in Irish folklore) a female spirit whose wailing warns of a coming deathbantam n 1 a small breed of domestic fowl 2 a small but aggressive personbantamweight n a professional boxer weighing up to 118 pounds (53.5 kg) or an amateur weighing up to 119 pounds (54 kg)banter vb 1 to tease jokingly ▸ n 2 teasing or joking conversationBantu n 1 a group of languages of Africa 2 pl -tu or -tus (offensive) a Black speaker of a Bantu language ▸ adj 3 of the Bantu languagesbaobab (bay-oh-bab) n an African tree with a massive grey trunk, short angular branches, and large pulpy fruitbaptism n a Christian religious rite in which a person is immersed in or sprinkled with water as a sign of being cleansed from sin and accepted as a member of the Church > baptismal adjBaptist n 1 a member of a Protestant denomination that believes in the necessity of adult baptism by immersion 2 the Baptist John the Baptist ▸ adj 3 of the Baptist Churchbaptize or -tise vb -tizing, -tized or -tising, -tised 1 (Christianity) to immerse (a person) in water or sprinkle water on (him or her) as part of the rite of baptism 2 to give a name tobar1 n 1 a rigid usually straight length of metal, wood, etc. used as a barrier or structural part ◇ SYNONYMS: rod, staff, stick, stake, rail, pole, paling, shaft 2 a solid usually rectangular block of any material: a bar of soap 3 anything that obstructs or prevents: a bar to mobility ◇ SYNONYMS: obstacle, block, barrier, hurdle, hitch, barricade, snag, deterrent 4 a counter or room where alcoholic drinks are served ◇ SYNONYMS: public house, pub (informal, chiefly Brit), counter, inn, saloon, tavern, canteen, watering hole (facetious, slang), beer parlour (Canad) 5 a narrow band or stripe, as of colour or light 6 a heating element in an electric fire 7 See Bar 8 the place in a court of law where the accused stands during trial 9 (music) a group of beats that is repeated with a consistent rhythm throughout a piece of music 10 (football, etc.) same as crossbar 11 (heraldry) a narrow horizontal line across a shield 12 behind bars in prison ▸ vb barring, barred 13 to secure with a bar: to bar the door ◇ SYNONYMS: lock, block, secure, attach, bolt, blockade, barricade, fortify 14 to obstruct: the fallen tree barred the road ◇ SYNONYMS: block, restrict, restrain, hamper, thwart, hinder, obstruct, impede 15 to exclude: he was barred from membership of the club ◇ SYNONYMS: exclude, ban, forbid, prohibit, keep out of, disallow, shut out of, blackball 16 to mark with a bar or bars ▸ prep 17 except forbar2 n a unit of pressure equal to 105 newtons per square metreBar n 1 the Bar barristers collectively 2 be called to the Bar (Brit) to become a barristerbarb n 1 a cutting remark 2 a point facing in the opposite direction to the main point of a fish-hook, harpoon, etc. 3 a beardlike growth, hair, or projection ▸ vb 4 to provide with a barb or barbs > barbed adjbarbarian n 1 a member of a primitive or uncivilized people 2 a coarse or vicious person ◇ SYNONYMS: lout, yahoo, bigot, philistine, hoon (Austral & NZ informal), cougan (Austral slang), scozza (Austral slang), bogan (Austral slang), boor, vulgarian ▸ adj 3 uncivilized or brutalbarbaric adj primitive or brutalbarbarism n 1 a brutal, coarse, or ignorant act 2 the condition of being backward, coarse, or ignorant 3 a substandard word or expressionbarbarity n, pl -ties 1 the state of being barbaric or barbarous 2 a vicious actbarbarous adj 1 uncivilized: a barbarous and uninhabitable jungle 2 brutal or cruel: the barbarous tortures inflicted on thembarbecue n 1 a grill on which food is cooked over hot charcoal, usually out of doors 2 food cooked over hot charcoal, usually out of doors 3 a party or picnic at which barbecued food is served ▸ vb -cuing, -cued 4 to cook on a grill, usually over charcoalbarbed wire n strong wire with sharp points protruding at close intervalsbarber n a person whose business is cutting men's hair and shaving beardsbarbiturate n a derivative of barbituric acid used in medicine as a sedativebar code n an arrangement of numbers and parallel lines on a package, which can be electronically scanned at a checkout to give the price of the goodsbard n 1 (archaic, or literary) a poet 2 A (formerly) an ancient Celtic poet B a poet who wins a verse competition at a Welsh eisteddfod 3 the Bard William Shakespeare, English playwright and poetbare adj 1 unclothed: used esp. of a part of the body ◇ SYNONYMS: naked, nude, stripped, uncovered, undressed, unclothed, unclad, without a stitch on (informal) 2 without the natural, conventional, or usual covering: bare trees ◇ SYNONYMS: simple, spare, stark, austere, spartan, unadorned, unembellished, unornamented, bare-bones 3 lacking appropriate furnishings, etc.: a bare room 4 simple: the bare facts ◇ SYNONYMS: plain, simple, basic, obvious, sheer, patent, evident, stark 5 just sufficient: the bare minimum ▸ vb baring, bared 6 to uncover > bareness nbareback adj, adv (of horse-riding) without a saddlebare-faced or barefaced adj obvious or shameless: a bare-faced liebarefoot or barefooted adj, adv with the feet uncoveredbarely adv 1 only just: barely enough ◇ SYNONYMS: only just, just, hardly, scarcely, at a push 2 scantily: barely furnishedbargain n 1 an agreement establishing what each party will give, receive, or perform in a transaction ◇ SYNONYMS: agreement, deal (informal), promise, contract, arrangement, settlement, pledge, pact 2 something acquired or received in such an agreement 3 something bought or offered at a low price ◇ SYNONYMS: good buy, discount purchase, good deal, steal (informal), snip (informal), giveaway, cheap purchase 4 drive a hard bargain to forcefully pursue one's own profit in a transaction 5 into the bargain besides ▸ vb 6 to negotiate the terms of an agreement or transaction ◇ SYNONYMS: negotiate, deal, contract, mediate, covenant, stipulate, transact, cut a dealbargain for vb to anticipatebarge n 1 a flat-bottomed boat, used for transporting freight, esp. on canals ◇ SYNONYMS: canal boat, lighter, narrow boat, flatboat 2 a boat, often decorated, used in pageants, etc. ▸ vb barging, barged (informal) 3 (foll. by into) to bump into 4 to push one's way violently 5 (foll. by into or in) to interrupt rudely: he barged into our conversationbarista (bar-ee-sta) n a person who makes and sells coffee in a coffee barbaritone n 1 the second lowest adult male voice 2 a singer with such a voicebarium (bare-ee-um) n (chem) a soft silvery-white metallic chemical element. SYMBOL: Babark1 n 1 the loud harsh cry of a dog or certain other animals ◇ SYNONYMS: yap, bay, howl, snarl, growl, yelp, woof ▸ vb 2 (of a dog or other animal) to make its typical cry ◇ SYNONYMS: yap, bay, howl, snarl, growl, yelp, woof 3 to shout in an angry tone: he barked an order 4 bark up the wrong tree (informal) to misdirect one's attention or effortsbark2 n 1 an outer protective layer of dead corklike cells on the trunks of trees ◇ SYNONYMS: covering, casing, cover, skin, layer, crust, cortex (anatomy, botany), rind ▸ vb 2 to scrape or rub off (skin), as in an injury 3 to remove the bark from (a tree)barley n 1 a tall grasslike plant with dense bristly flower spikes, widely cultivated for grain 2 the grain of this grass used in making beer and whisky and for soupsbarman n, pl -men a man who serves in a pubbarmy adj -mier, -miest (slang) foolish or slightly crazy: a barmy ideabarn n a large farm outbuilding, chiefly for storing grain, but also for livestockbarnacle n a marine shellfish that lives attached to rocks, ship bottoms, etc. > barnacled adjbarney n (informal) a noisy fight or argumentbarometer n an instrument for measuring atmospheric pressure, used to determine weather or altitude changes > barometric adjbaron n 1 a member of the lowest rank of nobility in the British Isles 2 a powerful business owner or financier: a press baron > baronial adjbaroness n 1 a woman holding the rank of baron 2 the wife or widow of a baronbaronet n a commoner who holds the lowest hereditary British title > baronetcy nbaroque (bar-rock) n 1 a highly ornate style of architecture and art, popular in Europe from the late 16th to the early 18th century 2 a highly ornamented 17th-century style of music ▸ adj 3 ornate in stylebarque (bark) n 1 a sailing ship, esp. one with three masts 2 (poetic) any boatbarrack1 vb to house (soldiers) in barracksbarrack2 vb 1 (Brit & Austral & NZ informal) to criticize loudly or shout against (a team or speaker) 2 (Austral & NZ) (foll. by for) to shout encouragement for (a team)barracks pl n 1 a building or group of buildings used to accommodate military personnel ◇ SYNONYMS: camp, quarters, garrison, encampment, billet 2 a large and bleak buildingbarracuda (bar-rack-kew-da) n, pl -da or -das a tropical fish which feeds on other fishesbarrage (bar-rahzh) n 1 a continuous delivery of questions, complaints, etc. ◇ SYNONYMS: torrent, mass, burst, stream, hail, spate, onslaught, deluge 2 (military) the continuous firing of artillery over a wide area ◇ SYNONYMS: bombardment, attack, bombing, assault, shelling, battery, volley, blitz 3 a construction built across a river to control the water levelbarramundi n an edible Australian fishbarrel n 1 a cylindrical container, usually with rounded sides and flat ends, and held together by metal hoops 2 a unit of capacity of varying amount in different industries 3 the tube through which the bullet of a firearm is fired 4 over a barrel (informal) powerless ▸ vb -relling, -relled (US) -reling, -reled 5 to put into a barrel or barrelsbarrel organ n a musical instrument played by turning a handlebarren adj 1 incapable of producing offspring ◇ SYNONYMS: infertile, sterile, unproductive 2 unable to support the growth of crops, fruit, etc.: barren land 3 unprofitable or unsuccessful: the team has had a barren season 4 dull > barrenness nbarricade n 1 a barrier, esp. one erected hastily for defence ◇ SYNONYMS: barrier, wall, fence, blockade, obstruction, rampart, bulwark, palisade ▸ vb -cading, -caded 2 to erect a barricade across (an entrance) ◇ SYNONYMS: bar, block, defend, secure, lock, bolt, blockade, fortifybarrier n 1 anything that blocks a way or separates, such as a gate ◇ SYNONYMS: barricade, wall, bar, fence, boundary, obstacle, blockade, obstruction 2 anything that prevents progress: a barrier of distrust 3 anything that separates or hinders union: a language barrierbarring prep unless something occurs; except forbarrister n a lawyer who is qualified to plead in the higher courtsbarrow1 n 1 same as wheelbarrow 2 a handcart used by street tradersbarrow2 n a heap of earth placed over a prehistoric tombbartender n a person who serves drinks behind a barbarter vb 1 to trade goods or services in exchange for other goods or services, rather than for money ▸ n 2 trade by the exchange of goodsbasalt (bass-awlt) n a dark volcanic rock > basaltic adjbase1 n 1 the bottom or supporting part of anything ◇ SYNONYMS: bottom, floor, lowest part 2 the fundamental principle or part: agriculture was the economic base of the city's growth ◇ SYNONYMS: foundation, institution, organization, establishment, starting point 3 a centre of operations, organization, or supply ◇ SYNONYMS: centre, post, station, camp, settlement, headquarters 4 a starting point: the new discovery became the base for further research 5 the main ingredient of a mixture: to use rice as a base in cookery 6 (chem) a compound that combines with an acid to form a salt 7 the lower side or face of a geometric construction 8 (maths) the number of units in a counting system that is equivalent to one in the next higher counting place: 10 is the base of the decimal system 9 a starting or finishing point in any of various games ▸ vb basing, based 10 (foll. by on or upon) to use as a basis for ◇ SYNONYMS: ground, found, build, establish, depend, construct, derive, hinge 11 (foll. by at or in) to station, post, or place ◇ SYNONYMS: place, set, post, station, establish, locate, installbase2 adj 1 dishonourable or immoral: base motives ◇ SYNONYMS: dishonourable, evil, disgraceful, shameful, immoral, wicked, sordid, despicable, scungy (Austral & NZ) 2 of inferior quality or value: a base coin 3 debased; counterfeit: base currencybaseball n 1 a team game in which the object is to score runs by batting the ball and running round all four bases 2 the ball used in this gamebaseless adj not based on factbasement n a partly or wholly underground storey of a buildingbash (informal) vb 1 to strike violently or crushingly ◇ SYNONYMS: hit, beat, strike, knock, smash, belt (informal), slap, sock (slang) 2 (foll. by into) to crash into ▸ n 3 a heavy blow 4 have a bash (informal) to make an attemptbashful adj shy or modest > bashfully advbasic adj 1 of or forming a base or basis ◇ SYNONYMS: fundamental, main, essential, primary, vital, principal, cardinal, elementary 2 elementary or simple: a few basic facts ◇ SYNONYMS: plain, simple, classic, unfussy, unembellished, bare-bones, lo-fi 3 excluding additions or extras: basic pay 4 (chem) of or containing a base ▸ n 5 basics fundamental principles, facts, etc. ◇ SYNONYMS: essentials, principles, fundamentals, nuts and bolts (informal), nitty-gritty (informal), rudiments, brass tacks (informal) > basically advBASIC n a computer programming language that uses common English termsbasil n an aromatic herb used for seasoning foodbasilica n 1 a Roman building, used for public administration, which is rectangular with two aisles and a rounded end 2 a Christian church of similar designbasilisk n (in classical legend) a serpent that could kill by its breath or glancebasin n 1 a round wide container open at the top 2 the amount a basin will hold 3 a washbasin or sink 4 any partially enclosed area of water where ships or boats may be moored 5 the catchment area of a particular river 6 a depression in the earth's surfacebasis n, pl bases 1 something that underlies, supports, or is essential to an idea, belief, etc. ◇ SYNONYMS: foundation, support, base, ground, footing, bottom, groundwork 2 a principle on which something depends ◇ SYNONYMS: foundation, support, base, ground, footing, bottom, groundworkbask vb (foll. by in) 1 to lie in or be exposed (to pleasant warmth or sunshine) ◇ SYNONYMS: lie, relax, lounge, sprawl, loaf, lie about, swim in, sunbathe, outspan (S African) 2 to enjoy (approval or favourable conditions)basket n 1 a container made of interwoven strips of wood or cane 2 the amount a basket will hold 3 (basketball) A the high horizontal hoop through which a player must throw the ball to score points B a point scored in this waybasketball n a team game in which points are scored by throwing the ball through a high horizontal hoopbasketwork n same as wickerworkbasque n a tight-fitting bodiceBasque n 1 a member of a people living in the W Pyrenees in France and Spain 2 the language of the Basques ▸ adj 3 of the Basquesbas-relief n sculpture in which the figures project slightly from the backgroundbass1 (base) n 1 the lowest adult male voice 2 a singer with such a voice 3 (informal) same as double bass ▸ adj 4 of the lowest range of musical notes: the system is engineered to give good bass sound from very small speakers ◇ SYNONYMS: deep, low, resonant, sonorous, low-pitched, deep-toned 5 denoting a musical instrument that is lowest or second lowest in pitch in its family: bass trombone ◇ SYNONYMS: deep, low, resonant, sonorous, low-pitched, deep-toned 6 of or relating to a bass guitar or double bass: the band is unusual in that it has two bass players 7 of or written for a singer with the lowest adult male voice: the bass soloist in next week's performance of Handel's 'Messiah' ◇ SYNONYMS: deep, low, resonant, sonorous, low-pitched, deep-tonedbass2 (rhymes with gas) n 1 any of various Australian freshwater and sea fish 2 a European spiny-finned freshwater fishbasset hound n a smooth-haired dog with short legs and long earsbassoon n a woodwind instrument that produces a range of low sounds > bassoonist nbastard n 1 (informal, derogatory) an obnoxious or despicable person 2 (old-fashioned, or offensive) a person born of parents not married to each other 3 (informal) something extremely difficult or unpleasant ▸ adj 4 (old-fashioned, or offensive) illegitimate by birth 5 counterfeit; spurious > bastardy nbaste1 vb basting, basted to sew with loose temporary stitchesbaste2 vb basting, basted to moisten (meat) during cooking with hot fatbastion n 1 a projecting part of a fortification 2 a thing or person regarded as defending a principle or way of life: a bastion of anti-communism