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bat1 n

1 any of various types of club used to hit the ball in certain sports 2 (cricket) a batsman 3 off one's own bat A of one's own accord B by one's own unaided efforts ▸ vb batting, batted 4 to strike with or as if with a bat 5 (cricket, etc.) to take a turn at battingbat2 n 1 a nocturnal mouselike flying animal with leathery wings 2 blind as a bat having extremely poor eyesightbatch n 1 a group of similar objects or people dispatched or dealt with at the same time ◇ SYNONYMS: group, set, lot, crowd, pack, collection, quantity, bunch 2 the bread, cakes, etc. produced at one baking ▸ vb 3 to group (items) for efficient processingbated adj with bated breath in suspense or fearbath n 1 a large container in which to wash the body 2 the act of washing in such a container ◇ SYNONYMS: wash, cleaning, shower, soak, cleansing, scrub, scrubbing, douche 3 the amount of water in a bath 4 baths a public swimming pool 5 A a liquid in which something is immersed as part of a chemical process, such as developing photographs B the vessel containing such a liquid ▸ vb 6 (Brit) to wash in a bath ◇ SYNONYMS: clean, wash, shower, soak, cleanse, scrub, bathe, rinseBath chair n (old-fashioned) a wheelchair for invalidsbathe vb bathing, bathed 1 to swim in open water for pleasure ◇ SYNONYMS: swim 2 to apply liquid to (the skin or a wound) in order to cleanse or soothe ◇ SYNONYMS: cleanse, clean, wash, soak, rinse 3 (chiefly US & Canad) to wash in a bath ◇ SYNONYMS: wash, clean, bath, shower, soak, cleanse, scrub, rinse 4 to spread over: bathed in moonlight ◇ SYNONYMS: cover, flood, steep, engulf, immerse, overrun, suffuse, wash over ▸ n 5 (Brit) a swim in open water > bather nbathos (bay-thoss) n a sudden ludicrous descent from exalted to ordinary matters in speech or writing > bathetic adjbathroom n 1 a room with a bath or shower, washbasin, and toilet 2 (US & Canad) a toiletbatik (bat-teek) n A a process of printing fabric in which areas not to be dyed are covered by wax B fabric printed in this waybatman n, pl -men an officer's servant in the armed forcesbaton n 1 a thin stick used by the conductor of an orchestra or choir 2 (athletics) a short bar transferred from one runner to another in a relay race 3 a police officer's truncheon 4 a short stick or something shaped like one ◇ SYNONYMS: stick, club, staff, pole, rod, crook, cane, mace, mere (NZ), patu (NZ)batsman n, pl -men (cricket, etc.) a player who bats or specializes in battingbattalion n a military unit comprised of three or more companiesbatten n 1 a strip of wood used to strengthen something or make it secure 2 a strip of wood used for holding a tarpaulin in place over a hatch on a ship ▸ vb 3 to strengthen or fasten with battensbatter1 vb 1 to hit repeatedly ◇ SYNONYMS: beat, hit, strike, knock, bang, thrash, pound, buffet 2 to damage or injure, as by blows, heavy wear, etc. 3 to subject (someone, usually a close relative) to repeated physical violence > battered adj > batterer n > battering nbatter2 n a mixture of flour, eggs, and milk, used in cookingbattering ram n (esp. formerly) a large beam used to break down fortificationsbattery n, pl -teries 1 two or more primary cells connected to provide a source of electric current 2 a number of similar things occurring together: a battery of questions 3 (criminal law) unlawful beating or wounding of a person 4 (chiefly Brit) a series of cages for intensive rearing of poultry 5 a fortified structure on which artillery is mounted ▸ adj 6 kept in a series of cages for intensive rearing: battery hensbattle n 1 a fight between large armed forces ◇ SYNONYMS: fight, attack, action, struggle, conflict, clash, encounter, combat, biffo (Austral slang), boilover (Austral) 2 conflict or struggle ◇ SYNONYMS: campaign, drive, movement, push (informal), struggle ▸ vb -tling, -tled 3 to fight in or as if in military combat: shop stewards battling to improve conditions at work ◇ SYNONYMS: wrestle, war, fight, argue, dispute, grapple, clamour, lock horns 4 to struggle: she battled through the crowd ◇ SYNONYMS: struggle, work, labour, strain, strive, toil, go all out (informal), give it your best shot (informal)battle-axe n 1 (informal, derogatory) a domineering woman 2 (formerly) a large broad-headed axebattlement n a wall with gaps, originally for firing throughbattleship n a large heavily armoured warshipbatty adj -tier, -tiest (slang) 1 slightly crazy ◇ SYNONYMS: eccentric, odd, peculiar, potty (Brit informal) 2 eccentric: a batty scientist ◇ SYNONYMS: eccentric, odd, peculiar, potty (Brit informal)bauble n 1 a trinket of little value 2 a small round ornament hung from a branch of a Christmas treebauera n small evergreen Australian shrubbaulk vb, n same as balkbauxite n a claylike substance that is the chief source of aluminiumbawdy adj bawdier, bawdiest (of language, writing, etc.) containing humorous references to sex > bawdily adv > bawdiness nbawl vb 1 to cry noisily 2 to shout loudly ▸ n 3 a loud shout or cry > bawling nbay1 n a stretch of shoreline that curves inwards ◇ SYNONYMS: inlet, sound, gulf, creek, cove, fjord, bight, natural harbourbay2 n 1 a recess in a wall ◇ SYNONYMS: recess, opening, corner, niche, compartment, nook, alcove 2 an area set aside for a particular purpose: a sick bay; a loading bay 3 an area off a road in which vehicles may park or unload 4 a compartment in an aircraft: the bomb baybay3 n 1 a deep howl of a hound or wolf ◇ SYNONYMS: cry, roar, bark, howl, wail, growl, bellow, clamour 2 at bay A forced to turn and face attackers: the stag at bay B at a safe distance: to keep his mind blank and his despair at bay ▸ vb 3 to howl in deep prolonged tones ◇ SYNONYMS: howl, cry, roar, bark, wail, growl, bellow, clamourbay4 n 1 a Mediterranean laurel tree with glossy aromatic leaves 2 bays a wreath of bay leavesbay5 adj 1 reddish-brown ▸ n 2 a reddish-brown horsebay leaf n the dried leaf of a laurel, used for flavouring in cookingbayonet n 1 a blade that can be attached to the end of a rifle and used as a weapon ▸ vb -neting, -neted or -netting, -netted 2 to stab or kill with a bayonetbazaar n 1 a sale, esp. one in aid of charity ◇ SYNONYMS: fair, fête, gala, bring-and-buy 2 (esp. in Arab countries) a market area, esp. a street of small stalls ◇ SYNONYMS: market, exchange, fair, marketplacebazooka n a portable rocket launcher that fires a projectile capable of piercing armourBBC British Broadcasting CorporationBC 1 (indicating years numbered back from the supposed year of the birth of Christ) before Christ 2 British ColumbiaBCE (used, esp. by non-Christians, in numbering years BC) before Common EraBCG (trademark) Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (antituberculosis vaccine)be vb present sing 1st person am, 2nd person are, 3rd person is, present pl are, past sing 1st person was, 2nd person were, 3rd person was, past pl were, present participle being, past participle been 1 to exist; live: I think, therefore I am ◇ SYNONYMS: be alive, live, exist, survive, breathe, be present, endure 2 to pay a visit; go: have you been to Spain? 3 to take place: my birthday was last Thursday 4 used as a linking verb between the subject of a sentence and its complement: Shamin is a musician; honey is sweet; the dance is on Saturday 5 forms the progressive present tense: the man is running 6 forms the passive voice of all transitive verbs: a good film is being shown on television tomorrow 7 expresses intention, expectation, or obligation: the president is to arrive at 9.30beach n 1 an area of sand or pebbles sloping down to the sea or a lake ◇ SYNONYMS: shore, coast, sands, seaside, water's edge, seashore ▸ vb 2 to run or haul (a boat) onto a beachbeachhead n (military) an area of shore captured by an attacking army, on which troops and equipment are landedbeacon n 1 a signal fire or light on a hill or tower, used formerly as a warning of invasion ◇ SYNONYMS: signal, sign, beam, flare, bonfire 2 a lighthouse ◇ SYNONYMS: lighthouse, watchtower 3 a radio or other signal marking a flight course in air navigationbead n 1 a small pierced piece of glass, wood, or plastic that may be strung with others to form a necklace, rosary, etc. 2 a small drop of moisture ◇ SYNONYMS: drop, tear, bubble, pearl, dot, drip, blob, droplet 3 a small metal knob acting as the sight of a firearm ▸ vb 4 to decorate with beads > beaded adjbeading n a narrow rounded strip of moulding used for edging furniturebeady adj beadier, beadiest small, round, and glittering: beady eyesbeagle n a small hound with a smooth coat, short legs, and drooping earsbeak1 n 1 the projecting horny jaws of a bird 2 (slang) a person's nose > beaky adjbeak2 n (Brit & Austral & NZ slang) a judge, magistrate, or headmasterbeaker n 1 a tall drinking cup 2 a lipped glass container used in laboratoriesbeam n 1 a broad smile ◇ SYNONYMS: smile, grin 2 a ray of light ◇ SYNONYMS: ray, flash, stream, glow, streak, shaft, gleam, glint 3 a narrow flow of electromagnetic radiation or particles: an electron beam 4 a long thick piece of wood, metal, etc. used in building ◇ SYNONYMS: rafter, support, timber, spar, plank, girder, joist 5 the central shaft of a plough to which all the main parts are attached 6 the breadth of a ship at its widest part 7 off (the) beam (informal) mistaken or irrelevant ▸ vb 8 to smile broadly ◇ SYNONYMS: smile, grin 9 to send out or radiate ◇ SYNONYMS: radiate, flash, shine, glow, glitter, glare, gleam 10 to divert or aim (a radio signal, light, etc.) in a certain direction: the concert was beamed live from Geneva ◇ SYNONYMS: transmit, show, air, broadcast, cable, send out, relay, televise, streambean n 1 the seed or pod of various climbing plants, eaten as a vegetable 2 any of various beanlike seeds, such as coffee 3 full of beans (informal) full of energy and vitality 4 not have a bean (slang) to be without moneybeanie n (Brit & Austral & NZ) a close-fitting woollen hatbear1 vb bearing, bore, borne 1 to support or hold up ◇ SYNONYMS: support, shoulder, sustain, endure, uphold, withstand 2 to bring: to bear gifts ◇ SYNONYMS: carry, take, move, bring, transfer, conduct, transport, haul 3 to accept the responsibility of: to bear a heavier burden of taxation 4 to give birth to ◇ SYNONYMS: give birth to, produce, deliver, breed, bring forth, beget (old-fashioned) 5 to produce by natural growth: to bear fruit ◇ SYNONYMS: produce, generate, yield, bring forth 6 to tolerate or endure ◇ SYNONYMS: suffer, experience, go through, sustain, stomach, endure, brook, abide 7 to stand up to; sustain: his story does not bear scrutiny 8 to hold in the mind: to bear a grudge ◇ SYNONYMS: exhibit, hold, maintain 9 to show or be marked with: he still bears the scars ◇ SYNONYMS: display, have, show, hold, carry, possess 10 to have, be, or stand in (relation or comparison): her account bears no relation to the facts 11 to move in a specified direction: bear left 12 bring to bear to bring into effectbear2 n, pl bears or bear 1 a large heavily-built mammal with a long shaggy coat 2 a bearlike animal, such as the koala 3 an ill-mannered person 4 (Stock Exchange) a person who sells shares in anticipation of falling prices to make a profit on repurchase 5 like a bear with a sore head (informal) bad-tempered, irritablebearable adj endurable; tolerablebeard n 1 the hair growing on the lower parts of a man's face 2 any similar growth in animals ▸ vb 3 to oppose boldly: I bearded my formidable employer in her den > bearded adjbearer n 1 a person or thing that carries, presents, or upholds something ◇ SYNONYMS: agent, carrier, courier, herald, envoy, messenger, conveyor, emissary 2 a person who presents a note or bill for paymentbearing n 1 (foll. by on or upon) relevance to: it has no bearing on this problem ◇ SYNONYMS: relevance, relation, application, connection, import, reference, significance, pertinence 2 a part of a machine supporting another part, and usually reducing friction 3 the act of producing fruit or young 4 a person's general social conduct ◇ SYNONYMS: manner, attitude, conduct, aspect, behaviour, posture, demeanour, deportment 5 the angular direction of a point measured from a known position 6 the position, as of a ship, fixed with reference to two or more known points 7 bearings a sense of one's relative position: I lost my bearings in the dark ◇ SYNONYMS: way, course, position, situation, track, aim, direction, location 8 (heraldry) a device on a heraldic shieldbear out vb to show to be truthful: the witness will bear me out ◇ SYNONYMS bear something out: support, prove, confirm, justify, endorse, uphold, substantiate, corroboratebearskin n 1 the pelt of a bear 2 a tall fur helmet worn by certain British Army regimentsbeast n 1 a large wild animal ◇ SYNONYMS: animal, creature, brute 2 a brutal or uncivilized person ◇ SYNONYMS: brute, monster, savage, barbarian, fiend, swine, ogre, sadist 3 savage nature or characteristics: the beast in peoplebeastly adj -lier, -liest (informal) unpleasant; disagreeable ◇ SYNONYMS: unpleasant, mean, awful, nasty, rotten (informal), horrid (informal), disagreeablebeat vb beating, beat, beaten or beat 1 to strike with a series of violent blows ◇ SYNONYMS: batter, hit, strike, knock, pound, smack, thrash, thump 2 to move (wings) up and down ◇ SYNONYMS: flap, thrash, flutter, wag 3 to throb rhythmically ◇ SYNONYMS: throb, thump, pound, quake, vibrate, pulsate, palpitate 4 (cookery) to stir or whisk vigorously 5 to shape (metal) by repeated blows 6 (music) to indicate (time) by one's hand or a baton 7 to produce (a sound) by striking a drum ◇ SYNONYMS: hit, strike, bang 8 to overcome or defeat: he was determined to beat his illness ◇ SYNONYMS: defeat, outdo, trounce, overcome, crush, overwhelm, conquer, surpass 9 to form (a path or track) by repeated use 10 to arrive, achieve, or finish before (someone or something): she beat her team mate fair and square 11 (foll. by back or down or off etc) to drive, push, or thrust 12 to scour (woodlands or undergrowth) to rouse game for shooting 13 (slang) to puzzle or baffle: it beats me ▸ n 14 a stroke or blow 15 the sound made by a stroke or blow 16 a regular throb ◇ SYNONYMS: throb, pounding, pulse, thumping, vibration, pulsating, palpitation, pulsation 17 an assigned route, as of a police officer ◇ SYNONYMS: route, way, course, rounds, path, circuit 18 the basic rhythmic unit in a piece of music 19 pop or rock music characterized by a heavy rhythmic beat ▸ adj 20 (slang) totally exhausted ▸ See also beat up > beating nbeatbox n 1 a drum machine ▸ vb 2 to simulate percussion instruments with the voice, esp. in hip-hop music > beatboxing nbeatific adj (literary) 1 displaying great happiness 2 having a divine aurabeatify (bee-at-if-fie) vb -fies, -fying, -fied 1 (RC Church) to declare (a deceased person) to be among the blessed in heaven: the first step towards canonization 2 to make extremely happy > beatification nBeatitude n (Christianity) any of the blessings on the poor, meek, etc. in the Sermon on the Mountbeat up (informal) vb 1 to inflict severe physical damage on (someone) by striking or kicking repeatedly ◇ SYNONYMS beat someone up: assault, attack, batter, thrash, set about, set upon, lay into (informal), beat the living daylights out of (informal) ▸ n 2 (Austral & NZ) a small matter deliberately exaggerated ▸ adj beat-up 3 dilapidatedbeau (boh) n, pl beaux or beaus (bohz) 1 (chiefly US) a boyfriend 2 a man who is greatly concerned with his appearanceBeaufort scale n (meteorol) a scale for measuring wind speeds, ranging from 0 (calm) to 12 (hurricane)beautician n a person who works in a beauty salonbeautiful adj 1 very attractive to look at ◇ SYNONYMS: attractive, pretty, lovely, charming, tempting, pleasant, handsome, fetching (informal), hot (informal), fit (Brit informal) 2 highly enjoyable; very pleasant > beautifully advbeautify vb -fies, -fying, -fied to make beautiful > beautification nbeauty n, pl -ties 1 the combination of all the qualities of a person or thing that delight the senses and mind ◇ SYNONYMS: attractiveness, charm, grace, glamour, elegance, loveliness, handsomeness, comeliness (old-fashioned) 2 a very attractive woman ◇ SYNONYMS: good-looker, lovely (slang), belle, stunner (informal), beaut (Austral & NZ slang) 3 (informal) an outstanding example of its kind 4 (informal) an advantageous feature: the beauty of this job is the short hoursbeaver n 1 a large amphibious rodent with soft brown fur, a broad flat tail, and webbed hind feet 2 its fur 3 a tall hat made of this fur ▸ vb 4 beaver away to work very hard and steadilybecalmed adj (of a sailing ship) motionless through lack of windbecame vb the past tense of becomebecause conj 1 on account of the fact that: because it's so cold we'll go home ◇ SYNONYMS: since, as, in that 2 because of on account of: I lost my job because of her ◇ SYNONYMS because of: as a result of, on account of, by reason of, thanks to, owing tobeck1 n at someone's beck and call having to be constantly available to do as someone asksbeck2 n (in N England) a streambeckon vb 1 to summon with a gesture ◇ SYNONYMS: gesture, sign, wave, indicate, signal, nod, motion, summon 2 to lure: fame beckonedbecome vb -coming, -came, -come 1 to come to be: she became Prime Minister in 2016 ◇ SYNONYMS: come to be, develop into, be transformed into, grow into, change into, alter to, mature into, ripen into 2 (foll. by of) to happen to: what became of him? 3 to suit: that dress becomes you ◇ SYNONYMS: suit, fit, enhance, flatter, embellish, set offbecoming adj suitable or appropriate: his conduct was not becoming to the rank of officer ◇ SYNONYMS: appropriate, seemly, fitting, suitable, proper, worthy, in keeping, compatiblebed n 1 a piece of furniture on which to sleep ◇ SYNONYMS: bedstead, couch, berth, cot, divan 2 a plot of ground in which plants are grown ◇ SYNONYMS: plot, area, row, strip, patch, ground, land, garden 3 the bottom of a river, lake, or sea 4 any underlying structure or part ◇ SYNONYMS: base, footing, basis, bottom, foundation, underpinning, groundwork, bedrock 5 a layer of rock 6 get out of bed on the wrong side (informal) to begin the day in a bad mood 7 go to bed with to have sexual intercourse with ▸ vb bedding, bedded 8 (foll. by down) to go to or put into a place to sleep or rest 9 to have sexual intercourse with 10 to place firmly into position: the poles were bedded in concrete 11 (geol) to form or be arranged in a distinct layer 12 to plant in a bed of soilbedding n 1 bedclothes, sometimes with a mattress 2 litter, such as straw, for animals 3 the distinct layered deposits of rocksbedevil (bid-dev-ill) vb -illing, -illed (US) -iling, -iled 1 to harass or torment 2 to throw into confusion > bedevilment nbedlam n a noisy confused situationbedpan n a shallow container used as a toilet by people who are not well enough to leave bedbedraggled adj with hair or clothing that is untidy, wet, or dirtybedridden adj unable to leave bed because of illnessbedrock n 1 the solid rock beneath the surface soil 2 basic principles or factsbedroom n 1 a room used for sleeping ▸ adj 2 containing references to sex: a bedroom comedybedsit or bedsitter n a furnished sitting room with a bedbee1 n 1 a four-winged insect that collects nectar and pollen to make honey and wax 2 have a bee in one's bonnet to be obsessed with an ideabee2 n a social gathering to carry out a communal task: quilting beebeech n 1 a tree with smooth greyish bark 2 the hard wood of this treebeef n 1 the flesh of a cow, bull, or ox 2 (slang) a complaint ▸ vb 3 (slang) to complainbeefburger n a flat fried or grilled cake of minced beef; hamburgerbeefeater n a yeoman warder of the Tower of Londonbeefy adj beefier, beefiest 1 (informal) muscular 2 like beef > beefiness nbeehive n a structure in which bees are housedbeen vb the past participle of bebeep n 1 a high-pitched sound, like that of a car horn or some electronic devices ▸ vb 2 to make or cause to make such a noisebeer n 1 an alcoholic drink brewed from malt, sugar, hops, and water 2 a glass, can, or bottle containing this drinkbeery adj beerier, beeriest smelling or tasting of beerbeeswax n 1 a wax produced by honeybees for making honeycombs 2 this wax after refining, used in polishes, etc.beet n a plant with an edible root and leaves, such as the sugar beet and beetrootbeetle n 1 an insect with a hard wing-case closed over its back for protection ▸ vb -tling, -tled 2 (foll. by along or off etc) (informal) to scuttle or scurrybeetroot n a variety of the beet plant with a dark red root that may be eaten as a vegetable, in salads, or pickledbefall vb -falling, -fell, -fallen (archaic, or literary) to happen tobefit vb -fitting, -fitted to be appropriate to or suitable for > befitting adjbefore conj 1 earlier than the time when 2 rather than: she'll resign before she agrees to it ▸ prep 3 preceding in space or time; in front of; ahead of: they stood before the altar ◇ SYNONYMS: earlier than, ahead of, prior to, in advance of 4 in the presence of: to be brought before a judge ◇ SYNONYMS: in the presence of, in front of 5 in preference to: to put friendship before money ▸ adv 6 previously ◇ SYNONYMS: previously, earlier, sooner, in advance, formerly 7 in frontbeforehand adj, adv early; in advance ◇ SYNONYMS: in advance, before, earlier, already, sooner, ahead, previously, in anticipationbefriend vb to become a friend tobeg vb begging, begged 1 to ask for money or food in the street ◇ SYNONYMS: scrounge (informal), bum (informal), touch (someone) for (slang), cadge, sponge on (someone) for, freeload (slang), seek charity, solicit charity 2 to ask formally, humbly, or earnestly: I beg forgiveness; I beg to differ ◇ SYNONYMS: implore, plead with, beseech, request, petition, solicit, entreat 3 beg the question A to put forward an argument that assumes the very point it is supposed to establish, or that depends on some other questionable assumption B (not standard) to suggest that a question needs to be asked 4 go begging to be unwanted or unusedbegan vb the past tense of beginbeget vb -getting, -got or -gat, -gotten or -got (old-fashioned) 1 to cause or create: repetition begets boredom 2 to fatherbeggar n 1 a person who lives by begging ◇ SYNONYMS: vagrant (old-fashioned), tramp (old-fashioned), bum (informal), derelict (old-fashioned), drifter, down-and-out, pauper (old-fashioned), bag lady, derro (Austral slang) 2 (chiefly Brit) a fellow: lucky beggar! ▸ vb 3 beggar description to be impossible to describe > beggarly adjbegin vb -ginning, -gan, -gun 1 to start (something) ◇ SYNONYMS: start, commence, proceed 2 to bring or come into being ◇ SYNONYMS: come into existence, start, appear, emerge, arise, originate, come into being 3 to start to say or speak ◇ SYNONYMS: start talking, start, initiate, commence 4 to have the least capacity to do something: it doesn't even begin to address the problem > beginner nbeginning n 1 a start ◇ SYNONYMS: start, opening, birth, origin, outset, onset, initiation, inauguration 2 beginnings an early part or stage 3 the place where or time when something starts ◇ SYNONYMS: outset, start, opening, birth, onset, commencement 4 an origin; sourcebegonia n a tropical plant with ornamental leaves and waxy flowersbegrudge vb -grudging, -grudged 1 to envy (someone) the possession of something 2 to give or allow unwillingly: he begrudged her an apologybeguile (big-gile) vb -guiling, -guiled to charm (someone) into doing something he or she would not normally dobeguiling adj charming, often in a deceptive waybegun vb the past participle of beginbehalf n on or (US & Canad) in behalf of in the interest of or for the benefit ofbehave vb -having, -haved 1 to act or function in a particular way 2 to conduct oneself in a particular way: the baby behaved very well ◇ SYNONYMS: act 3 to conduct oneself properly ◇ SYNONYMS: be well-behaved, mind your manners, keep your nose clean, act correctly, conduct yourself properlybehaviour or (US) behavior n 1 manner of behaving ◇ SYNONYMS: conduct, ways, actions, bearing, attitude, manner, manners, demeanour 2 (psychol) the response of an organism to a stimulus > behavioural or (US) behavioral adjbehead vb to remove the head frombeheld vb the past of beholdbehest n an order or earnest request: I came at her behestbehind prep 1 in or to a position further back than ◇ SYNONYMS: at the rear of, at the back of, at the heels of 2 in the past in relation to: I want to leave the past behind me 3 late according to: running behind schedule ◇ SYNONYMS: later than, after 4 concerning the circumstances surrounding: the reasons behind his departure ◇ SYNONYMS: causing, responsible for, initiating, at the bottom of, instigating 5 supporting: I'm right behind you in your application ◇ SYNONYMS: supporting, for, backing, on the side of, in agreement with ▸ adv 6 in or to a position further back ◇ SYNONYMS: after, next, following, afterwards, subsequently, in the wake (of) 7 remaining after someone's departure: she left her books behind 8 in arrears: to fall behind with payments ◇ SYNONYMS: overdue, in debt, in arrears, behindhand ▸ adj 9 in a position further back ◇ SYNONYMS: after, next, following, afterwards, subsequently, in the wake (of) ▸ n 10 (informal) the buttocks ◇ SYNONYMS: bottom (informal), butt (informal), buttocks, posteriorbehold vb -holding, -held (archaic, or literary) to look (at); observe > beholder nbeholden adj indebted; obliged: I am beholden to youbehove vb -hoving, -hoved (archaic) to be necessary or fitting for: it behoves me to warn youbeige adj pale creamy-brownbeing n 1 the state or fact of existing ◇ SYNONYMS: life, reality 2 essential nature; self ◇ SYNONYMS: soul, spirit, substance, creature, essence, organism, entity 3 something that exists or is thought to exist: a being from outer space ◇ SYNONYMS: individual, creature, human being, living thing 4 a human being ◇ SYNONYMS: individual, creature, human being, living thingbelabour or (US) belabor vb to attack verbally or physicallybelated adj late or too late: belated greetings > belatedly advbelch vb 1 to expel wind from the stomach noisily through the mouth 2 to expel or be expelled forcefully: smoke belching from factory chimneys ▸ n 3 an act of belchingbeleaguered adj 1 struggling against difficulties or criticism: the country's beleaguered health system ◇ SYNONYMS: harassed, troubled, plagued, hassled (informal), badgered, persecuted, pestered, vexed 2 besieged by an enemy: a ship bringing food to the beleaguered capital of Monrovia ◇ SYNONYMS: besieged, surrounded, blockaded, beset, encircled, assailed, hemmed inbelfry n, pl -fries 1 the part of a tower or steeple in which bells are hung 2 a tower or steeplebelgium sausage n (Austral & NZ) a large smooth bland sausagebelie vb -lying, -lied 1 to show to be untrue: the facts belied the theory 2 to misrepresent: the score belied the closeness of the match 3 to fail to justify: the promises were soon beliedbelief n 1 trust or confidence: belief in the free market ◇ SYNONYMS: trust, confidence, conviction 2 opinion; conviction: it's my firm belief ◇ SYNONYMS: opinion, feeling, idea, impression, assessment, notion, judgment, point of view 3 a principle, etc. accepted as true, often without proof ◇ SYNONYMS: faith, principles, doctrine, ideology, creed, dogma, tenet, credo 4 religious faithbelieve vb -lieving, -lieved 1 to accept as true or real: I believe God exists ◇ SYNONYMS: accept, trust, credit, depend on, rely on, have faith in, swear by, be certain of 2 to think, assume, or suppose: I believe you know my father ◇ SYNONYMS: think, judge, suppose, estimate, imagine, assume, gather, reckon 3 to accept the statement or opinion of (a person) as true ◇ SYNONYMS: accept, trust, credit, depend on, rely on, have faith in, swear by, be certain of 4 to have religious faith 5 believe in to be convinced of the truth or existence of: I don't believe in ghosts > believable adj > believer nbelittle vb -tling, -tled to treat (something or someone) as having little value or importancebell n 1 a hollow, usually metal, cup-shaped instrument that emits a ringing sound when struck 2 the sound made by such an instrument 3 an electrical device that rings or buzzes as a signal 4 something shaped like a bell 5 (Brit slang) a telephone call 6 ring a bell to sound familiar; recall to the mind something previously experiencedbelladonna n 1 a drug obtained from deadly nightshade 2 same as deadly nightshadebelle n a beautiful woman, esp. the most attractive woman at a function: the belle of the ballbellicose adj warlike; aggressivebelligerence n the act or quality of being belligerent or warlikebelligerent adj 1 marked by readiness to fight 2 relating to or engaged in war ▸ n 3 a person or country engaged in warbellow vb 1 to make a loud deep cry like that of a bull ◇ SYNONYMS: shout, cry (out), scream, roar, yell, howl, shriek, bawl 2 to shout in anger ▸ n 3 the characteristic noise of a bull 4 a loud deep roar ◇ SYNONYMS: shout, cry, scream, roar, yell, howl, shriek, bawlbellows n 1 a device consisting of an air chamber with flexible sides that is used to create and direct a stream of air 2 a flexible corrugated part, such as that connecting the lens system of some cameras to the bodybelly n, pl -lies 1 the part of the body of a vertebrate containing the intestines and other organs ◇ SYNONYMS: stomach, insides (informal), gut, abdomen, tummy (informal), paunch, potbelly, corporation (informal), puku (NZ) 2 the stomach ◇ SYNONYMS: stomach, insides (informal), gut, abdomen, tummy (informal), paunch, potbelly, corporation (informal), puku (NZ) 3 the front, lower, or inner part of something 4 go belly up (informal) to die, fail, or end ▸ vb -lies, -lying, -lied 5 to swell out; bulgebellyful n 1 (slang) more than one can tolerate 2 as much as one wants or can eatbelong vb 1 (foll. by to) to be the property of 2 (foll. by to) to be bound to (a person, organization, etc.) by ties of affection, association, membership, etc.: the nations concerned belonged to NATO 3 (foll. by to or under or with etc) to be classified with: it belongs to a different class of comets 4 (foll. by to) to be a part of: this lid belongs to that tin ◇ SYNONYMS: go with, fit into, be part of, relate to, be connected with, pertain to 5 to have a proper or usual place 6 (informal) to be acceptable, esp. sociallybelongings pl n the things that a person owns or has with him or her ◇ SYNONYMS: possessions, goods, things, effects, property, stuff, gear, paraphernaliabeloved adj 1 dearly loved ◇ SYNONYMS: dear, loved, valued, prized, admired, treasured, precious, darling ▸ n 2 a person who is dearly lovedbelow prep 1 at or to a position lower than; under ◇ SYNONYMS: under, underneath, lower than 2 less than ◇ SYNONYMS: less than, lower than 3 unworthy of; beneath ▸ adv 4 at or to a lower position ◇ SYNONYMS: lower, down, under, beneath, underneath 5 at a later place in something written 6 (archaic) on earth or in hellbelt n 1 a band of leather or cloth worn around the waist ◇ SYNONYMS: waistband, band, sash, girdle, girth, cummerbund 2 an area where a specific thing is found; zone: a belt of high pressure ◇ SYNONYMS: zone, area, region, section, district, stretch, strip, layer 3 same as seat belt 4 a band of flexible material between rotating shafts or pulleys to transfer motion or transmit goods: a fan belt; a conveyer belt ◇ SYNONYMS: conveyor belt, band, loop, fan belt, drive belt 5 (informal) a sharp blow 6 below the belt (informal) unscrupulous or cowardly 7 tighten one's belt to reduce expenditure 8 under one's belt as part of one's experience: he had a string of successes under his belt ▸ vb 9 to fasten with or as if with a belt 10 to hit with a belt 11 (slang) to give (someone) a sharp blow 12 (foll. by along) (slang) to move very fastbemoan vb to lament: he's always bemoaning his fatebemused adj puzzled or confused ◇ SYNONYMS: puzzled, confused, baffled, at sea, bewildered, muddled, perplexed, mystifiedbench n 1 a long seat for more than one person ◇ SYNONYMS: seat, stall, pew 2 the bench A a judge or magistrate sitting in court ◇ SYNONYMS the bench: court, judges, magistrates, tribunal, judiciary, courtroom B judges or magistrates collectively ◇ SYNONYMS the bench: court, judges, magistrates, tribunal, judiciary, courtroom 3 a long and strong worktable ◇ SYNONYMS: worktable, stand, table, counter, trestle table, workbenchbenchmark n 1 a mark on a fixed object, used as a reference point in surveying 2 a criterion by which to measure something: the speech was a benchmark of his commitment ◇ SYNONYMS: reference point, gauge, yardstick, measure, level, standard, model, parbend vb bending, bent 1 to form a curve ◇ SYNONYMS: twist, turn, wind, lean, hook, bow, curve, arch 2 to turn from a particular direction: the road bends right 3 (often foll. by down etc) to incline the body 4 to submit: to bend before public opinion 5 to turn or direct (one's eyes, steps, or attention) 6 bend someone's ear (informal) to complain (to someone) for a long time 7 bend the rules (informal) to ignore or change rules to suit oneself ▸ n 8 a curved part ◇ SYNONYMS: curve, turn, corner, twist, angle, bow, loop, arc 9 the act of bending 10 round the bend (Brit slang) foolish or silly > bendy adjbeneath prep 1 below; under ◇ SYNONYMS: under, below, underneath, lower than 2 too trivial for: beneath his dignity ◇ SYNONYMS: unworthy of, unfitting for, unsuitable for, inappropriate for, unbefitting ▸ adv 3 below; underneath ◇ SYNONYMS: underneath, below, in a lower placeBenedictine n 1 a monk or nun of the Christian order of Saint Benedict 2 a liqueur first made by Benedictine monks ▸ adj 3 of Saint Benedict or his orderbenediction n 1 a prayer for divine blessing 2 a Roman Catholic service in which the congregation is blessed with the sacrament > benedictory adjbenefaction n 1 the act of doing good, particularly donating to charity 2 the donation or help givenbenefactor or (fem) benefactress n a person who supports a person or institution by giving moneybeneficent (bin-eff-iss-ent) adj charitable; generous > beneficence nbeneficial adj helpful or advantageous ◇ SYNONYMS: favourable, useful, valuable, helpful, profitable, benign, wholesome, advantageousbeneficiary n, pl -ciaries 1 a person who gains or benefits ◇ SYNONYMS: recipient, receiver, payee 2 (law) a person entitled to receive funds or property under a trust, will, etc. ◇ SYNONYMS: heir, inheritorbenefit n 1 something that improves or promotes ◇ SYNONYMS: good, help, profit, favour 2 advantage or sake: I'm doing this for your benefit ◇ SYNONYMS: advantage, aid, favour, assistance 3 a payment made by an institution or government to a person who is ill, unemployed, etc. ◇ SYNONYMS: good, help, profit, favour 4 a theatrical performance or sports event to raise money for a charity ▸ vb -fiting, -fited (US) -fitting, -fitted 5 to do or receive good; profit ◇ SYNONYMS: profit from, make the most of, gain from, do well out of, reap benefits from, turn to your advantagebenevolence n 1 inclination to do good 2 an act of kindness > benevolent adjbenighted adj lacking cultural, moral, or intellectual enlightenmentbenign (bin-nine) adj 1 showing kindliness ◇ SYNONYMS: benevolent, kind, kindly, warm, friendly, obliging, sympathetic, compassionate 2 favourable: a stroke of benign fate 3 (pathol) (of a tumour, etc.) able to be controlled ◇ SYNONYMS: harmless, innocent, innocuous, curable, inoffensive, remediable > benignly advbent adj 1 not straight; curved ◇ SYNONYMS: misshapen, twisted, angled, bowed, curved, arched, crooked, distorted 2 (slang) A dishonest; corrupt: bent officials B (Brit & Austral offensive, slang) homosexual 3 bent on determined to pursue (a course of action) ◇ SYNONYMS bent on: intent on, set on, fixed on, predisposed to, resolved on, insistent on ▸ n 4 personal inclination or aptitude: he had a strong practical bent in his nature ◇ SYNONYMS: inclination, ability, leaning, tendency, preference, penchant, propensity, aptitudebento or bento box n a thin box, made of plastic or lacquered wood, divided into compartments, which contain small separate dishes comprising a Japanese meal, esp. lunchbenzene n a flammable poisonous liquid used as a solvent, insecticide, etc.bequeath vb 1 (law) to dispose of (property) as in a will ◇ SYNONYMS: leave, will, give, grant, hand down, endow, bestow, entrust 2 to hand down: the author bequeaths no solutions ◇ SYNONYMS: give, accord, grant, afford, yield, lend, pass on, conferbequest n 1 the act of gifting money or property in a will 2 money or property that has been gifted in a willberate vb -rating, -rated to scold harshlybereaved adj having recently lost a close relative or friend through death > bereavement nbereft adj (foll. by of) deprived: a government bereft of ideasberet (ber-ray) n a round flat close-fitting brimless capberg1 n short for icebergberg2 n (S African) a mountainbergamot n 1 a small Asian tree with sour pear-shaped fruit 2 essence of bergamot a fragrant essential oil from the fruit rind of this plant, used in perfumeryberi-beri n a disease caused by a dietary deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1)berk or burk n (Brit & Austral & NZ slang) a stupid person; foolberm n (NZ) a narrow grass strip between the road and the footpath in a residential areaberry n, pl -ries a small round fruit that grows on bushes or trees and is often edibleberserk adj go berserk to become violent or destructiveberth n 1 a bunk in a ship or train ◇ SYNONYMS: bunk, bed, hammock, billet 2 (naut) a place assigned to a ship at a mooring ◇ SYNONYMS: anchorage, haven, port, harbour, dock, pier, wharf, quay 3 (naut) sufficient room for a ship to manoeuvre 4 give a wide berth to to keep clear of ▸ vb 5 (naut) to dock (a ship) ◇ SYNONYMS: anchor, land, dock, moor, tie up, drop anchor 6 to provide with a sleeping place 7 (naut) to pick up a mooring in an anchorageberyl n a transparent hard mineral, used as a source of beryllium and as a gemstoneberyllium n a toxic silvery-white metallic element. SYMBOL: Be