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blot n

1 a stain or spot, esp. of ink 2 something that spoils 3 a stain on one's character ▸ vb blotting, blotted 4 to stain or spot 5 to cause a blemish in or on: he blotted his copybook by missing a penalty 6 to soak up (excess ink, etc.) by using blotting paper 7 blot out A to darken or hide completely: the mist blotted out the sea B to block from one's mind: to blot out the memoriesblotch n 1 an irregular spot or discoloration ▸ vb 2 to become or cause to become marked by such discoloration > blotchy adjblotter n a sheet of blotting paperblotting paper n a soft absorbent paper, used for soaking up surplus inkblotto adj (Brit & Austral & NZ slang) extremely drunkblouse n 1 a woman's shirtlike garment 2 a waist-length belted jacket worn by soldiers ▸ vb blousing, bloused 3 to hang or cause to hang in full loose foldsblow1 vb blowing, blew, blown 1 (of a current of air, the wind, etc.) to be or cause to be in motion 2 to move or be carried by or as if by wind ◇ SYNONYMS: be carried, flutter 3 to expel (air, etc.) through the mouth or nose ◇ SYNONYMS: exhale, breathe, pant, puff 4 to breathe hard; pant 5 to inflate with air or the breath 6 (of wind, etc.) to make a roaring sound 7 to cause (a musical instrument) to sound by forcing air into it ◇ SYNONYMS: play, sound, pipe, trumpet, blare, toot 8 (often foll. by up or in etc) to explode, break, or disintegrate completely ◇ SYNONYMS blow up: explode, burst, shatter, erupt, detonate 9 (electronics) (of a fuse or valve) to burn out because of excessive current 10 to shape (glass, etc.) by forcing air or gas through the material when molten 11 (slang) to spend (money) freely 12 (slang) to use (an opportunity) ineffectively 13 (slang) to expose or betray (a secret) 14 past participle blowed (informal) same as damn 15 blow hot and cold (informal) to keep changing one's attitude towards someone or something 16 blow one's top (informal) to lose one's temper ▸ n 17 the act or an instance of blowing 18 the sound produced by blowing 19 a blast of air or wind 20 (Brit slang) cannabis ▸ See also blow out etcblow2 n 1 a powerful or heavy stroke with the fist, a weapon, etc. ◇ SYNONYMS: knock, stroke, punch, bang, sock (slang), smack, thump, clout (informal) 2 a sudden setback: the scheme was dealt a blow by the introduction of martial law ◇ SYNONYMS: setback, shock, disaster, reverse, disappointment, catastrophe, misfortune, bombshell 3 an attacking action: a blow for freedom 4 come to blows A to fight B to result in a fightblow-dry vb -dries, -drying, -dried 1 to style (the hair) while drying it with a hand-held hair dryer ▸ n 2 this method of styling hairblower n 1 a mechanical device, such as a fan, that blows 2 (informal) a telephoneblowie n (Austral informal) a bluebottleblown vb a past participle of blowblow out vb 1 (of a flame) to extinguish or be extinguished 2 (of a tyre) to puncture suddenly 3 (of an oil or gas well) to lose oil or gas in an uncontrolled manner ▸ n blowout 4 a sudden burst in a tyre 5 the uncontrolled escape of oil or gas from a well 6 (slang) a large filling meal 7 (Austral) a sudden large increaseblowsy adj blowsier, blowsiest 1 (of a woman) untidy in appearance 2 (of a woman) ruddy in complexionblow up vb 1 to explode or cause to explode ◇ SYNONYMS blow something up: explode, bomb, blast, detonate, blow sky-high 2 to inflate with air ◇ SYNONYMS blow something up: inflate, pump up, fill, expand, swell, enlarge, puff up, distend 3 to increase the importance of (something): an affair blown up out of all proportion 4 (informal) to lose one's temper ◇ SYNONYMS blow up: lose your temper, rage, erupt, see red (informal), become angry, hit the roof (informal), fly off the handle (informal), go crook (Austral & NZ slang), blow your top 5 (informal) to reprimand (someone) 6 (informal) to enlarge (a photograph) ◇ SYNONYMS blow something up: magnify, increase, extend, expand, widen, broaden, amplify 7 to come into existence with sudden force: a crisis had blown up ▸ n blow-up 8 (informal) an enlarged photographblowy adj blowier, blowiest windyblubber n 1 the fatty tissue of aquatic mammals such as the whale 2 (informal) flabby body fat ▸ vb 3 to sob without restraintbludge (Austral & NZ informal) vb bludging, bludged 1 (foll. by on) to scrounge from 2 to evade work ◇ SYNONYMS: slack, skive (Brit informal), idle, shirk ▸ n 3 a very easy task > bludger nbludgeon n 1 a stout heavy club, typically thicker at one end ▸ vb 2 to hit as if with a bludgeon 3 to force; bully; coerceblue n 1 the colour of a clear unclouded sky 2 anything blue, such as blue clothing or blue paint: she is clothed in blue 3 a sportsperson who represents or has represented Oxford or Cambridge University 4 (Brit informal) a Tory 5 (Austral & NZ slang) an argument or fight 6 Also: bluey (Austral & NZ slang) a court summons 7 (Austral & NZ informal) a mistake 8 out of the blue unexpectedly ▸ adj bluer, bluest 9 of the colour blue; of the colour of a clear unclouded sky 10 (of the flesh) having a purple tinge from cold 11 depressed or unhappy ◇ SYNONYMS: depressed, low, sad, unhappy, melancholy, dejected, despondent, downcast 12 pornographic: blue movies ▸ vb blueing or bluing, blued 13 to make or become blue or bluer 14 (old-fashioned, informal) to spend extravagantly or wastefully: I consoled myself by blueing my royalty cheque > blueness nbluebell n a woodland plant with blue bell-shaped flowersbluebottle n 1 a large fly with a dark-blue body; blowfly 2 (Austral & NZ informal) a Portuguese man-of-warblue-collar adj denoting manual industrial workersblue heeler n (Austral & NZ informal) a dog that controls cattle by biting their heelsblueprint n 1 an original description of a plan or idea that explains how it is expected to work ◇ SYNONYMS: scheme, plan, design, system, programme, proposal, strategy, pattern 2 a photographic print of plans, technical drawings, etc. consisting of white lines on a blue background ◇ SYNONYMS: plan, scheme, pattern, draft, outline, sketchbluetongue n an Australian lizard with a blue tongueBluetooth n (trademark) a short-range radio technology that allows wireless communication between computers, mobile phones, etc.bluff1 vb 1 to pretend to be confident in order to influence (someone) ◇ SYNONYMS: deceive, trick, fool, pretend, cheat, con, fake, mislead ▸ n 2 deliberate deception to create the impression of a strong position ◇ SYNONYMS: deception, fraud, sham, pretence, deceit, bravado, bluster, humbug 3 call someone's bluff to challenge someone to give proof of his or her claimsbluff2 n 1 a steep promontory, bank, or cliff ◇ SYNONYMS: precipice, bank, peak, cliff, ridge, crag, escarpment, promontory 2 (Canad) a clump of trees on the prairie; copse ▸ adj 3 good-naturedly frank and hearty ◇ SYNONYMS: hearty, open, blunt, outspoken, genial, ebullient, jovial, plain-spokenbluish or blueish adj slightly blueblunder n 1 a stupid or clumsy mistake ◇ SYNONYMS: mistake, slip, fault, error, oversight, gaffe, slip-up (informal), indiscretion, barry or Barry Crocker (Austral slang) ▸ vb 2 to make stupid or clumsy mistakes ◇ SYNONYMS: make a mistake, blow it (slang), err, slip up (informal), foul up, put your foot in it (informal) 3 to act clumsily; stumble ◇ SYNONYMS: stumble, fall, reel, stagger, lurch > blundering n, adjblunderbuss n an obsolete gun with wide barrel and flared muzzleblunt adj 1 (esp. of a knife) lacking sharpness ◇ SYNONYMS: dull, rounded, dulled, edgeless, unsharpened 2 not having a sharp edge or point: a blunt instrument ◇ SYNONYMS: dull, rounded, dulled, edgeless, unsharpened 3 (of people, manner of speaking, etc.) straightforward and uncomplicated ◇ SYNONYMS: frank, forthright, straightforward, rude, outspoken, bluff, brusque, plain-spoken ▸ vb 4 to make less sharp 5 to diminish the sensitivity or perception of: prison life has blunted his mind > bluntly advblur vb blurring, blurred 1 to make or become vague or less distinct ◇ SYNONYMS: become indistinct, become vague, become hazy, become fuzzy 2 to smear or smudge 3 to make (the judgment, memory, or perception) less clear; dim ▸ n 4 something vague, hazy, or indistinct ◇ SYNONYMS: haze, confusion, fog, obscurity, indistinctness 5 a smear or smudge > blurred adj > blurry adjblurb n a promotional description, such as on the jackets of booksblurt vb (foll. by out) to utter suddenly and involuntarilyblush vb 1 to become suddenly red in the face, esp. from embarrassment or shame ◇ SYNONYMS: turn red, colour, glow, flush, redden, go red (as a beetroot), turn scarlet ▸ n 2 a sudden reddening of the face, esp. from embarrassment or shame 3 a rosy glow ◇ SYNONYMS: reddening, colour, glow, flush, pink tinge, rosiness, ruddiness, rosy tint 4 same as rosébluster vb 1 to speak loudly or in a bullying way 2 (of the wind) to be gusty ▸ n 3 empty threats or protests > blustery adjBMA British Medical AssociationBMI body mass index: an index used to indicate whether or not a person is a healthy weight for his or her heightBO 1 (informal) body odour 2 box officeboa n 1 a large nonvenomous snake of Central and South America that kills its prey by constriction 2 a long thin scarf of feathers or furboab (boh-ab) n (Austral informal) short for baobabboa constrictor n a very large snake of tropical America and the West Indies that kills its prey by constrictionboar n 1 an uncastrated male pig 2 a wild pigboard n 1 a long wide flat piece of sawn timber ◇ SYNONYMS: plank, panel, timber, slat, piece of timber 2 a smaller flat piece of rigid material for a specific purpose: ironing board 3 A a group of people who officially administer a company, trust, etc. B any other official group, such as examiners or interviewers ◇ SYNONYMS: council, directors, committee, congress, advisers, panel, assembly, trustees 4 a person's meals, provided regularly for money ◇ SYNONYMS: meals, provisions, victuals, daily meals 5 stiff cardboard or similar material, used for the outside covers of a book 6 a flat thin rectangular sheet of composite material, such as chipboard 7 (naut) the side of a ship 8 a portable surface for indoor games such as chess or backgammon 9 go by the board (informal) to be in disuse, neglected, or lost 10 on board on or in a ship, aeroplane, etc. ▸ vb 11 to go aboard (a train or other vehicle) ◇ SYNONYMS: get on, enter, mount, embark 12 to attack (a ship) by forcing one's way aboard 13 (foll. by up or in etc) to cover with boards 14 to receive meals and lodging in return for money 15 board out to arrange for (someone, esp. a child) to receive food and lodging away from home 16 (in ice hockey and box lacrosse) to bodycheck an opponent against the boardsboarder n (Brit) a pupil who lives at school during term timeboarding house n a private house that provides accommodation and meals for paying guestsboardroom n a room where the board of directors of a company meetsboast vb 1 to speak in excessively proud terms of one's possessions, talents, etc. ◇ SYNONYMS: brag, crow, vaunt, talk big (slang), blow your own trumpet, show off, be proud of, congratulate yourself on, skite (Austral & NZ informal) 2 to possess (something to be proud of): a team which boasts five current world record holders ◇ SYNONYMS: possess, exhibit ▸ n 3 a bragging statement 4 something that is bragged about: this proved to be a false boastboastful adj tending to boastboat n 1 a small vessel propelled by oars, paddle, sails, or motor 2 (informal) a ship 3 in the same boat sharing the same problems 4 miss the boat to lose an opportunity 5 rock the boat (informal) to cause a disturbance in the existing situation ▸ vb 6 to travel or go in a boat, esp. as recreationboater n a stiff straw hat with a straight brim and flat crownboating n rowing, sailing, or cruising in boats as a form of recreationboatswain (boh-sn) n (naut) same as bosunbob1 vb bobbing, bobbed 1 to move or cause to move up and down repeatedly, such as while floating in water ◇ SYNONYMS: bounce, duck, hop, oscillate 2 to move or cause to move with a short abrupt movement, esp. of the head 3 bob up to appear or emerge suddenly ▸ n 4 a short abrupt movement, as of the headbob2 n 1 a hairstyle in which the hair is cut short evenly all round the head 2 a dangling weight on a pendulum or plumb line ▸ vb bobbing, bobbed 3 to cut (the hair) in a bobbobbin n a reel on which thread or yarn is woundbobble n 1 a tufted ball, usually woollen, that is used for decoration ▸ vb -bling, -bled 2 (of a ball) to bounce erratically because of an uneven playing surfacebobby n, pl -bies (Brit informal) a British police officerbobotie (ba-boot-ee) n (S African) a traditional Cape dish of curried minced meatbobsleigh n 1 a sledge for racing down a steeply banked ice-covered run ▸ vb 2 to ride on a bobsleighbode vb boding, boded to be an omen of (good or ill); portendbodice n 1 the upper part of a dress, from the shoulder to the waist 2 a tight-fitting corset worn laced over a blouse, or (formerly) as a woman's undergarmentbodily adj 1 relating to the human body ◇ SYNONYMS: physical, material, actual, substantial (formal), tangible, corporal, carnal, corporeal ▸ adv 2 by taking hold of the body: he threw him bodily from the platform 3 in person; in the fleshbodkin n a blunt large-eyed needlebody n, pl bodies 1 the entire physical structure of an animal or human. RELATED ADJECTIVE: corporal ◇ SYNONYMS: physique, build, form, figure, shape, frame, constitution 2 the trunk or torso ◇ SYNONYMS: torso, trunk 3 a corpse ◇ SYNONYMS: corpse, dead body, remains, carcass, cadaver, stiff (slang) 4 a group regarded as a single entity: a local voluntary body ◇ SYNONYMS: organization, company, group, society, association, band, congress, institution 5 the main part of anything: the body of a car ◇ SYNONYMS: main part, matter, material, mass, substance, bulk, essence 6 a separate mass of water or land ◇ SYNONYMS: expanse, mass 7 the flesh as opposed to the spirit 8 fullness in the appearance of the hair 9 the characteristic full quality of certain wines 10 (informal) a person: all the important bodies from the council were present 11 a woman's one-piece undergarment 12 keep body and soul together to manage to survivebodyguard n a person or group of people employed to protect someonebody mass indexbodywork n the external shell of a motor vehicleBoer n a descendant of any of the Dutch or Huguenot colonists who settled in South Africaboerewors (boor-a-vorss) n (S African) a traditional home-made farmer's sausageboffin n (old-fashioned, informal) a scientist or expertbog n 1 a wet spongy area of land ◇ SYNONYMS: marsh, swamp, slough, wetlands, fen, mire, quagmire, morass, pakihi (NZ), muskeg (Canad) 2 (slang) a toilet > boggy adj > bogginess nbog down vb bogging, bogged to impede physically or mentallybogey or bogy n 1 an evil or mischievous spirit 2 something that worries or annoys ◇ SYNONYMS: bugbear, bête noire, horror, nightmare, bugaboo 3 (golf) a score of one stroke over par on a hole 4 (slang) a piece of dried mucus from the noseboggle vb -gling, -gled 1 to be surprised, confused, or alarmed: the mind boggles at the idea 2 to hesitate or be evasive when confronted with a problembogie or bogy n an assembly of wheels forming a pivoted support at either end of a railway coachbogus (boh-guss) adj not genuine ◇ SYNONYMS: fake, false, artificial, forged, imitation, sham, fraudulent, counterfeitbogy n, pl -gies same as bogey, bogiebohemian n 1 a person, esp. an artist or writer, who lives an unconventional life ▸ adj 2 unconventional in appearance, behaviour, etc. > bohemianism nboil1 vb 1 to change or cause to change from a liquid to a vapour so rapidly that bubbles of vapour are formed in the liquid 2 to reach or cause to reach boiling point 3 to cook or be cooked by the process of boiling 4 to bubble and be agitated like something boiling: the sea was boiling ◇ SYNONYMS: simmer, bubble, foam, seethe, fizz, froth, effervesce 5 to be extremely angry ▸ n 6 the state or action of boilingboil2 n a red painful swelling with a hard pus-filled core caused by infection of the skin ◇ SYNONYMS: pustule, gathering (informal), swelling, blister, carbuncleboiler n 1 a closed vessel in which water is heated to provide steam to drive machinery 2 a domestic device to provide hot water, esp. for central heatingboilerplate n a standard text, esp. for a contract or letter, that can be modified to cover different situationsboisterous adj 1 noisy and lively; unruly 2 (of the sea, etc.) turbulent or stormybold adj 1 courageous, confident, and fearless ◇ SYNONYMS: fearless, enterprising, brave, daring, heroic, adventurous, courageous, audacious 2 immodest or impudent: she gave him a bold look ◇ SYNONYMS: impudent, forward, confident, rude, cheeky, feisty (informal), brazen, shameless, insolent 3 (Irish) (of a child) naughty; badly behaved 4 standing out distinctly; conspicuous: a figure carved in bold relief > boldly adv > boldness nbole n the trunk of a treebolero n, pl -ros 1 a Spanish dance, usually in triple time 2 music for this dance 3 a short open jacket not reaching the waistbollard n 1 (Brit & Austral) a small post marking a kerb or traffic island or barring cars from entering 2 a strong wooden or metal post on a wharf, quay, etc., used for securing mooring linesBolshevik n 1 (formerly) a Russian Communist 2 any Communist 3 (informal, derogatory) any political radical, esp. a revolutionary > Bolshevism n > Bolshevist adj, nbolshie or bolshy (Brit & NZ informal) adj 1 difficult to manage; rebellious 2 politically radical or left-wing ▸ n, pl -shies 3 any political radicalbolster vb 1 to support or strengthen: the government were unwilling to bolster sterling ◇ SYNONYMS: support, help, boost, strengthen, reinforce, shore up, augment ▸ n 2 a long narrow pillow 3 any pad or supportbolt n 1 a bar that can be slid into a socket to lock a door, gate, etc. ◇ SYNONYMS: bar, catch, lock, latch, fastener, sliding bar 2 a metal rod or pin that has a head and a screw thread to take a nut ◇ SYNONYMS: pin, rod, peg, rivet 3 a flash (of lightning) 4 a sudden movement, esp. in order to escape 5 an arrow, esp. for a crossbow 6 a bolt from the blue a sudden, unexpected, and usually unwelcome event 7 shoot one's bolt to exhaust one's efforts ▸ vb 8 to run away suddenly 9 to secure or lock with or as if with a bolt ◇ SYNONYMS: lock, close, bar, secure, fasten, latch 10 to attach firmly (one thing to another) by means of a nut and bolt 11 to eat hurriedly: bolting your food may lead to indigestion ◇ SYNONYMS: gobble, stuff, wolf, cram, gorge, devour, gulp, guzzle 12 (of a horse) to run away without control 13 (of vegetables) to produce flowers and seeds too soon ▸ adv 14 bolt upright stiff and rigidbolt hole n a place of escapebomb n 1 a hollow projectile containing explosive, incendiary, or other destructive substance ◇ SYNONYMS: explosive, mine, shell, missile, device, rocket, grenade, torpedo 2 an object in which an explosive device has been planted: a car bomb 3 (chiefly Brit slang) a large sum of money: it cost a bomb 4 (slang) a disastrous failure: the new play was a total bomb 5 like a bomb (informal) with great speed or success 6 the bomb a hydrogen or an atom bomb considered as the ultimate destructive weapon ▸ vb 7 to attack with a bomb or bombs; drop bombs (on) ◇ SYNONYMS: blow up, attack, destroy, assault, shell, blitz, bombard, torpedo 8 (foll. by along) (informal) to move or drive very quickly 9 (slang) to fail disastrously ▸ See also bomb out > bombing nbombard vb 1 to attack with concentrated artillery fire or bombs ◇ SYNONYMS: bomb, shell, blitz, open fire, strafe, fire upon 2 to attack persistently ◇ SYNONYMS: attack, assault, besiege, beset, assail 3 to attack verbally, esp. with questions 4 (physics) to direct high-energy particles or photons against (atoms, nuclei, etc.) > bombardment nbombast n pompous and flowery language > bombastic adjbomber n 1 a military aircraft designed to carry out bombing missions 2 a person who plants bombsbomb out vb (informal) to fail disastrouslybombshell n a shocking or unwelcome surprisebona fide (bone-a fide-ee) adj 1 genuine: a bona fide manuscript 2 undertaken in good faith: a bona fide agreementbonanza n 1 sudden and unexpected luck or wealth 2 (US & Canad) a mine or vein rich in orebond n 1 something that binds, fastens, or holds together ◇ SYNONYMS: fastening, tie, chain, cord, shackle, fetter, manacle 2 something that brings or holds people together; tie: a bond of friendship ◇ SYNONYMS: tie, union, coupling, link, association, relation, connection, alliance 3 bonds something that restrains or imprisons 4 a written or spoken agreement, esp. a promise: a marriage bond ◇ SYNONYMS: agreement, word, promise, contract, guarantee, pledge, obligation, covenant 5 (chem) a means by which atoms are combined in a molecule 6 (finance) a certificate of debt issued in order to raise funds 7 (S African) the conditional pledging of property, esp. a house, as security for the repayment of a loan 8 (law) a written acknowledgment of an obligation to pay a sum or to perform a contract 9 in bond (commerce) securely stored until duty is paid ▸ vb 10 to hold or be held together; bind ◇ SYNONYMS: fix, hold, bind, connect, glue, stick, paste, fasten 11 to form a friendship ◇ SYNONYMS: form friendships, connect 12 to put or hold (goods) in bondbondage n 1 a sexual practice in which one partner is tied or chained up 2 slavery 3 subjection to some influence or dutybonded adj 1 (finance) consisting of, secured by, or operating under a bond or bonds 2 (commerce) in bondbone n 1 any of the various structures that make up the skeleton in most vertebrates 2 the porous rigid tissue of which these parts are made 3 something consisting of bone or a bonelike substance 4 bones the human skeleton 5 a thin strip of plastic, etc. used to stiffen corsets and brassieres 6 close to or near the bone risqué or indecent 7 have a bone to pick to have grounds for a quarrel 8 make no bones about A to be direct and candid about B to have no scruples about 9 the bare bones the essentials ▸ vb boning, boned 10 to remove the bones from (meat for cooking, etc.) 11 to stiffen (a corset, etc.) by inserting bones > boneless adjbone-dry adj (informal) completely drybone-idle adj extremely lazybonfire n a large outdoor firebongo n, pl -gos or -goes a small bucket-shaped drum, usually one of a pair, played by beating with the fingersbonhomie (bon-om-mee) n exuberant friendlinessbonito (ba-nee-toh) n, pl -os 1 a small tunny-like marine food fish 2 a related fish, whose flesh is dried and flaked and used in Japanese cookerybonk vb (informal) 1 to have sexual intercourse 2 to hit > bonking nbonnet n 1 (Brit) the hinged metal cover over a motor vehicle's engine 2 any of various hats tied with ribbons under the chin 3 (in Scotland) a soft cloth capbonny adj -nier, -niest 1 (Scot & N English dialect) beautiful: a bonny lass 2 good or finebonsai n, pl -sai an ornamental tree or shrub grown in a small shallow pot in order to stunt its growthbonus n something given, paid, or received above what is due or expected ◇ SYNONYMS: extra, prize, gift, reward, premium, dividendbony adj bonier, boniest 1 resembling or consisting of bone 2 thin 3 having many bonesboo interj 1 a shout uttered to express dissatisfaction or contempt 2 an exclamation uttered to startle someone ▸ vb booing, booed 3 to shout 'boo' at (someone or something) as an expression of disapprovalboob (slang) n 1 (Brit & Austral & NZ) an embarrassing mistake; blunder 2 a female breast 3 (Austral) a prison ▸ vb 4 (Brit & Austral & NZ) to make a blunderboobook (boo-book) n a small spotted Australian brown owlbooby n, pl -bies 1 (old-fashioned) an ignorant or foolish person 2 a tropical marine bird related to the gannetbooby prize n a mock prize given to the person with the lowest score in a competitionbooby trap n 1 a hidden explosive device primed so as to be set off by an unsuspecting victim 2 a trap for an unsuspecting person, esp. one intended as a practical jokeboogie vb -gieing, -gied (slang) to dance to fast pop musicbook n 1 a number of printed pages bound together along one edge and protected by covers ◇ SYNONYMS: work, title, volume, publication, tract, tome, e-book or ebook, blook 2 a written work or composition, such as a novel ◇ SYNONYMS: work, title, volume, publication, tract, tome, e-book or ebook, blook 3 a number of sheets of paper bound together: an account book ◇ SYNONYMS: notebook, album, journal, diary, pad, notepad, exercise book, jotter 4 books a record of the transactions of a business or society 5 the libretto of an opera or musical 6 a major division of a written composition, such as of a long novel or of the Bible 7 a number of tickets, stamps, etc. fastened together along one edge 8 a record of betting transactions 9 a closed book a subject that is beyond comprehension: art remains a closed book to him 10 bring to book to reprimand or require (someone) to give an explanation of his or her conduct 11 by the book according to the rules 12 in someone's good or bad books regarded by someone with favour or disfavour 13 throw the book at someone A to charge someone with every relevant offence B to inflict the most severe punishment on someone ▸ vb 14 to reserve (a place, passage, etc.) or engage the services of (someone) in advance ◇ SYNONYMS: reserve, schedule, engage, organize, charter, arrange for, make reservations, e-book or ebook 15 (of a police officer) to take the name and address of (a person) for an alleged offence with a view to prosecution 16 (of a football referee) to take the name of (a player) who has broken the rules seriouslybookie n (informal) short for bookmakerbook-keeping n the skill or occupation of systematically recording business transactions > book-keeper nbooklet n a thin book with paper covers ◇ SYNONYMS: brochure, leaflet, hand-out, pamphlet, folder, mailshot, handbillbookmaker n a person who as an occupation accepts bets, esp. on horse racing > bookmaking nbookmark n 1 a strip of some material put between the pages of a book to mark a place 2 an identifier put on a website that enables the user to return to it quickly and easily ▸ vb 3 to identify and store (a website) so that one can return to it quickly and easilybookworm n 1 a person devoted to reading 2 a small insect that feeds on the binding paste of booksboom1 vb 1 to make a loud deep echoing sound ◇ SYNONYMS: bang, roll, crash, blast, explode, roar, thunder, rumble 2 to prosper vigorously and rapidly: business boomed ◇ SYNONYMS: increase, flourish, grow, develop, expand, strengthen, swell, thrive ▸ n 3 a loud deep echoing sound ◇ SYNONYMS: bang, crash, clash, blast, burst, explosion, roar, thunder 4 a period of high economic growth ◇ SYNONYMS: expansion, increase, development, growth, jump, boost, improvement, upsurgeboom2 n 1 (naut) a spar to which the foot of a sail is fastened to control its position 2 a pole carrying an overhead microphone and projected over a film or television set 3 a barrier across a waterwayboomer n (Austral) a large male kangarooboomerang n 1 a curved wooden missile of Australian Aborigines which can be made to return to the thrower 2 an action or statement that recoils on its originator ▸ vb 3 (of a plan) to recoil unexpectedly, harming its originatorboon n something extremely useful, helpful, or beneficial ◇ SYNONYMS: benefit, blessing, godsend, giftboongary (boong-gar-ree) n a tree kangaroo of NE Queensland, Australiaboor n an ill-mannered, clumsy, or insensitive person > boorish adjboost n 1 encouragement or help: a boost to morale ◇ SYNONYMS: encouragement, help 2 an upward thrust or push 3 an increase or rise ◇ SYNONYMS: rise, increase, jump, addition, improvement, expansion, upsurge, upturn ▸ vb 4 to encourage or improve: to boost morale 5 to cause to rise; increase: we significantly boosted our market share ◇ SYNONYMS: increase, develop, raise, expand, add to, heighten, enlarge, amplify 6 to advertise on a big scalebooster n 1 a supplementary injection of a vaccine given to ensure that the first injection will remain effective 2 a radio-frequency amplifier to strengthen signals 3 the first stage of a multistage rocketboot1 n 1 an outer covering for the foot that extends above the ankle 2 (Brit) an enclosed compartment of a car for holding luggage 3 (informal) a kick: he gave the door a boot 4 lick someone's boots to behave flatteringly towards someone 5 put the boot in (slang) A to kick a person when already down B to finish something off with unnecessary brutality 6 the boot (slang) dismissal from employment ▸ vb 7 to kick ◇ SYNONYMS: kick, punt, put the boot in(to) (slang), drop-kick 8 to start up (a computer) 9 boot out (informal) A to eject forcibly B to dismiss from employmentboot2 n to boot as well; in additionboot camp n a centre for juvenile offenders, with strict discipline and hard physical exercisebootee n a soft boot for a baby, esp. a knitted onebooth n, pl booths 1 a small partially enclosed cubicle 2 a stall, esp. a temporary one at a fair or marketbootleg vb -legging, -legged 1 to make, carry, or sell (illicit goods, esp. alcohol) ▸ adj 2 produced, distributed, or sold illicitly ▸ n 3 something that is produced, distributed, or sold illicitly > bootlegger nbooty n, pl -ties any valuable article or articles obtained as plunderbooze (informal) n 1 alcoholic drink ▸ vb boozing, boozed 2 to drink alcohol, esp. in excess > boozy adjbooze bus n (Austral & NZ informal) a mobile police unit used to conduct drug and alcohol tests on driversboozer n (informal) 1 a person who is fond of drinking 2 (Brit & Austral & NZ) a bar or pubbooze-up n (Brit & Austral & NZ slang) a drinking spreebop n 1 a form of jazz with complex rhythms and harmonies ▸ vb bopping, bopped 2 (informal) to dance to pop music > bopper nbora n (Austral) an Aboriginal ceremonyborax n a white mineral in crystalline form used in making glass, soap, etc.border n 1 the dividing line between political or geographic regions ◇ SYNONYMS: frontier, line, limit, bounds, boundary, perimeter, borderline 2 a band or margin around or along the edge of something ◇ SYNONYMS: edge, margin, verge (Brit), rim 3 a design around the edge of something ◇ SYNONYMS: edge, margin, verge (Brit), rim 4 a narrow strip of ground planted with flowers or shrubs: a herbaceous border ▸ vb 5 to provide with a border ◇ SYNONYMS: edge, bound, decorate, trim, fringe, rim, hem 6 A to be adjacent to; lie along the boundary of B to be nearly the same as; verge on: a story that borders on the unbelievablebore1 vb boring, bored 1 to produce (a hole) with a drill, etc. ◇ SYNONYMS: drill, mine, sink, tunnel, pierce, penetrate, burrow, puncture 2 to produce (a tunnel, mine shaft, etc.) by drilling ◇ SYNONYMS: drill, mine, sink, tunnel, pierce, penetrate, burrow, puncture ▸ n 3 a hole or tunnel in the ground drilled in search of minerals, oil, etc. 4 A the hollow of a gun barrel B the diameter of this hollow; calibrebore2 vb boring, bored 1 to tire or make weary by being dull, repetitious, or uninteresting ◇ SYNONYMS: tire, fatigue, weary, wear out, jade, be tedious, pall on, send to sleep ▸ n 2 a dull or repetitious person, activity, or state ◇ SYNONYMS: nuisance, pain (informal), yawn (informal), anorak (informal) > bored adj > boring adjbore3 n a high wave moving up a narrow estuary, caused by the tidebore4 vb the past tense of bearboredom n the state of being bored ◇ SYNONYMS: tedium, apathy, weariness, monotony, sameness, ennui (literary), flatness, world-wearinessboree (baw-ree) n (Austral) same as myallborn vb 1 a past participle of bear 2 not have been born yesterday not to be gullible or foolish ▸ adj 3 possessing certain qualities from birth: a born musician 4 being in a particular social status at birth: ignobly bornborne vb a past participle of bearboron n (chem) a hard almost colourless crystalline metalloid element that is used in hardening steel. SYMBOL: Bboronia n an Australian aromatic flowering shrubborough n 1 a town, esp. (in Britain) one that forms the constituency of an MP or that was originally incorporated by royal charter 2 any of the constituent divisions of Greater London or New York Cityborrow vb 1 to obtain (something, such as money) on the understanding that it will be returned to the lender ◇ SYNONYMS: take on loan, touch (someone) for (slang), scrounge (informal), cadge, use temporarily 2 to adopt (ideas, words, etc.) from another source ◇ SYNONYMS: steal, take, copy, adopt, pinch (informal) > borrower n > borrowing nborscht or borsch n a Russian soup based on beetrootborstal n (formerly, in Britain) a prison for offenders aged 15 to 21borzoi n a tall dog with a narrow head and a long coatbosh n (Brit & Austral & NZ informal) meaningless talk or opinions; nonsenseBosnian adj 1 from Bosnia ▸ n 2 a person from Bosniabosom n 1 the chest or breast of a person, esp. the female breasts 2 a protective centre or part: the bosom of the family 3 the breast considered as the seat of emotions ▸ adj 4 very dear: a bosom friendboss1 (informal) n 1 a person in charge of or employing others ◇ SYNONYMS: manager, head, leader, director, chief, master, employer, supervisor, sherang (Austral & NZ) ▸ vb 2 to employ, supervise, or be in charge of 3 boss around or about to be domineering or overbearing towards ◇ SYNONYMS boss someone around: order around, dominate, bully, oppress, push around (slang)boss2 n a raised knob or stud, esp. an ornamental one on a vault, shield, etc.bossy adj bossier, bossiest (informal) domineering, overbearing, or authoritarian > bossiness nbosun or boatswain (boh-sn) n an officer who is responsible for the maintenance of a ship and its equipmentbot n a computer program that carries out tasks for other programs or usersbotany n, pl -nies the study of plants, including their classification, structure, etc. > botanical or botanic adj > botanist nbotch vb 1 to spoil through clumsiness or ineptitude 2 to repair badly or clumsily ▸ n also botch-up 3 a badly done piece of work or repairboth adj 1 two considered together: both parents were killed during the war ▸ pron 2 two considered together: both are to blame ▸ conj 3 not just one but also the other of two (people or things): both she and her sister enjoyed the showbother vb 1 to take the time or trouble: don't bother to come with me 2 to give annoyance, pain, or trouble to ◇ SYNONYMS: trouble, concern, worry, alarm, disturb, disconcert, perturb 3 to trouble (a person) by repeatedly disturbing; pester ◇ SYNONYMS: pester, plague, harass, hassle (informal), inconvenience ▸ n 4 a state of worry, trouble, or confusion ◇ SYNONYMS: trouble, problem, worry, difficulty, fuss, irritation, hassle (informal), nuisance, uphill (S African) 5 a person or thing that causes fuss, trouble, or annoyance 6 (informal) a disturbance or fight: a spot of bother ▸ interj 7 (Brit & Austral & NZ) an exclamation of slight annoyancebothersome adj causing botherBotox n (trademark) 1 a preparation of botulinum toxin used to treat muscle spasm and to remove wrinkles ▸ vb 2 to apply Botox to (a person or a part of the body)bottle n 1 a container, often of glass and usually cylindrical with a narrow neck, for holding liquids 2 the amount such a container will hold 3 (Brit slang) courage; nerve: you don't have the bottle 4 the bottle (informal) drinking of alcohol, esp. to excess ▸ vb -tling, -tled 5 to put or place in a bottle or bottles ▸ See also bottle upbottleneck n 1 a narrow stretch of road or a junction at which traffic is or may be held up 2 something that holds up progressbottle shop n (Austral & NZ) a shop licensed to sell alcohol for drinking elsewhere ◇ SYNONYMS: off-licence (Brit), liquor store (US & Canad), bottle store (S African), package store (US & Canad), offie or offy (Brit informal)bottle store n (S African) a shop licensed to sell alcohol for drinking elsewhere ◇ SYNONYMS: off-licence (Brit), liquor store (US & Canad), bottle shop (Austral & NZ), package store (US & Canad), offie or offy (Brit informal)bottle tree n an Australian tree with a bottle-shaped swollen trunkbottle up vb to restrain (powerful emotion)bottom n 1 the lowest, deepest, or farthest removed part of a thing: the bottom of a hill ◇ SYNONYMS: lowest part, base, foot, bed, floor, foundation, depths 2 the least important or successful position: the bottom of a class 3 the ground underneath a sea, lake, or river 4 the underneath part of a thing ◇ SYNONYMS: underside, sole, underneath, lower side 5 the buttocks ◇ SYNONYMS: buttocks, behind (informal), rear, backside, rump, seat, posterior 6 at bottom in reality; basically 7 be at the bottom of to be the ultimate cause of 8 get to the bottom of to discover the real truth about ▸ adj 9 lowest or last ◇ SYNONYMS: lowest, lastbottomless adj 1 unlimited; inexhaustible: bottomless resources 2 very deep: bottomless valleysbotulism n severe food poisoning resulting from the toxin botulin, produced in imperfectly preserved foodboudoir (boo-dwahr) n a woman's bedroom or private sitting roombougainvillea n a tropical climbing plant with flowers surrounded by showy red or purple bractsbough n any of the main branches of a treebought vb the past of buyboulder n a smooth rounded mass of rock shaped by erosionboulevard n a wide usually tree-lined road in a citybounce vb bouncing, bounced 1 (of a ball, etc.) to rebound from an impact ◇ SYNONYMS: rebound, recoil, ricochet 2 to cause (a ball, etc.) to hit a solid surface and spring back 3 to move or cause to move suddenly; spring: I bounced down the stairs ◇ SYNONYMS: bound, spring, jump, leap, skip, gambol 4 (slang) (of a bank) to send (a cheque) back or (of a cheque) to be sent back unredeemed because of lack of funds in the account ▸ n 5 the action of rebounding from an impact 6 a leap or jump 7 springiness ◇ SYNONYMS: springiness, give, spring, resilience, elasticity, recoil 8 (informal) vitality; vigour ◇ SYNONYMS: life, go (informal), energy, zip (informal), vigour, exuberance, dynamism, vivacity 9 (informal) a temporary increase or rise: a sales bounce > bouncy adjbouncer n 1 (slang) a person employed at a nightclub, etc. to prevent unwanted people from entering and to eject drunks or troublemakers 2 (cricket) a ball bowled so that it bounces high on pitchingbouncing adj vigorous and robust: a bouncing babybound1 vb 1 the past of bind ▸ adj 2 tied as if with a rope ◇ SYNONYMS: tied, fixed, secured, attached, tied up, fastened, pinioned 3 restricted or confined: housebound 4 certain: it's bound to happen ◇ SYNONYMS: certain, sure, fated, doomed, destined 5 compelled or obliged: they agreed to be bound by the board's recommendations ◇ SYNONYMS: compelled, obliged, forced, committed, pledged, constrained, beholden, duty-bound 6 (of a book) secured within a cover or binding 7 bound up with closely or inextricably linked withbound2 vb 1 to move forwards by leaps or jumps ◇ SYNONYMS: leap, bob, spring, jump, bounce, skip, vault 2 to bounce; spring away from an impact ◇ SYNONYMS: leap, bob, spring, jump, bounce, skip, vault ▸ n 3 a jump upwards or forwards ◇ SYNONYMS: leap, bob, spring, jump, bounce, hurdle, skip, vault 4 a bounce, as of a ballbound3 vb 1 to place restrictions on; limit: bounded by tradition ◇ SYNONYMS: limit, restrict, confine, restrain, circumscribe 2 to form a boundary of ◇ SYNONYMS: surround, confine, enclose, encircle, hem in, demarcate > boundless adjbound4 adj going or intending to go towards: homeward boundboundary n, pl -ries 1 something that indicates the farthest limit, such as of an area ◇ SYNONYMS: frontier, edge, border, barrier, margin, brink 2 (cricket) A the marked limit of the playing area B a stroke that hits the ball beyond this limit, scoring four or six runsbountiful or bounteous adj (literary) 1 plentiful; ample: a bountiful harvest 2 giving freely; generousbounty n, pl -ties 1 (literary) generosity; liberality 2 something provided in generous amounts: nature's bounty 3 a reward or premium by a governmentbouquet n 1 a bunch of flowers, esp. a large carefully arranged one ◇ SYNONYMS: bunch of flowers, spray, garland, wreath, posy, buttonhole, corsage, nosegay 2 the aroma of wine ◇ SYNONYMS: aroma, smell, scent, perfume, fragrance, savour, odour, redolencebourbon (bur-bn) n a whiskey distilled, chiefly in the US, from maizebourgeois (boor-zhwah) (often derogatory) adj 1 characteristic of or comprising the middle class ◇ SYNONYMS: middle-class, traditional, conventional, materialistic, hidebound 2 conservative or materialistic in outlook ◇ SYNONYMS: middle-class, traditional, conventional, materialistic, hidebound 3 (in Marxist thought) dominated by capitalism ▸ n, pl -geois 4 a member of the middle class, esp. one regarded as being conservative and materialisticbout n 1 A a period of time spent doing something, such as drinking alcohol ◇ SYNONYMS: period, term, fit, spell, turn, interval B a period of illness: a bad bout of flu 2 a boxing, wrestling, or fencing match ◇ SYNONYMS: fight, match, competition, struggle, contest, set-to (informal), encounter, engagementboutique n a small shop, esp. one that sells fashionable clothesboutique hotel n a small, high-quality, fashionable hotelbovine adj 1 of or relating to cattle 2 dull, sluggish, or uglybow1 (rhymes with cow) vb 1 to lower (one's head) or bend (one's knee or body) as a sign of respect, greeting, agreement, or shame ◇ SYNONYMS: bend, bob, nod, stoop, droop, genuflect 2 to comply or accept: bow to the inevitable 3 bow and scrape to behave in a slavish manner ▸ n 4 a lowering or bending of the head or body as a mark of respect, etc. ◇ SYNONYMS: bending, bob, nod, obeisance, kowtow, genuflection 5 take a bow to acknowledge applausebow2 (rhymes with know) n 1 a decorative knot usually having two loops and two loose ends 2 a long stick across which are stretched strands of horsehair, used for playing a violin, viola, cello, etc. 3 a weapon for shooting arrows, consisting of an arch of flexible wood, plastic, etc. bent by a string fastened at each end 4 something that is curved, bent, or arched ▸ vb 5 to form or cause to form a curve or curvesbow3 (rhymes with cow) n 1 (chiefly naut) the front end or part of a vessel ◇ SYNONYMS: prow, head, stem, fore, beak 2 (rowing) the oarsman at the bowbowdlerize or -ise vb -izing, -ized or -ising, -ised to remove passages or words regarded as indecent from (a play, novel, etc.) > bowdlerization or -isation nbowel n 1 an intestine, esp. the large intestine in humans 2 bowels entrails ◇ SYNONYMS: guts, insides (informal), intestines, innards (informal), entrails, viscera, vitals 3 bowels the innermost part: the bowels of the earth ◇ SYNONYMS: depths, hold, inside (informal), deep, interior, core, bellybower n a shady leafy shelter in a wood or gardenbowerbird n a brightly coloured songbird of Australia and New Guineabowl1 n 1 a round container open at the top, used for holding liquid or serving food ◇ SYNONYMS: basin, plate, dish, vessel 2 the amount a bowl will hold 3 the hollow part of an object, esp. of a spoon or tobacco pipebowl2 n 1 A a wooden ball used in the game of bowls B a large heavy ball with holes for gripping used in the game of bowling ▸ vb 2 to roll smoothly or cause to roll smoothly along the ground 3 (cricket) A to send (a ball) from one's hand towards the batsman ◇ SYNONYMS: throw, hurl, launch, cast, pitch, toss, fling, chuck (informal) B Also: bowl out to dismiss (a batsman) by delivering a ball that breaks his wicket 4 to play bowls 5 bowl along to move easily and rapidly, as in a carbow-legged adj having legs that curve outwards at the kneesbowler1 n 1 a person who bowls in cricket 2 a player at the game of bowlsbowler2 n a stiff felt hat with a rounded crown and narrow curved brimbowling n 1 a game in which a heavy ball is rolled down a long narrow alley at a group of wooden pins 2 (cricket) the act of delivering the ball to the batsmanbox1 n 1 a container with a firm base and sides and sometimes a removable or hinged lid ◇ SYNONYMS: container, case, chest, trunk, pack, package, carton, casket 2 the contents of such a container 3 a separate compartment for a small group of people, as in a theatre 4 a compartment for a horse in a stable or a vehicle 5 a section of printed matter on a page, enclosed by lines or a border 6 a central agency to which mail is addressed and from which it is collected or redistributed: a post-office box 7 the box (Brit informal) television ▸ vb 8 to put into a box ◇ SYNONYMS: pack, package, wrap, encase, bundle up > boxlike adjbox2 vb 1 to fight (an opponent) in a boxing match 2 to engage in boxing ◇ SYNONYMS: fight, spar, exchange blows 3 to hit (esp. a person's ears) with the fist ▸ n 4 a punch with the fist, esp. on the earbox3 n a slow-growing evergreen tree or shrub with small shiny leavesboxer n 1 a person who boxes ◇ SYNONYMS: fighter, pugilist, prizefighter 2 a medium-sized dog with smooth hair and a short noseboxer shorts or boxers pl n men's underpants shaped like shorts but with a front openingboxing n the act, art, or profession of fighting with the fistsbox jellyfish n a highly venomous jellyfish with a cuboid body that lives in Australian tropical watersbox office n 1 an office at a theatre, cinema, etc. where tickets are sold 2 the public appeal of an actor or production ▸ adj box-office 3 relating to the sales at the box office: a box-office successbox set n 1 a collection of items of the same type, packaged together for sale in a presentation box 2 a set of episodes of a television series made available to watch or listen to at the same timeboy n 1 a male child ◇ SYNONYMS: lad, kid (informal), youth, fellow (old-fashioned), youngster, schoolboy, junior, stripling 2 a man regarded as immature or inexperienced 3 (S African offensive) a Black male servant > boyhood n > boyish adjboycott vb 1 to refuse to deal with (an organization or country) as a protest against its actions or policy ◇ SYNONYMS: embargo, reject, snub, black ▸ n 2 an instance or the use of boycottingboyfriend n a male friend with whom a person is romantically or sexually involved ◇ SYNONYMS: sweetheart, man, lover, beloved, admirer, suitor, beau (old-fashioned), date