bu -abbr

  1. bureau
  2. bushel

Bu -abbr

  1. butyl

bub ['bəb] -n

  1. fellow, buddy used in informal address
    • come on, bub, get moving

Bub·ba ['bə-bə] -n

  1. redneck

bub·ble ['bə-bəl] -n

  1. : a small globule typically hollow and light: as
  2. a small body of gas within a liquid
  3. a thin film of liquid inflated with air or gas
  4. a globule in a transparent solid
  5. something (as a plastic or inflatable structure) that is hemispherical or semicylindrical
  6. something that lacks firmness, solidity, or reality
  7. a delusive scheme
  8. a sound like that of bubbling
  9. magnetic bubble
  10. a state of booming economic activity (as in a stock market) that often ends in a sudden collapse
  11. the condition of being at risk of exclusion or replacement (as from a tournament) usu. used in the phrase on the bubble
    • teams still on the bubble for the play-offs

bubble ['bə-b(ə-)liŋ] -vb

  1. to form or produce bubbles
  2. to rise in or as if in bubbles usu. used with up
  3. to flow with a gurgling sound
    • a brook bubbling over rocks
  4. to become lively or effervescent
    • bubbling with good humor
  5. to speak in a lively and fluent manner
  6. to utter (as words) effervescently
  7. to cause to bubble

bubble and squeak -n

  1. a British dish consisting of usu. leftover potatoes, greens (as cabbage), and sometimes meat fried together

bubble chamber -n

  1. a chamber of superheated liquid in which the path of an ionizing particle is made visible by a string of vapor bubbles

bub·ble·gum ['bə-bəl-,gəm] -adj

  1. appealing to or characteristic of preteens or adolescents
    • bubblegum fashions

bubble gum ['bə-bəl-,gəm] -n

  1. a chewing gum that can be blown into large bubbles
  2. rock music having simple repetitive phrasings and intended esp. for young teenagers

bub·ble·head ['bə-bəl-,hed] -n, adj

  1. a foolish or stupid person

bubble memory -n

  1. a computer memory that uses magnetic bubbles to store information

bub·bler ['bə-b(ə-)lər] -n

  1. a drinking fountain from which a stream of water bubbles upward
  2. one that bubbles

Bubble Wrap -trademark

  1. used for packing material composed of sheets of plastic with bubbles of entrapped gases

bub·bly ['bə-b(ə-)lē] -adj

  1. full of bubbles : effervescent
    • a bubbly bottle of pop
  2. full of or showing good spirits : lively, effusive
  3. resembling a bubble
    • a bubbly dome

bubbly -n

  1. champagne

bub·by ['bə-bē] -n

  1. breast

bub·kes ['bəp-kəs, 'bu̇p-] -n pl but sing in constr

  1. the least amount : beans
    • won't win bubkes this year -- Ivan Maisel
  2. nothing
    • received bubkes for their efforts

bu·bo ['byü-(,)bō, 'bü-] -n, adj

  1. an inflammatory swelling of a lymph gland esp. in the groin

bubonic plague -n

  1. plague caused by a bacterium ( Yersinia pestis) and characterized esp. by the formation of buboes

buc·cal ['bə-kəl] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, near, involving, or supplying a cheek
    • the buccal surface of a tooth
    • the buccal branch of the facial nerve
  2. of, relating to, involving, or lying in the mouth
    • the buccal cavity

buc·ca·neer [,bə-kə-'nir] -n, vi, adj

  1. any of the freebooters preying on Spanish ships and settlements esp. in 17th century West Indies
  2. pirate
  3. an unscrupulous adventurer esp. in politics or business

buc·ci·na·tor ['bək-sə-,nā-tər] -n

  1. a thin broad muscle forming the wall of the cheek

buck ['bək] -n

  1. a male animal
  2. a male deer or antelope
  3. a male human being : man
  4. a dashing fellow : dandy
  5. antelope
  6. buckskin
  7. an article (as a shoe) made of buckskin
  8. dollar
  9. a sum of money esp. to be gained
    • make a quick buck
  10. money usu. used in pl.
  11. a supporting rack or frame
  12. a short thick leather-covered block for gymnastic vaulting
  13. butt
  14. oppose, resist
    • buck ing the system
  15. to throw (as a rider) by bucking
  16. to charge into (as a headwind)
  17. to pass esp. from one person to another
  18. to move or load (as heavy objects) esp. with mechanical equipment
  19. to spring into the air with the back arched
  20. to charge against something (as an obstruction)
  21. to move or react jerkily
  22. to refuse assent : balk
  23. to strive for advancement sometimes without regard to ethical behavior
    • buck ing for a promotion
  24. an act or instance of bucking
  25. an object formerly used in poker to mark the next player to deal
  26. a token used as a mark or reminder
  27. responsibility used esp. in the phrases pass the buck and the buck stops here
  28. of the lowest grade within a military category
    • a buck private
  29. stark, completely
    • buck naked

buckandwing [,bə-kᵊn-'wiŋ] -n

  1. a solo tap dance with sharp foot accents, springs, leg flings, and heel clicks

buck·a·roo [,bə-kə-'rü, 'bə-kə-,] -n

  1. cowboy
  2. broncobuster

buck·bean ['bək-,bēn] -n

  1. a perennial herbaceous plant ( Menyanthes trifoliataof the family Menyanthaceae) growing in bogs and having racemes of white or pinkish flowers

buck·board [-,bȯrd] -n

  1. a four-wheeled vehicle with a floor made of long springy boards

buck·et ['bə-kət] -n

  1. a typically cylindrical vessel for catching, holding, or carrying liquids or solids
  2. : something resembling a bucket: as
  3. the scoop of an excavating machine
  4. one of the receptacles on the rim of a waterwheel
  5. one of the cups of an endless-belt conveyor
  6. one of the vanes of a turbine rotor
  7. bucketful
  8. bucket seat
  9. basket

bucket -vt

  1. to draw or lift in buckets
  2. to ride (a horse) hard
  3. to drive hurriedly or roughly
  4. to deal with in a bucket shop
  5. hustle, hurry
  6. to move about haphazardly or irresponsibly
  7. to move roughly or jerkily

bucket brigade -n

  1. a chain of persons acting to put out a fire by passing buckets of water from hand to hand

buck·et·ful ['bə-kət-,fu̇l] -n

  1. as much as a bucket will hold
  2. a large quantity

bucket seat -n

  1. a low separate seat for one person (as in an automobile or an airplane)

bucket shop -n

  1. a saloon in which liquor was formerly sold from or dispensed in open containers (as buckets or pitchers)
  2. a gambling establishment that formerly used market fluctuations (as in securities or commodities) as a basis for gaming
  3. a dishonest brokerage firm
  4. one that formerly failed to execute customers' margin orders in expectation of making a profit from market fluctuations adverse to the customers' interests

buck·eye ['bək-,ī] -n

  1. any of various shrubs or trees (genus Aesculus) of the horse-chestnut family
  2. the large nutlike seed of such a shrub or tree
  3. a native or resident of Ohio used as a nickname

buck fever -n

  1. nervous excitement of an inexperienced hunter at the sight of game

buck·le ['bə-kəl] -n

  1. a fastening for two loose ends that is attached to one and holds the other by a catch
  2. an ornamental device that suggests a buckle
  3. a crisp curl

buckle ['bə-k(ə-)liŋ] -vb

  1. to fasten with a buckle
  2. to prepare with vigor
  3. to cause to bend, give way, or crumple
  4. to become fastened with a buckle
  5. to apply oneself with vigor usu. used with down
    • buckle down to the job
  6. to bend, heave, warp, or kink usu. under the influence of some external agency
    • wheat buckling in the wind
  7. collapse
    • the props buckled under the strain
  8. to give way : yield
    • he buckled under pressure
  9. a product of buckling : bend, fold
  10. a coffee cake baked with berries and a crumbly topping
    • blueberry buckle

buck·ler ['bə-klər] -n

  1. a small round shield held by a handle at arm's length
  2. a shield worn on the left arm
  3. one that shields and protects

buckler -vt

  1. to shield or defend with a buckler

buckle up -vi

  1. to fasten one's seat belt

buck·min·ster·ful·ler·ene ['bək-(,)min-stər-,fu̇-lə-'rēn] -n

  1. a spherical fullerene C 60that is an extremely stable form of pure carbon, consists of interconnected pentagons and hexagons suggestive of the geometry of a geodesic dome, and is believed to be a major constituent of soot

bucko ['bə-(,)kō] -n

  1. a person who is domineering and bullying : swaggerer
  2. young fellow : lad

buck passer ['bək-,pa-siŋ] -n

  1. a person who habitually passes the buck

buck·ram ['bə-krəm] -n

  1. a stiff-finished heavily sized fabric of cotton or linen used for interlinings in garments, for stiffening in millinery, and in bookbinding
  2. stiffness, rigidity

buckram -adj

  1. suggesting buckram esp. in stiffness
  2. to give strength or stiffness to (as with buckram)
  3. to make pretentious

Buck Rogers ['bək-'rä-jərz] -adj

  1. marked by futuristic and high-tech qualities : suggestive of science fiction

Bucks -abbr

  1. Buckinghamshire

buck·saw ['bək-,sȯ] -n

  1. a saw set in a usu. H-shaped frame for sawing wood

buck·shee ['bək-(,)shē, ,bək-'] -n

  1. something extra obtained free
  2. extra rations
  3. windfall, gratuity

buck·shot ['bək-,shät] -n

  1. lead shot that is from .24 to .33 inch (about 6.1 to 8.4 millimeters) in diameter

buckshot -adj

  1. scattershot

buck·skin [-,skin] -n

  1. the skin of a buck
  2. a soft pliable usu. suede-finished leather
  3. buckskin breeches
  4. a person dressed in buckskin
  5. an early American backwoodsman
  6. a horse of a light yellowish-dun color with black mane and tail

buck·skinned [-,skind] -adj

  1. dressed in buckskin

buck·tail [-,tāl] -n

  1. an angler's lure made typically of hairs from the tail of a deer

buck·thorn [-,thȯrn] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Rhamnusof the family Rhamnaceae, the buckthorn family) of often thorny trees or shrubs some of which yield purgatives or pigments
  2. a shrub or small tree ( Bumelia lycioides) of the sapodilla family of the southern U.S.

buck·tooth [-'tüth] -n, adj

  1. a large protruding front tooth

buck up -vb

  1. to become encouraged : brace up
  2. improve, smarten
  3. to raise the morale of

buck·wheat ['bək-,hwēt, -,wēt] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Fagopyrumof the family Polygonaceae, the buckwheat family) of Eurasian herbs with alternate leaves, clusters of apetalous pinkish-white flowers, and triangular seeds
  2. either of two plants ( F. esculentumand F. tartaricum) cultivated for their edible seeds
  3. the seed of a buckwheat used as a cereal grain

bucky·ball ['bə-kē-,bȯl] -n

  1. a molecule of buckminsterfullerene
  2. fullerene

bucky·tube [-,tüb, -,tyüb] -n

  1. a nanotube composed of pure carbon with a molecular arrangement similar to that of a fullerene

bu·col·ic [byü-'kä-lik] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to shepherds or herdsmen : pastoral
  2. relating to or typical of rural life
  3. idyllic

bud ['bəd] -n

  1. a small lateral or terminal protuberance on the stem of a plant that may develop into a flower, leaf, or shoot
  2. : something not yet mature or at full development: as
  3. an incompletely opened flower
  4. child, youth
  5. an outgrowth of an organism that differentiates into a new individual : gemma
  6. an outgrowth having the potential to differentiate and grow into a definitive organ or part : primordium
    • an embryonic limb bud
  7. buddy
  8. to set or put forth buds
  9. to commence growth from buds
  10. to grow or develop from or as if from a bud
  11. to reproduce asexually esp. by the pinching off of a small part of the parent
  12. to produce or develop from buds
  13. to cause (as a plant) to bud
  14. to insert a bud from a plant of one kind into an opening in the bark of (a plant of another kind) usu. in order to propagate a desired variety

Bud·dha ['bü-də, 'bu̇-] -n

  1. a person who has attained Buddhahood
  2. a representation of Gautama Buddha

Bud·dha·hood [-,hu̇d] -n

  1. a state of perfect enlightenment sought in Buddhism

Bud·dhism ['bü-,di-zəm, 'bu̇-] -n, n or adj, adj

  1. a religion of eastern and central Asia growing out of the teaching of Gautama Buddha that suffering is inherent in life and that one can be liberated from it by mental and moral self-purification

bud·ding ['bə-diŋ] -adj

  1. being in an early stage of development
    • budding novelists

bud·dle·ia ['bəd-lē-ə, ,bəd-'lē-] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Buddleiaof the family Loganiaceae) of shrubs or small trees of warm regions with showy terminal clusters of usu. purple or white flowers called also butterfly bush

bud·dy ['bə-dē] -n

  1. companion, partner
  2. friend
  3. fellow used esp. in informal address

buddy -vi

  1. to become friendly usu. used with up or with
  2. featuring a friendship or partnership between the two main usu. male characters
    • a buddy movie

bud·dybud·dy [,bə-dē-'bə-dē] -adj

  1. familiarly friendly

buddy system -n

  1. an arrangement in which two individuals are paired (as for mutual safety in a hazardous situation)

budge ['bəj] -n

  1. a fur formerly prepared from lambskin dressed with the wool outward
  2. move, shift
    • the mule wouldn't budge
  3. to give way : yield
    • wouldn't budge on the issue
  4. to cause to move or change
  5. pompous, solemn

bud·ger·i·gar ['bə-jə-rē-,gär] -n

  1. a small Australian parrot ( Melopsittacus undulatus) usu. light green with black and yellow markings in the wild but bred under domestication in many colors

bud·get ['bə-jət] -n, adj

  1. a usu. leather pouch, wallet, or pack
  2. its contents
  3. stock, supply
  4. a quantity (as of energy or water) involved in, available for, or assignable to a particular situation
  5. an account of gains and losses of such a quantity
    • the global carbon budget
  6. a statement of the financial position of an administration for a definite period of time based on estimates of expenditures during the period and proposals for financing them
  7. a plan for the coordination of resources and expenditures
  8. the amount of money that is available for, required for, or assigned to a particular purpose

budget -vt

  1. to put or allow for in a budget
  2. to require to adhere to a budget
  3. to allocate funds for in a budget
    • budget a new hospital
  4. to plan or provide for the use of in detail
    • budget ing manpower
  5. to put oneself on a budget
    • budget ing for a vacation
  6. suitable for one on a budget : inexpensive

bud·ge·teer [,bə-jə-'tir] -n

  1. one who prepares a budget
  2. one who is restricted to a budget

bud·gie ['bə-jē] -n

  1. budgerigar

bud scale -n

  1. one of the leaves resembling scales that form the sheath of a plant bud

bud·worm ['bəd-,wərm] -n

  1. a moth larva that feeds on the buds of plants

buff ['bəf] -n

  1. a garment (as a uniform) made of buff leather
  2. the state of being nude
    • sunbathing in the buff
  3. a moderate orange yellow
  4. a light to moderate yellow
  5. a device having a soft absorbent surface (as of cloth) by which polishing material is applied
  6. fan, enthusiast
  7. of the color buff
  8. having a physique enhanced by bodybuilding exercises
  9. polish, shine
    • waxed and buff ed the floor
  10. to give a velvety surface to (leather)

buf·fa·lo ['bə-fə-,lō] -n

  1. : any of several wild bovids: as
  2. water buffalo
  3. cape buffalo
  4. any of a genus ( Bison) of bovids
  5. a large shaggy-maned No. American bovid ( B. bison) that has short horns and heavy forequarters with a large muscular hump and that was formerly abundant on the central and western plains
  6. the flesh of the buffalo used as food
  7. any of several suckers (genus Ictiobus) found mostly in the Mississippi valley called also buffalo fish

buffalo -vt

  1. bewilder, baffle
  2. bamboozle

buffalo berry -n

  1. either of two No. American shrubs ( Shepherdia argenteaand S. canadensis) of the oleaster family with silvery foliage
  2. their edible scarlet berry

buffalo gourd -n

  1. a perennial foul-smelling cucurbit ( Cucurbita foetidissima) of arid lands of the central and southwest U.S. and Mexico with a large starchy taproot and seeds rich in oil

buffalo grass -n

  1. a low-growing perennial grass ( Buchloe dactyloides) native to the Great Plains that has curly grayish-green leaves
  2. grama

buffalo plaid -n

  1. a broad checkered plaid pattern usu. of two colors

buffalo soldier -n

  1. an African-American soldier serving in the western U.S. after the Civil War

buffalo wing -n

  1. a deep-fried chicken wing coated with a spicy sauce and usu. served with a blue cheese dressing

buff·er ['bə-fər] -n

  1. fellow, man
  2. an old man

buffer [-fərd] -n, adj

  1. any of various devices or pieces of material for reducing shock or damage due to contact
  2. a means or device used as a cushion against the shock of fluctuations in business or financial activity
  3. : something that serves as a protective barrier: as
  4. buffer state
  5. a person who shields another esp. from annoying routine matters
  6. mediator
  7. a substance capable in solution of neutralizing both acids and bases and thereby maintaining the original acidity or basicity of the solution
  8. a solution containing such a substance
  9. a temporary storage unit (as in a computer)
  10. one that accepts information at one rate and delivers it at another
  11. to lessen the shock of : cushion
  12. to treat (as a solution or its acidity) with a buffer
  13. to prepare (aspirin) with an antacid
  14. to collect (as data) in a buffer
  15. one that buffs

buffer state -n

  1. a usu. neutral state lying between two larger potentially rival powers

buffer zone -n

  1. a neutral area separating conflicting forces
  2. an area designed to separate

buf·fet ['bə-fət] -n

  1. a blow esp. with the hand
  2. something that strikes with telling force

buffet -vt

  1. to strike sharply esp. with the hand : cuff
  2. to strike repeatedly : batter
    • the waves buffet ed the shore
  3. to drive, force, move, or attack by or as if by repeated blows
  4. to make one's way esp. under difficult conditions

buf·fet [(,)bə-'fā, bü-', Brit esp 'bü-,] -n

  1. sideboard
  2. a counter for refreshments
  3. a restaurant operated as a public convenience (as in a railway station)
  4. a meal set out on a buffet or table for ready access and informal service
  5. served informally (as from a buffet)

buffing wheel -n

  1. a wheel covered with polishing material

buff leather -n

  1. a strong supple oil-tanned leather produced chiefly from cattle hides

buf·fle·head ['bə-fəl-,hed] -n

  1. a small No. American diving duck ( Bucephala albeola)

buf·fo ['bü-(,)fō] -n

  1. clown, buffoon
  2. a male singer of comic roles in opera

buf·foon [(,)bə-'fün] -n, adj

  1. a ludicrous figure : clown
  2. a gross and usu. ill-educated or stupid person

buf·foon·ery [-'fü-nə-rē, -'fün-rē] -n

  1. foolish or playful behavior or practice

bug ['bəg] -n

  1. bogey, bugbear
  2. an insect or other creeping or crawling invertebrate (as a spider or centipede)
  3. : any of several insects (as the bedbug or cockroach) commonly considered obnoxious
  4. any of an order (Hemiptera and esp. its suborder Heteroptera) of insects that have sucking mouthparts, forewings thickened at the base, and incomplete metamorphosis and are often economic pests called also true bug
  5. an unexpected defect, fault, flaw, or imperfection
    • the software was full of bug s
  6. a germ or microorganism esp. when causing disease
  7. an unspecified or nonspecific sickness usu. presumed due to a bug
  8. a sudden enthusiasm
  9. enthusiast
    • a camera bug
  10. a prominent person
  11. a crazy person
  12. a concealed listening device
  13. a weight allowance given apprentice jockeys
  14. to plant a concealed microphone in
  15. bother, annoy
    • don't bug me with petty details
  16. to lose one's composure : freak often used with out
  17. protrude, bulge often used with out
  18. to cause to bug
    • his eyes were bugged with horror

bug·a·boo ['bə-gə-,bü] -n

  1. an imaginary object of fear
  2. bugbear
  3. something that causes fear or distress out of proportion to its importance

bug·bane ['bəg-,bān] -n

  1. any of several perennial herbs (genus Cimicifuga) of the buttercup family
  2. black cohosh

bug·bear [-,ber] -n

  1. an imaginary goblin or specter used to excite fear
  2. an object or source of dread
  3. a continuing source of irritation : problem

bug·eye [-,ī] -n

  1. a small boat with a flat bottom, a centerboard, and two raked masts

bugeyed [-,īd] -adj

  1. having the eyes bulging (as with fright)

bug·ger ['bə-gər, 'bu̇-gər] -n

  1. sodomite
  2. a worthless person : rascal
  3. fellow, chap
  4. a small or annoying thing
    • put down my keys and now I can't find the bugger s
  5. to commit sodomy with
  6. damn
  7. to put into disorder : bungle, botch often used with up

bugger -n

  1. a person who plants electronic bugs

bugger all -n

  1. nothing

bugger off -vi

  1. leave, depart often used as a command

bug·gery ['bə-gə-rē] -n

  1. sodomy

bug·gy ['bə-gē] -adj

  1. infested with bugs
    • a buggy swamp
  2. characterized by bugs
  3. containing many bugs
    • a buggy software program

buggy -n

  1. a light one-horse carriage made with two wheels in England and with four wheels in the U.S.
  2. a small cart or truck for short transportations of heavy materials
  3. baby carriage

bug·house ['bəg-,hau̇s] -adj

  1. mentally deranged : crazy

bughouse -n

  1. an insane asylum

bu·gle ['byü-gəl] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Ajuga) of plants of the mint family
  2. a European annual ( A. reptans) that has spikes of blue flowers and is naturalized in the U.S.

bugle -n

  1. a valveless brass instrument that resembles a trumpet and is used esp. for military calls
  2. to sound a bugle
  3. to utter the characteristic rutting call of the bull elk
  4. a small cylindrical bead of glass or plastic used for trimming esp. on women's clothing

bu·gler ['byü-glər] -n

  1. a person who sounds a bugle

bu·gle·weed ['byü-gəl-,wēd] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Lycopus) of mints
  2. a No. American perennial ( L. virginicus) that is mildly narcotic and astringent
  3. bugle

bu·gloss ['byü-,gläs, -,glȯs] -n

  1. any of several coarse hairy plants (genera Anchusa, Lycopsis,and Echium) of the borage family

bug off -vi

  1. leave, depart usu. used as a command

bug out ['bəg-,au̇t] -vi, n

  1. to retreat during a military action
  2. to flee in panic
  3. to depart esp. in a hurry

buhl ['bül, 'byül] -n

(variant of boulle)

  1. inlaid decoration of tortoiseshell, yellow metal, and white metal in cabinetwork

build ['bild] -vb

  1. to form by ordering and uniting materials by gradual means into a composite whole : construct
  2. to cause to be constructed
  3. to develop according to a systematic plan, by a definite process, or on a particular base
  4. increase, enlarge
  5. to engage in building
  6. to progress toward a peak (as of intensity)
    • build to a climax
  7. to develop in extent
    • a crowd build ing
  8. form or mode of structure : make
  9. bodily conformation of a person or animal

build·able ['bil-də-bəl] -adj

  1. suitable for building
    • buildable land
  2. capable of being built
    • plans for a buildable house

build·ed ['bild] -vb

(variant of build)

  1. to form by ordering and uniting materials by gradual means into a composite whole : construct
  2. to cause to be constructed
  3. to develop according to a systematic plan, by a definite process, or on a particular base
  4. increase, enlarge
  5. to engage in building
  6. to progress toward a peak (as of intensity)
    • build to a climax
  7. to develop in extent
    • a crowd build ing
  8. form or mode of structure : make
  9. bodily conformation of a person or animal

build·er ['bil-dər] -n

  1. one that builds
  2. one that contracts to build and supervises building operations
  3. a substance added to or used with detergents to increase their cleansing action

build in -vt

  1. to make an integral part of something

build·ing ['bil-diŋ] -n

  1. a usu. roofed and walled structure built for permanent use (as for a dwelling)
  2. the art or business of assembling materials into a structure

building block -n

  1. a unit of construction or composition
  2. something essential on which a larger entity is based

build·up ['bild-,əp] -n

  1. something produced by building up
    • fluid buildup in the lungs
  2. the act or process of building up

build up ['bil-dər-'ə-pər] -vt, n

  1. to develop gradually by increments
    • building up endurance
    • built up a library
  2. to promote the health, strength, esteem, or reputation of
  3. to accumulate or develop appreciably

built ['bilt] -adj

  1. formed as to physique or bodily contours
    • slimly built
  2. well or attractively formed

builtin ['bilt-'in] -adj

  1. forming an integral part of a structure or object
    • a camera with a builtin flash
  2. constructed as or in a recess in a wall
    • a builtin bookshelf
  3. built into the ground
    • a builtin swimming pool
  4. inherent
    • a builtin advantage
  5. already established
    • her best-seller status gave her a builtin audience
  6. a built-in piece of furniture

builtup ['bilt-'əp] -adj

  1. made of several sections or layers fastened together
  2. covered with buildings

buird·ly ['bu̇r(d)-lē] -adj

  1. sturdy

bulb ['bəlb] -n, adj

  1. a resting stage of a plant (as the lily, onion, hyacinth, or tulip) that is usu. formed underground and consists of a short stem base bearing one or more buds enclosed in overlapping membranous or fleshy leaves
  2. a fleshy structure (as a tuber or corm) resembling a bulb in appearance
  3. a plant having or developing from a bulb
  4. a bulb-shaped part
  5. a glass envelope enclosing the light source of an electric lamp or such an envelope together with the light source it encloses
  6. a rounded or swollen anatomical structure
  7. a camera setting that indicates that the shutter can be opened by pressing on the release and closed by ending the pressure

bul·bar ['bəl-bər, -,bär] -adj

  1. of or relating to a bulb
  2. involving the medulla oblongata
    • bulbar poliomyelitis

bul·bil ['bəl-bəl, -,bil] -n

  1. bulblet

bulb·let ['bəlb-lət] -n

  1. a small or secondary bulb
  2. an aerial deciduous bud produced in a leaf axil or replacing the flowers and capable when separated of producing a new plant

bul·bo·ure·thral gland [,bəl-(,)bō-yu̇-'rē-thrəl-] -n

  1. cowper's gland

bul·bous ['bəl-bəs] -adj, adv

  1. having a bulb : growing from or bearing bulbs
  2. resembling a bulb esp. in roundness
    • a bulbous nose

bul·bul ['bu̇l-,bu̇l] -n

  1. a songbird frequently mentioned in Persian poetry that is prob. a nightingale ( Erithacus megarhynchos)
  2. any of a group of gregarious passerine birds (family Pycnonotidae) of Asia and Africa

Bulg -abbr

  1. Bulgaria; Bulgarian

Bul·gar ['bəl-,gär, 'bu̇l-] -n

  1. bulgarian

Bul·gar·i·an [,bəl-'ger-ē-ən, bu̇l-] -n, adj

  1. a native or inhabitant of Bulgaria
  2. the Slavic language of the Bulgarians

bulge ['bəlj also 'bu̇lj] -vb

  1. to cause to bulge
  2. bilge
  3. to jut out : swell
  4. to bend outward
  5. to become swollen or protuberant
    • bulging eyes
  6. to be filled to overflowing
    • a notebook bulging with ideas
  7. bilge
  8. bilge
  9. a protuberant or swollen part or place
  10. advantage, upper hand
  11. sudden expansion

bul·gur ['bəl-gər, 'bu̇l-] -n

  1. parched cracked wheat

bu·lim·ia [bü-'lē-mē-ə, byü-, -'li-] -n, adj or n

  1. an abnormal and constant craving for food
  2. a serious eating disorder that occurs chiefly in females, is characterized by compulsive overeating usu. followed by self-induced vomiting or laxative or diuretic abuse, and is often accompanied by guilt and depression called also bulimia nervosa

bulk ['bəlk also 'bu̇lk] -n

  1. spatial dimension : magnitude
  2. material that forms a mass in the intestine
  3. fiber
  4. body
  5. a large or corpulent human body
  6. an organized structure esp. when viewed primarily as a mass of material
  7. a ponderous shapeless mass
  8. the main or greater part
  9. to cause to swell or bulge : stuff
  10. to gather into a mass or aggregate
  11. swell, expand
  12. to appear as a factor : loom
    • a consideration that bulk s large in everyone's thinking
  13. being in bulk
    • bulk cement
  14. of or relating to materials in bulk

bulk·head ['bəlk-,hed, 'bəl-,ked] -n

  1. an upright partition separating compartments
  2. a structure or partition to resist pressure or to shut off water, fire, or gas
  3. a retaining wall along a waterfront
  4. a projecting framework with a sloping door giving access to a cellar stairway or a shaft

bulk up -vi

  1. to gain weight esp. by becoming more muscular
  2. to cause to bulk up

bulky ['bəl-kē also 'bu̇l-] -adj, adv, n

  1. having bulk
  2. large of its kind
  3. corpulent
  4. having great volume in proportion to weight
    • a bulky knit sweater

bull ['bu̇l, 'bəl] -n

  1. a male bovine
  2. an adult uncastrated male domestic bovine
  3. a usu. adult male of various large animals (as elephants, whales, or seals)
  4. one who buys securities or commodities in expectation of a price rise or who acts to effect such a rise
  5. one that resembles a bull (as in brawny physique)
  6. bulldog
  7. police officer, detective
  8. taurus
  9. of or relating to a bull
  10. male
    • a bull calf
  11. suggestive of a bull
  12. large of its kind
    • a bull lathe
  13. to advance forcefully
  14. to act on with violence
  15. force
    • bull ed his way through the crowd
  16. a solemn papal letter sealed with a bulla or with a red-ink imprint of the device on the bulla
  17. edict, decree
  18. to fool esp. by fast boastful talk
  19. to engage in idle and boastful talk
  20. a grotesque blunder in language
  21. empty boastful talk
  22. nonsense
  23. bulletin

bul·la ['bu̇-lə] -n

  1. the round usu. lead seal attached to a papal bull
  2. a hollow thin-walled rounded bony prominence
  3. a large vesicle or blister

bul·lace ['bu̇-ləs] -n

  1. a European plum ( Prunus domestica insititia) with small ovoid fruit in clusters

bull·bait·ing ['bu̇l-,bā-tiŋ, 'bəl-] -n

  1. the former practice of baiting bulls with dogs

bull·bat ['bu̇l-,bat, 'bəl-] -n

  1. the common nighthawk ( Chordeiles minor)

bull·dog ['bu̇l-,dȯg also 'bəl-] -n

  1. any of a breed of compact muscular short-haired dogs having widely separated forelegs and an undershot lower jaw that were developed in England to fight bulls
  2. a handgun with a thick usu. short barrel
  3. a proctor's attendant at an English university

bulldog -adj

  1. suggestive of a bulldog
    • bulldog tenacity
  2. to throw (a steer) by seizing the horns and twisting the neck

bull·doze ['bu̇l-,dōz also 'bəl-] -vb

  1. to coerce or restrain by threats : bully
  2. to move, clear, gouge out, or level off by pushing with or as if with a bulldozer
  3. to force insensitively or ruthlessly
    • bulldozed the program through the legislature
  4. to operate a bulldozer
  5. to force one's way like a bulldozer

bull·doz·er [-,dō-zər] -n

  1. one that bulldozes
  2. a tractor-driven machine usu. having a broad blunt horizontal blade for moving earth (as in road building)

bull dyke -n

  1. an aggressively masculine lesbian

bul·let ['bu̇-lət also 'bə-] -n, adj

  1. a round or elongated missile (as of lead) to be fired from a firearm
  2. cartridge
  3. something resembling a bullet (as in curved form)
  4. a large dot placed in printed matter to call attention to a particular passage
  5. a very fast and accurately thrown or hit object (as a ball or puck)

bul·le·tin ['bu̇-lə-tᵊn also 'bə-] -n

  1. a brief public notice issuing usu. from an authoritative source
  2. a brief news item intended for immediate publication or broadcast
  3. periodical
  4. the organ of an institution or association

bulletin -vt

  1. to make public by bulletin

bulletin board -n

  1. a board for posting notices (as at a school)
  2. a public electronic forum that allows users to post or read messages or to post or download files and that is accessed by computer over a network (as the Internet)

bul·let·proof ['bu̇-lət-,prüf also 'bə-] -adj

  1. impenetrable to bullets
    • bulletproof glass
  2. not subject to correction, alteration, or modification
    • a bulletproof argument
  3. invincible

bullet train -n

  1. a high-speed passenger train esp. of Japan

bull fiddle -n

  1. double bass

bull·fight ['bu̇l-,fīt also 'bəl-] -n

  1. a spectacle in which men ceremonially fight with and in Hispanic tradition kill bulls in an arena for public entertainment

bull·fight·ing [-tiŋ] -n

  1. the action involved in a bullfight

bull·finch ['bu̇l-,finch also 'bəl-] -n

  1. a European finch ( Pyrrhula pyrrhulaof the family Fringillidae) having in the male rosy-red underparts, blue-gray back, and black cap, chin, tail, and wings
  2. any of several other finches

bull·frog [-,frȯg, -,fräg] -n

  1. a heavy-bodied deep-voiced frog ( Rana catesbeiana) of the eastern U.S. and southern Canada that has been introduced elsewhere

bull·head [-,hed] -n

  1. any of various large-headed fishes (as a sculpin)
  2. any of several common freshwater catfishes (genus Ameiurussometimes included in the genus Ictalurus) of the U.S.

bull·head·ed [-'he-dəd] -adj, adv, n

  1. stupidly stubborn : headstrong

bull·horn [-,hȯrn] -n

  1. a loudspeaker on a naval ship
  2. a handheld combined microphone and loudspeaker

bul·lion ['bu̇l-yən, -,yän] -n

  1. gold or silver considered as so much metal
  2. uncoined gold or silver in bars or ingots
  3. metal in the mass
    • lead bullion
  4. lace, braid, or fringe of gold or silver threads

bull·ish ['bu̇-lish also 'bə-] -adj, adv, n

  1. suggestive of a bull (as in brawniness)
  2. marked by, tending to cause, or hopeful of rising prices (as in a stock market)
    • a bullish market
    • bullish policies
    • bullish investors
  3. optimistic about something's or someone's prospects
    • bullish on the company's future

bull market -n

  1. a market in which securities or commodities are persistently rising in value

bull·mas·tiff ['bu̇l-'mas-təf also 'bəl-] -n

  1. any of a breed of large powerful dogs developed in England by crossing bulldogs with mastiffs

Bull Moose -n

  1. a follower of Theodore Roosevelt in the U.S. presidential campaign of 1912

Bull Moos·er [-'mü-sər] -n

  1. bull moose

bull neck ['bu̇l-'nekt also 'bəl-] -n, adj

  1. a thick short powerful neck

bull·ock ['bu̇-lək also 'bə-] -n, adj

  1. a young bull
  2. a castrated bull : steer

Bul·lock's oriole ['bu̇-ləks-] -n

  1. an oriole ( Icterus bullockii) of the western U.S. in which the male has a black crown and black line through the eye and the female has a yellowish head and breast and that was formerly considered to be a subspecies of northern oriole

bul·lous ['bu̇-ləs] -adj

  1. resembling or characterized by bullae : vesicular
    • bullous lesions

bull pen -n

  1. a large cell where prisoners are detained until brought into court
  2. a place on a baseball field where pitchers warm up before they start pitching
  3. the relief pitchers of a baseball team
  4. an open work area not divided into offices

bull·ring ['bu̇l-,riŋ] -n

  1. an arena for bullfights
  2. a short oval track for horse or auto racing

bull rush -n, vb

  1. a direct forceful rush by a defensive player in football

bull session -n

  1. an informal discursive group discussion

bull'seye ['bu̇lz-,ī also 'bəlz-] -n

  1. a very hard globular candy
  2. a circular piece of glass esp. with a lump in the middle
  3. the center of a target
  4. something central or crucial
  5. a shot that hits the bull's-eye
  6. something that precisely attains a desired end
  7. a simple lens of short focal distance
  8. a lantern with such a lens

bull'seye window -n

  1. a circular window
  2. a window made up of bull's-eyes

bull·shit ['bu̇l-,shit also 'bəl-] -n

  1. nonsense
  2. foolish insolent talk

bullshit -vi

  1. to talk foolishly, boastfully, or idly
  2. to engage in a discursive discussion
  3. to talk nonsense to esp. with the intention of deceiving or misleading

bull·shot [-,shät] -n

  1. a drink made of vodka and bouillon

bull snake -n

  1. any of several large harmless constricting colubrid snakes (genus Pituophis) esp. of the central and western U.S. that feed chiefly on rodents and are classified either as subspecies of the pine snake (P. melanoleucus) or as subspecies of their own species (P. catenifer) called also gopher snake

bull terrier -n

  1. any of a breed of short-haired terriers developed in England by crossing the bulldog with terriers

bull thistle -n

  1. a biennial Eurasian thistle ( Cirsium vulgare) with purplish flower heads and prickly leaves that is naturalized as a weed in the U.S.

bull tongue -n

  1. a wide blade attached to a cultivator or plow to stir the soil, kill weeds, or mark furrows

bull·whip ['bu̇l-,(h)wip also 'bəl-] -n

  1. a rawhide whip with a very long plaited lash

bul·ly ['bu̇-lē, 'bə-] -n

  1. sweetheart
  2. a fine chap
  3. a blustering browbeating person
  4. one habitually cruel to others who are weaker
  5. pimp
  6. a hired ruffian

bully -adj

  1. excellent often used in interjectional expressions
    • bully for you
  2. resembling or characteristic of a bully
  3. to treat abusively
  4. to affect by means of force or coercion
  5. to use browbeating language or behavior : bluster
  6. pickled or canned usu. corned beef

bul·ly·boy ['bu̇-lē-,bȯi, 'bə-] -n

  1. a swaggering bully

bully pulpit -n

  1. a prominent public position (as a political office) that provides an opportunity for expounding one's views
  2. such an opportunity

bul·ly·rag [-,rag] -vt

  1. to intimidate by bullying
  2. to vex by teasing : badger

bul·rush ['bu̇l-,rəsh] -n

  1. : any of several large rushes or sedges growing in wetlands: as
  2. any of a genus ( Scirpus,esp. S. lacustris) of annual or perennial sedges that bear solitary or much-clustered spikelets containing perfect flowers with a perianth of six bristles
  3. either of two cattails ( Typha latifoliaand T. angustifolia)
  4. papyrus

bul·wark ['bu̇l-(,)wərk, -,wȯrk; 'bəl-(,)wərk; sense 3 also 'bə-,läk] -n

  1. a solid wall-like structure raised for defense : rampart
  2. breakwater, seawall
  3. a strong support or protection
  4. the side of a ship above the upper deck usu. used in pl.

bulwark -vt

  1. to fortify or safeguard with a bulwark

bum ['bəm] -n

  1. buttocks
  2. of poor quality or nature
    • bum advice
  3. not valid or deserved
    • a bum check
  4. not pleasant or enjoyable
    • a bum trip
  5. affected or disabled by damage or injury
  6. loaf
  7. to spend time unemployed and often wandering often used with around
  8. to obtain by asking or begging : cadge
    • bum a cigarette
  9. one who sponges off others and avoids work
  10. one who performs a function poorly
    • called the umpire a bum
  11. one whose time is devoted to a recreational activity
    • a beach bum
    • ski bum s
  12. vagrant, tramp
  13. a drinking spree : bender
  14. disappoint, depress often used with out
    • the news really bummed me out

bum·ber·shoot ['bəm-bər-,shüt] -n

  1. umbrella

bum·ble ['bəm-bəl] -vi

  1. buzz
  2. drone, rumble

bumble [-b(ə-)lər] -vb, n, adv

  1. blunder
  2. to speak ineptly in a stuttering and faltering manner
  3. to proceed unsteadily : stumble
  4. bungle

bum·ble·bee ['bəm-bəl-,bē] -n

  1. any of numerous large robust hairy social bees (genus Bombus)

bum·boat ['bəm-,bōt] -n

  1. a boat that brings provisions and commodities for sale to larger ships in port or offshore

bumf ['bəm(p)f] -n

  1. paperwork

bum·mer ['bə-mər] -n

  1. one that bums

bummer -n

  1. an unpleasant experience (as a bad reaction to a hallucinogenic drug)
  2. failure, flop

bump ['bəmp] -n

  1. : a relatively abrupt convexity or protuberance on a surface: as
  2. a swelling of tissue
  3. a cranial protuberance
  4. a sudden forceful blow, impact, or jolt
  5. demotion
  6. an act of thrusting the hips forward in an erotic manner
  7. to strike or knock with force or violence
  8. to collide with
  9. to dislodge with a jolt
  10. to subject to a scalar change
    • rates being bump ed up
  11. to oust usu. by virtue of seniority or priority
    • was bump ed from the flight
  12. to knock against something with a forceful jolt
  13. to proceed in or as if in a series of bumps
  14. to encounter something that is an obstacle or hindrance
    • bump ed up against a chair

bum·per ['bəm-pər] -n

  1. a brimming cup or glass
  2. something unusually large

bumper -adj

  1. unusually large
    • a bumper crop
  2. banner

bump·er ['bəm-pər] -n

  1. a device for absorbing shock or preventing damage (as in collision)
  2. a bar at either end of an automobile
  3. one that bumps
  4. a brief interval on radio or television filled with music, video shots, or voice-overs that marks a break between a program and a commercial

bumper car -n

  1. a small electric car made to be driven around in an enclosure and to be bumped into others (as at an amusement park)

bumper sticker -n

  1. a strip of adhesive paper or plastic bearing a printed message and designed to be stuck on a vehicle's bumper

bumpertobumper -adj

  1. marked by long closed lines of cars

bump·kin ['bəm(p)-kən] -n, adj

  1. an awkward and unsophisticated rustic
  2. a spar projecting from a ship esp. at the stern

bump off -vt

  1. to murder casually or cold-bloodedly

bump·tious ['bəm(p)-shəs] -adj, adv, n

  1. presumptuously, obtusely, and often noisily self-assertive : obtrusive

bumpy ['bəm-pē] -adj, adv, n

  1. having or covered with bumps
  2. marked by bumps or jolts
  3. marked by or full of difficulties

bumrush ['bəm-'rəsh] -vt

  1. to attack or seize with an overpowering rush
    • bumrush the stage

bum's rush ['bəmz-] -n

  1. forcible eviction or dismissal

bun ['bən] -n

  1. a sweet or plain small bread
  2. a round roll
  3. a knot of hair shaped like a bun
  4. buttocks
  5. load

bu·na ['byü-nə, 'bü-] -n

  1. any of several rubbers made by polymerization or copolymerization of butadiene

bunch ['bənch] -n, adv, adj

  1. protuberance, swelling
  2. a number of things of the same kind
    • a bunch of grapes
  3. group
    • a bunch of friends
  4. a considerable amount : lot
    • a bunch of money
  5. swell, protrude
  6. to form a group or cluster often used with up
  7. to form into a bunch

bunch·ber·ry ['bənch-,ber-ē, -,be-rē] -n

  1. a creeping perennial herb ( Cornus canadensis) of the dogwood family that has whorled leaves and white floral bracts and bears clusters of red berries

bunch·grass [-,gras] -n

  1. any of various grasses (as of the genus Andropogon) esp. of the western U.S. that grow in tufts

bun·co ['bəŋ-(,)kō] -n, vt

  1. a swindling game or scheme

bund ['bənd] -n

  1. an embankment used esp. in India to control the flow of water
  2. an embanked thoroughfare along a river or the sea esp. in the Far East
  3. : a political association: as
  4. a Jewish socialist organization founded in czarist Russia in 1897
  5. a pro-Nazi German-American organization of the 1930s

bun·dle ['bən-dᵊl] -n

  1. a group of things fastened together for convenient handling
  2. package, parcel
  3. a considerable number : lot
  4. a sizable sum of money
  5. a person embodying a specified quality or characteristic
  6. bunch
  7. a small band of mostly parallel fibers (as of nerve or muscle)
  8. vascular bundle
  9. a package offering related products or services at a single price

bundle ['bən(d)-liŋ, 'bən-dᵊl-iŋ] -vb, n

  1. to make into a bundle
  2. to hustle or hurry unceremoniously
    • bundled the children off to school
  3. to include (a product or service) with a related product for sale at a single price
  4. hurry, hustle
  5. to practice bundling

bundle up -vt

  1. to dress (someone) warmly
  2. to dress warmly

bun·dling ['bən(d)-liŋ, 'bən-dᵊl-iŋ] -n

  1. a former custom of an unmarried couple's occupying the same bed without undressing esp. during courtship

Bundt ['bənt] -trademark

  1. used for a cake pan having a tube in the center and scalloped sides

bung ['bəŋ] -n

  1. the stopper esp. in the bunghole of a cask
  2. bunghole
  3. the cecum or anus esp. of a slaughtered animal
  4. to plug with or as if with a bung
  5. throw

bun·ga·low ['bəŋ-gə-,lō] -n

  1. a one-storied house with a low-pitched roof
  2. a house having one and a half stories and usu. a front porch

bun·gee cord ['bən-jē-] -n

  1. an elasticized cord used esp. as a fastening or shock-absorbing device called also bungee

bungee jump -vi, n

  1. to jump from a height while attached to an elasticized cord

bung·hole ['bəŋ-,hōl] -n

  1. a hole for emptying or filling a cask

bun·gle ['bəŋ-gəl] -vb, n, adv

  1. to act or work clumsily and awkwardly
  2. mishandle, botch
    • bungle a job

bun·gle·some [-gəl-səm] -adj

  1. awkward, clumsy

bung up -vt

  1. batter

bun·ion ['bən-yən] -n

  1. an inflamed swelling of the small fluid-filled sac on the first joint of the big toe accompanied by enlargement and protrusion of the joint

bunk ['bəŋk] -n

  1. bunk bed
  2. a built-in bed (as on a ship) that is often one of a tier of berths
  3. a sleeping place
  4. a feeding trough for farm animals and esp. cattle
  5. to occupy a bunk or bed : stay the night
    • bunk ed with a friend for the night
  6. to provide with a bunk or bed
  7. bunkum, nonsense
  8. a hurried departure or escape usu. used in the phrase do a bunk

bunk bed -n

  1. one of two single beds usu. placed one above the other

bun·ker ['bəŋ-kər] -n, adj

  1. a bin or compartment for storage
  2. one on shipboard for the ship's fuel
  3. a protective embankment or dugout
  4. a fortified chamber mostly below ground often built of reinforced concrete and provided with embrasures
  5. a sand trap or embankment constituting a hazard on a golf course

bunker [-k(ə-)riŋ] -vb

  1. to fill a ship's bunker with coal or oil
  2. to place or store in a bunker
  3. to hit (a golf ball or shot) into a bunker

bunker mentality -n

  1. a state of mind esp. among members of a group that is characterized by chauvinistic defensiveness and self-righteous intolerance of criticism

bunk·house ['bəŋk-,hau̇s] -n

  1. a rough simple building providing sleeping quarters

bun·kum ['bəŋ-kəm] -n

  1. insincere or foolish talk : nonsense

bun·ny ['bə-nē] -n

  1. rabbit
  2. a young rabbit
  3. a desirable young woman

bunny slope -n

  1. a gentle incline for skiing used esp. by novice skiers called also bunny hill

Bun·ra·ku [bu̇n-'rä-(,)kü] -n

  1. Japanese puppet theater featuring large costumed wooden puppets, puppeteers who are onstage, and a chanter who speaks all the lines

Bun·sen burner ['bən(t)-sən-] -n

  1. a gas burner consisting typically of a straight tube with small holes at the bottom where air enters and mixes with the gas to produce an intensely hot blue flame

bunt ['bənt] -n

  1. the middle part of a square sail
  2. the part of a furled sail gathered up in a bunch at the center of the yard
  3. the bagging part of a fishing net
  4. to strike or push with or as if with the head : butt
  5. to push or tap (a baseball) lightly with a bat without swinging
  6. to bunt a baseball
  7. an act or instance of bunting
  8. a bunted ball
  9. a destructive covered smut of wheat caused by a fungus (genus Tilletia)

bun·ting ['bən-tiŋ] -n

  1. any of various stout-billed passerine birds (families Cardinalidae and Emberizidae) of which some are grouped with the cardinal and some with the New World sparrows

bunting -n

  1. a lightweight loosely woven fabric used chiefly for flags and festive decorations
  2. flags
  3. decorations esp. in the colors of the national flag
  4. an infant's hooded garment made of napped fabric

bunt·line ['bənt-,līn, -lən] -n

  1. one of the lines attached to the foot of a square sail to haul the sail up to the yard for furling

Bun·yan·esque [,bən-yə-'nesk] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or suggestive of the allegorical writings of John Bunyan
  2. of, relating to, or suggestive of the tales of Paul Bunyan
  3. of fantastically large size

bun·ya·vi·rus ['bən-yə-,vī-rəs] -n

  1. any of a family ( Bunyaviridae) of usu. spherical or pleomorphic single-stranded RNA viruses usu. transmitted by the bite of an arthropod (as a mosquito) or in the bodily secretions of rodents and including the hantaviruses and the causative agents of Rift Valley fever, sandfly fever, and some forms of encephalitis and hemorrhagic fever

buoy ['bü-ē, 'bȯi] -n

  1. float
  2. a floating object moored to the bottom to mark a channel or something (as a shoal) lying under the water
  3. life buoy
  4. to mark by or as if by a buoy
  5. to keep afloat
  6. support, uplift
    • an economy buoy ed by the dramatic postwar growth of industry -- Time
  7. to raise the spirits of usu. used with up
    • hope buoy s him up
  8. float usu. used with up

buoy·ance ['bȯi-ən(t)s, 'bü-yən(t)s] -n

  1. buoyancy

buoy·an·cy ['bȯi-ən(t)-sē, 'bü-yən(t)-] -n

  1. the tendency of a body to float or to rise when submerged in a fluid
  2. the power of a fluid to exert an upward force on a body placed in it
  3. the upward force exerted
  4. the ability to recover quickly from depression or discouragement : resilience
  5. the property of maintaining a satisfactorily high level (as of prices or economic activity)

buoy·ant ['bȯi-ənt, 'bü-yənt] -adj, adv

  1. : having buoyancy: as
  2. capable of floating
  3. cheerful, gay
  4. capable of maintaining a satisfactorily high level
    • a buoyant economy

bupkes ['bəp-kəs, 'bu̇p-] -n pl but sing in constr

(variant of bubkes)

  1. the least amount : beans
    • won't win bubkes this year -- Ivan Maisel
  2. nothing
    • received bubkes for their efforts

bup·pie ['bə-pē] -n

  1. a college-educated black adult who is employed in a well-paying profession and who lives or works in or near a large city

bur ['bər] -n, adj

(variant of burr)

  1. a rough or prickly envelope of a fruit
  2. a plant that bears burs
  3. something that sticks or clings
    • a burr in the throat
  4. hanger-on
  5. an irregular rounded mass
  6. a tree burl
  7. a thin ridge or area of roughness produced in cutting or shaping metal
  8. a trilled uvular r as used by some speakers of English esp. in northern England and in Scotland
  9. a tongue-point trill that is the usual Scottish r
  10. a small rotary cutting tool
  11. a bit used on a dental drill
  12. a rough humming sound : whir
  13. to speak with a burr
  14. to make a whirring sound
  15. to pronounce with a burr
  16. to form into a projecting edge
  17. to remove burrs from

burb ['bərb] -n

  1. suburb usu. used in pl.

Bur·ber·ry ['bər-b(ə-)rē, 'bər-,ber-ē, -,be-rē] -trademark

  1. used for various fabrics used esp. for coats for outdoor wear

bur·ble ['bər-bəl] -vi, n

  1. to make a bubbling sound
  2. babble, prattle

burble [-b(ə-)lē] -n, adj

  1. prattle
  2. the breaking up of the smooth flow of air about a body (as an airplane wing)

bur·bot ['bər-bət] -n

  1. a Holarctic freshwater bony fish ( Lota lota) of the cod family having barbels on the nose and chin

bur·den ['bər-dᵊn] -n

  1. something that is carried : load
  2. duty, responsibility
  3. something oppressive or worrisome
  4. the bearing of a load usu. used in the phrase beast of burden
  5. capacity for carrying cargo
    • a ship of a hundred tons burden
  6. load
    • worm burden
    • cancer burden

burden ['bərd-niŋ, 'bər-dᵊn-iŋ] -vt

  1. load, oppress
    • I will not burden you with a lengthy account
  2. a bass or accompanying part
  3. chorus, refrain
  4. a central topic : theme

burden of proof

  1. the duty of proving a disputed assertion or charge

bur·den·some ['bər-dᵊn-səm] -adj

  1. imposing or constituting a burden : oppressive
    • burdensome restrictions

bur·dock ['bər-,däk] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Arctium) of coarse composite herbs bearing globular flower heads with prickly bracts

bu·reau ['byu̇r-(,)ō, 'byər-] -n

  1. writing desk
  2. one having drawers and a slant top
  3. a low chest of drawers for use in a bedroom
  4. a specialized administrative unit
  5. a subdivision of an executive department of a government
  6. a branch of a newspaper, newsmagazine, or wire service in an important news center
  7. a usu. commercial agency that serves as an intermediary esp. for exchanging information or coordinating activities
    • credit bureau

bu·reau·cra·cy [byu̇-'rä-krə-sē, byə-, byər-'ä-] -n

  1. a body of nonelective government officials
  2. an administrative policy-making group
  3. government characterized by specialization of functions, adherence to fixed rules, and a hierarchy of authority
  4. a system of administration marked by officialism, red tape, and proliferation

bu·reau·crat ['byu̇r-ə-,krat, 'byər-] -n

  1. a member of a bureaucracy

bu·reau·crat·ese [,byu̇r-ə-(,)kra-'tēz, -'tēs, ,byər-] -n

  1. a style of language held to be characteristic of bureaucrats and marked by abstractions, jargon, euphemisms, and circumlocutions

bu·reau·crat·ic [,byu̇r-ə-'kra-tik, ,byər-] -adj, adv

  1. of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a bureaucracy or a bureaucrat
    • bureaucratic government

bu·reau·cra·tise [byu̇-'rä-krə-,tīz, byə-, byər-'ä-] -vt, n

(variant of bureaucratize)

  1. to make bureaucratic

bu·reau·crat·ism ['byu̇r-ə-(,)kra-,ti-zəm, 'byər-] -n

  1. bureaucracy

bu·reau·cra·tize [byu̇-'rä-krə-,tīz, byə-, byər-'ä-] -vt, n

  1. to make bureaucratic

bu·rette [byu̇-'ret] -n

  1. a graduated glass tube with a small aperture and stopcock for delivering measured quantities of liquid or for measuring the liquid or gas received or discharged

burg ['bərg] -n

  1. an ancient or medieval fortress or walled town
  2. city, town

bur·gage ['bər-gij] -n

  1. a tenure by which real property in England and Scotland was held under the king or a lord for a yearly rent or for watching and warding

bur·gee [,bər-'jē, 'bər-,] -n

  1. a swallow-tailed flag used esp. by ships for signals or identification
  2. the usu. triangular identifying flag of a yacht club

bur·geon ['bər-jən] -vi

  1. to send forth new growth (as buds or branches) : sprout
  2. bloom
  3. to grow and expand rapidly : flourish

bur·ger ['bər-gər] -n

  1. hamburger
  2. a sandwich similar to a hamburger
    • tofu burger s
    often used in combination

bur·gess ['bər-jəs] -n

  1. a citizen of a British borough
  2. a representative of a borough, corporate town, or university in the British Parliament
  3. a representative in the popular branch of the legislature of colonial Maryland or Virginia

burgh ['bər-(,)ō, 'bə-(,)rō] -n, adj

  1. borough
  2. an incorporated town in Scotland having local jurisdiction of certain services

bur·gher ['bər-gər] -n

  1. an inhabitant of a borough or a town
  2. a member of the middle class : a prosperous solid citizen

bur·glar ['bər-glər also -gə-lər] -n

  1. one who commits burglary

bur·glar·ize ['bər-glə-,rīz also 'bər-gə-lə-] -vb

  1. to break into and steal from
    • burglarize a house
  2. to commit burglary against
  3. to commit burglary

bur·glar·proof ['bər-glər-,prüf] -adj

  1. protected against or designed to afford protection against burglary

bur·glary ['bər-glə-rē also -gə-lə-rē also -gəl-rē] -n, adj, adv

  1. the act of breaking and entering a dwelling at night to commit a felony (as theft)
  2. the entering of a building with the intent to commit a crime

bur·gle ['bər-gəl] -vt

  1. burglarize

bur·go·mas·ter ['bər-gə-,mas-tər] -n

  1. the chief magistrate of a town in some European countries : mayor

bur·go·net ['bər-gə-nət, ,bər-gə-'net] -n

  1. a close-fitting 16th century helmet with cheek guards

bur·goo ['bər-,gü, (,)bər-'] -n

  1. oatmeal gruel
  2. hardtack and molasses cooked together
  3. a stew or thick soup of meat and vegetables orig. served at outdoor gatherings
  4. a picnic at which burgoo is served

bur·gun·dy ['bər-gən-dē] -n

  1. a red or white unblended wine from Burgundy
  2. a blended red wine produced elsewhere
  3. a reddish-purple color

buri·al ['ber-ē-əl, 'be-rē- also 'bər-] -n

  1. grave, tomb
  2. the act or process of burying

buri·er ['ber-ē-ər, 'be-rē- also 'bər-] -n

  1. one that buries

bu·rin ['byu̇r-ən, 'bər-] -n

  1. an engraver's steel cutting tool having the blade ground obliquely to a sharp point
  2. a prehistoric flint tool with a beveled point

bur·ka ['bu̇r-kə] -n

  1. a loose enveloping garment that covers the face and body and is worn in public by certain Muslim women

burke ['bərk] -vt

  1. to suppress quietly or indirectly
    • burke an inquiry
  2. bypass, avoid
    • burke an issue

Bur·kitt's lymphoma ['bər-kəts-] -n

  1. a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of B cell origin that occurs esp. in children of central Africa and is associated with Epstein-Barr virus

burl ['bər(-ə)l] -n

  1. a knot or lump in thread or cloth
  2. a hard woody often flattened hemispherical outgrowth on a tree
  3. veneer made from burls

bur·la·de·ro [,bu̇r-lə-'der-(,)ō, ,bər-] -n

  1. a wooden shield near the wall in a bullring for bullfighters to take shelter behind if pursued

bur·lap ['bər-,lap] -n

  1. a coarse heavy plain-woven fabric usu. of jute or hemp used for bagging and wrapping and in furniture and linoleum manufacture
  2. a lightweight material resembling burlap used in interior decoration or for clothing

burled ['bər(-ə)ld] -adj

  1. having a distorted grain due to burls

bur·lesque [(,)bər-'lesk] -n, adj, adv

  1. a literary or dramatic work that seeks to ridicule by means of grotesque exaggeration or comic imitation
  2. mockery usu. by caricature
  3. theatrical entertainment of a broadly humorous often earthy character consisting of short turns, comic skits, and sometimes striptease acts

burlesque -vb, n

  1. to imitate in a humorous or derisive manner : mock
  2. to employ burlesque

bur·ley ['bər-lē] -n

  1. a thin-bodied air-cured tobacco grown mainly in Kentucky

bur·ly ['bər-lē] -adj, adv, n

  1. strongly and heavily built : husky
    • a burly man

bur marigold -n

  1. any of a genus ( Bidens) of coarse composite herbs with prickly flattened achenes that adhere to clothing and fur

Bur·mese [,bər-'mēz, -'mēs] -n, adj

  1. a native or inhabitant of Burma (Myanmar)
  2. the Tibeto-Burman language of the Burmese people
  3. any of a U.S.-developed breed of slender short-haired cats having gold eyes and a usu. dark brown coat

burn ['bərn] -n

  1. creek
  2. to consume fuel and give off heat, light, and gases
    • a small fire burn s on the hearth
  3. to undergo combustion
  4. to undergo nuclear fission or nuclear fusion
  5. to contain a fire
    • a little stove burn ing in the corner
  6. to give off light : shine, glow
    • a light burn ing in the window
  7. to be hot
    • the burn ing sand
  8. to produce or undergo discomfort or pain
    • ears burn ing from the cold
  9. : to become emotionally excited or agitated: as
  10. to yearn ardently
    • burn ing to tell the story
  11. to be or become very angry or disgusted
    • the remark made him burn
  12. to undergo alteration or destruction by the action of fire or heat
    • the house burn ed down
    • the potatoes burn ed to a crisp
  13. to die in the electric chair
  14. to force or make a way by or as if by burning
    • her words burn ed into his heart
  15. to suffer sunburn
    • she burn s easily
  16. to cause to undergo combustion
  17. to destroy by fire
    • burn ed the trash
  18. to use as fuel
    • this furnace burn s gas
  19. to use up : consume
    • burn calories
  20. to transform by exposure to heat or fire
    • burn clay to bricks
  21. to produce by burning
    • burn ed a hole in his sleeve
  22. to record digital data or music on (an optical disk) using a laser
    • burn a CD
  23. to record (data or music) in this way
    • burn songs onto a disk
  24. to injure or damage by or as if by exposure to fire, heat, or radiation : scorch
    • burn ed his hand
  25. to execute by burning
    • burn ed heretics at the stake
  26. electrocute
  27. irritate, annoy often used with up
    • really burn s me up
  28. : to subject to misfortune, mistreatment, or deception often used in passive
    • has been burned in love
  29. to beat or score on
    • burn ed the defense with a touchdown pass
  30. : an act, process, instance, or result of burning: as
  31. injury or damage resulting from exposure to fire, heat, caustics, electricity, or certain radiations
  32. a burned area
    • a burn on the tabletop
  33. an abrasion (as of the skin) having the appearance of a burn
    • rope burn s
  34. a burning sensation
    • the burn of iodine on a cut
  35. the firing of a rocket engine in flight
  36. anger
  37. increasing fury used chiefly in the phrase slow burn

burnedout ['bərnd-'au̇t, 'bərnt-'au̇t] -adj

  1. worn-out
  2. exhausted
  3. destroyed by fire
    • a burnedout building

burn·er ['bər-nər] -n

  1. one that burns : as
  2. the part of a fuel-burning or heat-producing device (as a furnace or stove) where the flame or heat is produced
  3. a device for recording data on an optical disk
  4. an athlete who possesses great speed

bur·net [(,)bər-'net, 'bər-nət] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Sanguisorba) of herbs of the rose family with odd-pinnate stipulate leaves and spikes of apetalous flowers

burnin ['bərn-,in] -n

  1. the continuous operation of a device (as a computer) as a test for defects or failure prior to putting it to use

burn in -vt

  1. to increase the density of (portions of a photographic print) during enlarging by giving extra exposure

burn·ing ['bər-niŋ] -adj, adv

  1. being on fire
  2. ardent, intense
    • burning enthusiasm
  3. affecting with or as if with heat
    • a burning fever
  4. resembling that produced by a burn
    • a burning sensation on the tongue
  5. of fundamental importance : urgent
    • one of the burning issues of our time

burning bush -n

  1. : any of several plants associated with fire (as by redness): as
  2. wahoo
  3. summer cypress
  4. a deciduous Asian shrub ( Euonymus alata) of the spindle tree family having stems with corky wings and leaves that turn a brilliant red in autumn

burning ghat -n

  1. a level space at the head of a ghat for cremation

bur·nish ['bər-nish] -vt, n, adj or n

  1. to make shiny or lustrous esp. by rubbing
  2. polish
  3. to rub (a material) with a tool for compacting or smoothing or for turning an edge

burnish -n

  1. luster, gloss

burn off -vi

  1. to be dissipated by the sun's warmth
    • waiting for the fog to burn off
  2. to cause to burn off

bur·noose [(,)bər-'nüs] -n, adj

  1. a one-piece hooded cloak worn by Arabs and Berbers

burn·out ['bərn-,au̇t] -n

  1. the cessation of operation usu. of a jet or rocket engine
  2. the point at which burnout occurs
  3. exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usu. as a result of prolonged stress or frustration
  4. a person suffering from burnout
  5. a person showing the effects of drug abuse

burn out -vt

  1. to drive out or destroy the property of by fire
  2. to cause to fail, wear out, or become exhausted esp. from overwork or overuse
  3. to suffer burnout

burn·sides ['bərn-,sīdz] -n pl

  1. side-whiskers
  2. full muttonchop whiskers

bur oak -n

  1. a usu. large oak ( Quercus macrocarpa) of eastern No. America having oval acorns enclosed in a fringed cap and tough close-grained wood

burp ['bərp] -n

  1. the act or an instance of belching
  2. belch
  3. belch
  4. to help (a baby) expel gas from the stomach esp. by patting or rubbing the baby's back

burp gun -n

  1. a small submachine gun

burqa ['bu̇r-kə] -n

(variant of burka)

  1. a loose enveloping garment that covers the face and body and is worn in public by certain Muslim women

burr ['bər] -n, adj

  1. a rough or prickly envelope of a fruit
  2. a plant that bears burs
  3. something that sticks or clings
    • a burr in the throat
  4. hanger-on
  5. an irregular rounded mass
  6. a tree burl
  7. a thin ridge or area of roughness produced in cutting or shaping metal
  8. a trilled uvular r as used by some speakers of English esp. in northern England and in Scotland
  9. a tongue-point trill that is the usual Scottish r
  10. a small rotary cutting tool
  11. a bit used on a dental drill
  12. a rough humming sound : whir
  13. to speak with a burr
  14. to make a whirring sound
  15. to pronounce with a burr
  16. to form into a projecting edge
  17. to remove burrs from

bur reed -n

  1. any of a genus ( Sparganiumof the family Sparganiaceae) of herbaceous plants with globose fruits resembling burs

bur·ri·to [bə-'rē-(,)tō] -n

  1. a flour tortilla rolled or folded around a filling (as of meat, beans, and cheese)

bur·ro ['bər-(,)ō, 'bu̇r-; 'bə-(,)rō] -n

  1. donkey
  2. a small one used as a pack animal

bur·row ['bər-(,)ō; 'bə-(,)rō] -n

  1. a hole or excavation in the ground made by an animal (as a rabbit) for shelter and habitation

burrow -vt, n

  1. to hide in or as if in a burrow
  2. to construct by tunneling
  3. to penetrate by means of a burrow
  4. to make a motion suggestive of burrowing with : nestle
    • burrow s her hand into mine
  5. to conceal oneself in or as if in a burrow
  6. to make a burrow
  7. to progress by or as if by digging
  8. to make a motion suggestive of burrowing : snuggle, nestle
    • burrow ed against his back for warmth

burrowing owl -n

  1. a small diurnal chiefly ground-dwelling American owl ( Athene cunicularia) of grassland and desert regions that roosts and nests in burrows

bur·ry ['bər-ē] -adj

  1. containing burs
  2. prickly
  3. characterized by a burr

bur·sa ['bər-sə] -n, adj

  1. : a bodily pouch or sac: as
  2. a small serous sac between a tendon and a bone
  3. bursa of fabricius

bursa of Fa·bri·cius [-fə-'brē-sh(ē-)əs, -'bri-, -s(ē-)əs]

  1. a lymphoid organ that opens into the cloaca of birds and functions in B cell production

bur·sar ['bər-sər, -,sär] -n

  1. an officer (as of a monastery or college) in charge of funds : treasurer

bur·sa·ry ['bər-sə-rē, 'bərs-rē] -n

  1. the treasury of a college or monastery
  2. a monetary grant to a needy student : scholarship

burse ['bərs] -n

  1. purse
  2. a square cloth case used to carry the corporal in a Communion service
  3. exchange, bourse

bur·si·tis [(,)bər-'sī-təs] -n

  1. inflammation of a bursa (as of the shoulder or elbow)

burst ['bərst] -vb

  1. to break open, apart, or into pieces usu. from impact or from pressure from within
  2. to give way from an excess of emotion
    • my heart will burst
  3. to give vent suddenly to a repressed emotion
    • burst into tears
    • burst out laughing
  4. to emerge or spring suddenly
    • burst out of the house
    • burst onto the scene
  5. launch, plunge
    • burst into song
  6. to be filled to the breaking point
    • burst ing with excitement
    • a crate burst ing with fruit
  7. to cause to burst
    • burst a balloon
  8. to force open (as a door or a way) by strong or vigorous action
  9. to flood over
    • the river burst its banks
  10. to produce by or as if by bursting
  11. a sudden outbreak
  12. a vehement outburst (as of emotion)
  13. explosion, eruption
  14. a sudden intense effort
    • a burst of speed
  15. the duration of fire in one engagement of the mechanism of an automatic firearm
  16. an act of bursting
  17. a result of bursting
  18. a visible puff accompanying the explosion of a shell

burst·er ['bərs-tər] -n

  1. one that bursts
  2. the celestial source of an outburst of radiation (as X-rays)

bur·then ['bər-dᵊn] -n

(variant of burden)

  1. something that is carried : load
  2. duty, responsibility
  3. something oppressive or worrisome
  4. the bearing of a load usu. used in the phrase beast of burden
  5. capacity for carrying cargo
    • a ship of a hundred tons burden
  6. load
    • worm burden
    • cancer burden

bur·weed ['bər-,wēd] -n

  1. any of various plants (as a cocklebur or burdock) having burry fruit

bury ['ber-ē, 'be-rē also 'bər-] -vt

  1. to dispose of by depositing in or as if in the earth
  2. to inter with funeral ceremonies
  3. to conceal by or as if by covering with earth
  4. to cover from view
    • buried her face in her hands
  5. to have done with
    • bury ing their differences
  6. to conceal in obscurity
    • buried the retraction among the classified ads
  7. submerge, engross usu. used with in
    • buried himself in his books
  8. to put (a playing card) out of play by placing it in or under the dealer's pack
  9. to succeed emphatically or impressively in making (a shot)
    • bury a jumper
    • bury a putt
  10. to defeat overwhelmingly

burying beetle -n

  1. any of various beetles (family Silphidae and esp. genus Nicrophorus) that bury and lay eggs on the carcasses of small animals which provide a food source for the developing larvae

bus ['bəs] -n

  1. a large motor vehicle designed to carry passengers usu. along a fixed route according to a schedule
  2. automobile
  3. a small hand truck
  4. bus bar
  5. a set of parallel conductors in a computer system that forms a main transmission path
  6. a spacecraft or missile that carries one or more detachable devices (as warheads)
  7. to travel by bus
  8. to work as a busboy
  9. to transport by bus
  10. clear
    • bus dishes
  11. to remove dirty dishes from
    • bus tables
  12. business

bus bar -n

  1. a conductor or an assembly of conductors for collecting electric currents and distributing them to outgoing feeders

bus·boy ['bəs-,bȯi] -n

  1. a waiter's assistant
  2. one who removes dirty dishes and resets tables in a restaurant

bus·by ['bəz-bē] -n

  1. a military full-dress fur hat with a pendent bag on one side usu. of the color of regimental facings
  2. the bearskin worn by British guardsmen not used by the guardsmen themselves

bush ['bu̇sh] -n

  1. shrub
  2. a low densely branched shrub
  3. a close thicket of shrubs suggesting a single plant
  4. a large uncleared or sparsely settled area (as in Australia) usu. scrub-covered or forested : wilderness usu. used with the
  5. a bunch of ivy formerly hung outside a tavern to indicate wine for sale
  6. tavern
  7. advertising
    • good wine needs no bush -- Shak.
  8. a bushy tuft or mass
    • a bush of hair
  9. brush
  10. minor league usu. used in pl.
    • spent ten years in the bush es
  11. to support, mark, or protect with bushes
  12. to extend like a bush : resemble a bush
  13. having a low-growing compact bushy habit used esp. of cultivated beans
    • bush snap beans
  14. serving, occurring in, or used in the bush
    • bush planes
  15. bushing
  16. falling below acceptable standards : unprofessional
    • bush behavior

bush baby -n

  1. any of several small nocturnal arboreal African primates ( Galagoand related genera of the family Lorisidae) with large eyes, long ears, a long tail, and elongated hind limbs that enable them to leap with great agility called also galago

bush basil -n

  1. a sweet basil of a cultivar with small leaves

bush·buck ['bu̇sh-,bək] -n

  1. a small African striped antelope ( Tragelaphus scriptus) esp. of sub-Saharan forests that has spirally twisted horns in the male

bush clover -n

  1. any of several usu. shrubby lespedezas

bushed ['bu̇sht] -adj

  1. covered with or as if with a bushy growth
  2. lost esp. in the bush
  3. perplexed , confused
  4. tired, exhausted
  5. having a bushing

bush·el ['bu̇-shəl] -n

  1. any of various units of dry capacity
  2. a container holding a bushel
  3. a large quantity
    • bushel s of money

bushel [-sh(ə-)liŋ] -vb, n

  1. repair, renovate

bush·fire ['bu̇sh-,fī(-ə)r] -n

  1. an uncontrolled fire in a bush area

Bu·shi·do ['bu̇-shi-,dō, 'bü-] -n

  1. a feudal-military Japanese code of behavior valuing honor above life

bush·ing ['bu̇-shiŋ] -n

  1. a usu. removable cylindrical lining for an opening (as of a mechanical part) used to limit the size of the opening, resist abrasion, or serve as a guide
  2. an electrically insulating lining for a hole to protect a through conductor

bush jacket -n

  1. a long cotton jacket resembling a shirt and having four patch pockets and a belt

bush·land ['bu̇sh-,land] -n

  1. bush

bushleague [-,lēg] -adj

  1. being of an inferior class or group of its kind : marked by a lack of sophistication or professionalism

bush league -n

  1. minor league

bush·man ['bu̇sh-mən] -n

  1. a member of a group of short-statured peoples of southern Africa who traditionally live by hunting and foraging
  2. the Khoisan languages spoken by these people
  3. woodsman
  4. a person who lives in the bush

bush·mas·ter [-,mas-tər] -n

  1. a pit viper of Central and So. America that is the largest New World venomous snake

bush·pig [-,pig] -n

  1. a wild usu. reddish to black pig ( Potamochoerus porcus) of forests and scrubland of sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar that has much facial hair, long pointed ears, and a light-colored mane along the top of the neck and back

bush pilot -n

  1. a pilot who flies a small plane into remote areas

bush·rang·er [-,rān-jər] -n

  1. an outlaw living in the bush
  2. frontiersman, woodsman

bush shirt -n

  1. a usu. loose-fitting cotton shirt with patch pockets

bush·tit [-,tit] -n

  1. a small gray titmouse ( Psaltriparus minimus) of western No. America with light underparts that occurs in several geographic forms

bush·veld ['bu̇sh-,felt] -n

  1. veld of southern Africa with abundant shrubby and often thorny vegetation

bush·whack ['bu̇sh-,hwak, -,wak] -vb, n

  1. ambush
  2. to attack suddenly : assault
  3. to clear a path through thick woods esp. by chopping down bushes and low branches

bushy ['bu̇-shē] -adj, adv, n

  1. full of or overgrown with bushes
  2. resembling a bush
  3. being thick and spreading

busi·ness ['biz-nəs, -nəz, Southern also 'bid-] -n

  1. purposeful activity : busyness
  2. role, function
    • how the human mind went about its business of learning -- H. A. Overstreet
  3. an immediate task or objective : mission
    • what is your business here
  4. a particular field of endeavor
    • the best in the business
  5. a usu. commercial or mercantile activity engaged in as a means of livelihood : trade, line
    • in the restaurant business
  6. a commercial or sometimes an industrial enterprise
  7. such enterprises
    • the business district
  8. dealings or transactions esp. of an economic nature : patronage
    • took their business elsewhere
  9. affair, matter
    • the whole business got out of hand
    • business as usual
  10. creation, concoction
  11. movement or action (as lighting a cigarette) by an actor intended esp. to establish atmosphere, reveal character, or explain a situation called also stage business
  12. personal concern
    • none of your business
  13. right
    • you have no business speaking to me that way
  14. serious activity requiring time and effort and usu. the avoidance of distractions
    • got down to business
  15. maximum effort
  16. a damaging assault
  17. rebuke, tongue-lashing
  18. double cross
  19. a bowel movement used esp. of pets

business administration -n

  1. a program of studies in a college or university providing general knowledge of business principles and practices

business card -n

  1. a small card bearing information (as name and address) about a business or business representative

business class -n

  1. a class of air transportation at a fare lower than first class and higher than coach

business cycle -n

  1. a cycle of economic activity usu. consisting of recession, recovery, growth, and decline

business end -n

  1. the end with, from, or through which a thing's function is fulfilled
    • the business end of a revolver

busi·ness·like ['biz-nəs-,līk, -nəz-] -adj

  1. exhibiting qualities believed to be advantageous in business
  2. serious, purposeful

busi·ness·man [-,man, -mən] -n

  1. a man who transacts business
  2. a business executive

busi·ness·peo·ple [-,pē-pəl] -n pl

  1. persons active in business

busi·ness·per·son [-,pər-sᵊn] -n

  1. a businessman or businesswoman

business suit -n

  1. a suit consisting of matching coat and trousers or coat and skirt and sometimes a vest

busi·ness·wom·an [-,wu̇-mən] -n

  1. a woman who transacts business
  2. one who is a business executive

bus·ing ['bə-siŋ] -n

  1. the act of transporting by bus
  2. the transporting of children to a school outside their residential area as a means of achieving racial balance in that school

busk·er ['bəs-kər] -n, vi

  1. a person who entertains in a public place for donations

bus·kin ['bəs-kən] -n

  1. a laced boot reaching halfway or more to the knee
  2. cothurnus
  3. tragedy
  4. tragedy resembling that of ancient Greek drama

bus·load ['bəs-,lōd] -n

  1. a load that fills a bus
    • busload s of tourists

bus·man's holiday ['bəs-mənz-] -n

  1. a holiday spent in following or observing the practice of one's usual occupation

buss ['bəs] -n, vt

  1. kiss

bust ['bəst] -n

  1. a sculptured representation of the upper part of the human figure including the head and neck and usu. part of the shoulders and breast
  2. the upper part of the human torso between neck and waist
  3. the breasts of a woman
  4. to break or smash esp. with force
  5. to make inoperative
    • bust ed my watch
  6. to bring an end to : break up
    • helped bust trusts -- Newsweek
    often used with up
    • better not try to bust up his happy marriage -- Forbes
  7. to ruin financially
  8. exhaust, wear out used in phrases like bust one's butt to describe making a strenuous effort
  9. to give a hard time to often used in phrases like bust one's chops
  10. tame
    • bronco bust ing
  11. demote
  12. arrest
    • bust ed for carrying guns -- Saul Gottlieb
  13. raid
    • bust ed the apartment
  14. hit, slug
  15. to go broke
  16. burst
    • laughing fit to bust
  17. break down
  18. to lose at cards by exceeding a limit (as the count of 21 in blackjack)
  19. to fail to complete a straight or flush in poker
  20. spree
  21. a hearty drinking session
    • a beer bust
  22. a complete failure : flop
  23. a business depression
  24. punch, sock
  25. a police raid
  26. arrest
  27. bankrupt, broke
    • go bust

bus·tard ['bəs-tərd] -n

  1. any of a family (Otididae) of large chiefly terrestrial Old World and Australian game birds

bust·er ['bəs-tər] -n

  1. someone or something extraordinary
    • a buster of a breakfast -- Harriet B. Stowe
  2. an unusually sturdy child
  3. fellow usu. used as a form of address
    • hey buster, come here
  4. a sudden violent wind often coming from the south
  5. : one that breaks, breaks up, or eliminates something
    • crime buster s
    : as
  6. plow
  7. a person who breaks horses
  8. a bad fall

bus·tier [,büs-tē-'ā, ,bəs-, -'tyā] -n

  1. a tight-fitting often strapless top worn as a brassiere or outer garment

bus·tle ['bə-səl] -vi, adj, adv

  1. to move briskly and often ostentatiously
  2. to be busily astir : teem

bustle -n

  1. noisy, energetic, and often obtrusive activity
    • the hustle and bustle of the big city
  2. a pad or framework expanding and supporting the fullness and drapery of the back of a woman's skirt or dress
  3. the drapery so supported

bust·line ['bəs(t)-,līn] -n

  1. an arbitrary line encircling the fullest part of the bust
  2. body circumference at the bust

busty ['bəs-tē] -adj

  1. having a large bust

bu·sul·fan [byü-'səl-fən] -n

  1. an antineoplastic agent C 6H 14O 6S 2used in the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia

busy ['bi-zē] -adj, adv, n

  1. engaged in action : occupied
  2. being in use
    • found the telephone busy
  3. full of activity : bustling
    • a busy seaport
  4. foolishly or intrusively active : meddling
  5. full of distracting detail
    • a busy design
  6. to make busy : occupy
  7. bustle
    • small boats busied to and fro -- Quentin Crewe

busy·body ['bi-zē-,bä-dē] -n

  1. an officious or inquisitive person

busy·work [-,wərk] -n

  1. work that usu. appears productive or of intrinsic value but actually only keeps one occupied

but ['bət] -conj

  1. except for the fact
    • would have protested but that he was afraid
  2. that used after a negative
    • there is no doubt but he won
  3. without the concomitant that
    • it never rains but it pours
  4. if not : unless
  5. than
    • no sooner started but it stopped
    not often in formal use
  6. on the contrary : on the other hand : notwithstanding used to connect coordinate elements
    • he was called but he did not answer
    • not peace but a sword
  7. yet
    • poor but proud
  8. with the exception of used before a word often taken to be the subject of a clause
    • none but the brave deserves the fair -- John Dryden
  9. with the exception of : barring
    • no one there but me
  10. other than
    • this letter is nothing but an insult
  11. without, lacking
  12. outside
  13. only, merely
    • he is but a child
  14. outside
  15. to the contrary
    • who knows but that she may succeed
  16. used as an intensive
    • get there but fast
  17. that not : who not
    • nobody but has his fault -- Shak.
  18. the kitchen or living quarters of a 2-room cottage

bu·ta·di·ene [,byü-tə-'dī-,ēn, -,dī-'] -n

  1. a flammable gaseous open chain hydrocarbon C 4H 6used in making synthetic rubbers

bu·tane ['byü-,tān] -n

  1. either of two isomeric flammable gaseous alkanes C 4H 10obtained usu. from petroleum or natural gas and used as fuels

bu·ta·nol ['byü-tᵊn-,ȯl, -,ōl] -n

  1. either of two flammable isomeric alcohols C 4H 9OH derived from straight-chain butane

butch ['bu̇ch] -adj, n

  1. notably or deliberately masculine in appearance or manner
  2. closely cropped
    • a butch haircut

butch·er ['bu̇-chər] -n

  1. a person who slaughters animals or dresses their flesh
  2. a dealer in meat
  3. one that kills ruthlessly or brutally
  4. one that bungles or botches
  5. a vendor esp. on trains or in theaters

butcher ['bu̇ch-riŋ, 'bu̇-chə-] -vt

  1. to slaughter and dress for market
    • butcher hogs
  2. to kill in a barbarous manner
  3. botch
    • butcher ed the play

butch·erbird ['bu̇-chər-,bərd] -n

  1. any of various shrikes

butcher block -n, adj

  1. a block made with thick strips of usu. laminated hardwood

butch·er·ly ['bu̇-chər-lē] -adj

  1. resembling a butcher : savage

butcher paper -n

  1. heavy brown or white paper used esp. for wrapping meats

butch·ery ['bu̇ch-rē, 'bu̇-chə-] -n

  1. slaughterhouse
  2. the preparation of meat for sale
  3. cruel and ruthless slaughter of human beings
  4. botch

bute ['byüt] -n

  1. phenylbutazone

bu·tene ['byü-,tēn] -n

  1. a straight-chain butylene

bu·teo ['byü-tē-,ō] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Buteo) of hawks with broad rounded wings, relatively short tails, and soaring flight

but for -prep

  1. except for

but·ler ['bət-lər] -n

  1. a manservant having charge of the wines and liquors
  2. the chief male servant of a household who has charge of other employees, receives guests, directs the serving of meals, and performs various personal services

butler's pantry -n

  1. a service room between kitchen and dining room

butt ['bət] -vb

  1. to thrust or push headfirst : strike with the head or horns
  2. to strike or shove with the head or horns
  3. a blow or thrust usu. with the head or horns
  4. a large cask esp. for wine, beer, or water
  5. any of various units of liquid capacity
  6. a measure equal to 108 imperial gallons (491 liters)
  7. a backstop (as a mound or bank) for catching missiles shot at a target
  8. target
  9. range
  10. a blind for shooting birds
  11. limit, bound
  12. goal
    • here is my journey's end, here is my butt -- Shak.
  13. an object of abuse or ridicule : victim
    • the butt of all their jokes
  14. buttocks often used as a euphemism for ass in idiomatic expressions
    • get your butt over here
    • kick butt
    • saved our butt s
  15. : the large or thicker end part of something:
  16. a lean upper cut of the pork shoulder
  17. the base of a plant from which the roots spring
  18. the thicker or handle end of a tool or weapon
  19. an unused remainder (as of a cigarette or cigar)
  20. cigarette
  21. the part of a hide or skin corresponding to the animal's back and sides
  22. abut used with on or against
  23. to place end to end or side to side without overlapping
  24. to trim or square off (as a log) at the end
  25. to reduce (as a cigarette) to a butt by stubbing or stamping

butte ['byüt] -n

  1. an isolated hill or mountain with steep or precipitous sides usu. having a smaller summit area than a mesa

but·ter ['bə-tər] -n, adj

  1. a solid emulsion of fat globules, air, and water made by churning milk or cream and used as food
  2. : a buttery substance: as
  3. any of various fatty oils remaining nearly solid at ordinary temperatures
  4. a creamy food spread
  5. one made of ground roasted nuts
    • peanut butter
  6. flattery

butter -vt

  1. to spread with or as if with butter

but·terandeggs [,bə-tər-ᵊn-'egz, -'āgz] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. a common Eurasian perennial herb ( Linaria vulgaris) of the snapdragon family that has showy yellow and orange flowers and is naturalized in much of No. America called also toadflax

but·ter·ball ['bə-tər-,bȯl] -n

  1. bufflehead
  2. a chubby person

butter bean -n

  1. : lima bean: as
  2. a dried lima bean
  3. sieva bean
  4. wax bean
  5. a green shell bean esp. as opposed to a snap bean

butter clam -n

  1. either of two edible clams ( Saxidomus nuttalliiand S. giganteus) of the Pacific coast of No. America

but·ter·cream ['bə-tər-,krēm] -n

  1. a sweet butter-based mixture used esp. as a filling or frosting

but·ter·cup [-,kəp] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Ranunculusof the family Ranunculaceae, the buttercup family) of herbs with yellow or white flowers and alternate leaves

but·ter·fat [-,fat] -n

  1. the natural fat of milk and chief constituent of butter consisting essentially of a mixture of glycerides (as those derived from butyric, capric, caproic, and caprylic acids)

but·ter·fin·gered [-,fiŋ-gərd] -adj, n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. apt to let things fall or slip through the fingers : careless

but·ter·fish [-,fish] -n

  1. any of numerous bony fishes (esp. family Stromateidae) with a slippery coating of mucus

but·ter·fly [-,flī] -n

  1. any of numerous slender-bodied diurnal lepidopteran insects including one superfamily (Papilionoidea) with broad often brightly colored wings and usu. another superfamily comprising the skippers
  2. something that resembles or suggests a butterfly
  3. a person chiefly occupied with the pursuit of pleasure
  4. a swimming stroke executed in a prone position by moving both arms in a circular motion while kicking both legs up and down
  5. a feeling of hollowness or queasiness caused esp. by emotional or nervous tension or anxious anticipation
  6. a defensive move by a goalie in ice hockey executed by dropping to the knees while spreading the lower legs outward

butterfly -vt

  1. to split almost entirely and spread apart
    • a butterflied steak
    • butterflied shrimp

butterfly bush -n

  1. buddleia

butterfly chair -n

  1. a chair for lounging consisting of a cloth sling supported by a frame of metal tubing or bars

butterfly effect -n

  1. a property of chaotic systems (as the atmosphere) by which small changes in initial conditions can lead to large-scale and unpredictable variation in the future state of the system

but·ter·fly·er ['bə-tər-,flī(-ə)r] -n

  1. a swimmer who specializes in the butterfly

butterfly fish -n

  1. any of a family (Chaetodontidae) of small brilliantly colored bony fishes of tropical seas with a narrow deep body and scaled fins
  2. a small brown freshwater bony fish ( Pantodon buchholziof the family Pantodontidae) of western Africa that has elongate winglike pectoral fins

butterfly valve -n

  1. a valve consisting of two semicircular clappers hinged to a cross rib that permits fluid flow in only one direction
  2. a damper or valve in a pipe consisting of a disk turning on a bisecting axis

butterfly weed -n

  1. a No. American milkweed ( Asclepias tuberosa) with showy orange flowers borne on erect leafy stems

but·ter·head ['bə-tər-,hed] -n

  1. butter lettuce

butter lettuce -n

  1. a lettuce (as Bibb or Boston lettuce) with a soft loose head of tender oily mild-flavored leaves

but·ter·milk ['bə-tər-,milk] -n

  1. the liquid left after butter has been churned from milk or cream
  2. cultured milk made by the addition of suitable bacteria to sweet milk

but·ter·nut [-,nət] -n

  1. an eastern No. American tree ( Juglans cinerea) of the walnut family with sweet egg-shaped nuts and light brown wood called also white walnut
  2. a light yellowish brown
  3. homespun overalls dyed brown with a butternut extract
  4. a soldier or partisan of the Confederacy during the American Civil War

butternut squash -n

  1. a smooth somewhat bottle-shaped buff-colored winter squash ( Cucurbita moschata) with usu. orange flesh

but·ter·scotch [-,skäch] -n

  1. a candy made from brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and water
  2. the flavor of such candy
  3. a moderate yellowish brown

butter up -vt

  1. to charm or beguile with lavish flattery or praise

but·ter·weed ['bə-tər-,wēd] -n

  1. : any of several plants having yellow flowers or smooth soft foliage: as
  2. horseweed
  3. any of several No. American senecios (as Senecio glabellus)

but·ter·wort [-,wərt, -,wȯrt] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Pinguicula) of herbs of the bladderwort family with fleshy leaves that produce a viscid secretion serving to capture and digest insects

but·tery ['bə-tə-rē, 'bə-trē] -n

  1. a storeroom for liquors
  2. pantry
  3. a room (as in an English college) stocking provisions for sale to students
  4. having the qualities (as smoothness or richness) of butter
    • buttery flavors
  5. containing or spread with butter
    • buttery pastry
  6. marked by flattery
    • buttery compliments

butt hinge -n

  1. a hinge usu. mortised flush into the edge of a door and its jamb

butt in -vi

  1. to meddle in the affairs of others : interfere

butt·in·sky [bət-'in-skē] -n

  1. a person given to butting in : a troublesome meddler

butt joint -n

  1. a joint made by fastening the parts together end-to-end without overlap and often with reinforcement

but·tock ['bə-tək also -(,)täk] -n

  1. the back of a hip that forms one of the fleshy parts on which a person sits
  2. the seat of the body
  3. rump

but·ton ['bə-tᵊn] -n, adj

  1. a small knob or disk secured to an article (as of clothing) and used as a fastener by passing it through a buttonhole or loop
  2. a usu. circular metal or plastic badge bearing a stamped design or printed slogan
    • campaign button
  3. : something that resembles a button: as
  4. : any of various parts or growths of a plant or of an animal: as
  5. bud
  6. an immature whole mushroom
  7. button mushroom
  8. the terminal segment of a rattlesnake's rattle
  9. a small globule of metal remaining after fusion (as in assaying)
  10. a guard on the tip of a fencing foil
  11. push button
  12. something (as a push button) that has the real or symbolic capability of initiating a catastrophe (as a nuclear attack)
    • has his finger on the button
  13. a hidden sensitivity that can be manipulated to produce a desired response
    • knows how to push my button s
  14. a usu. box-shaped computer icon that initiates a specific software function
  15. the point of the chin esp. as a target for a knockout blow

button ['bət-niŋ, 'bə-tᵊn-iŋ] -vb, n

  1. to furnish or decorate with buttons
  2. to pass (a button) through a buttonhole or loop
  3. to close or fasten with buttons often used with up
    • button up your overcoat
  4. to close (the lips) to prevent speech
    • button your lip
  5. to close or seal tightly usu. used with up
    • button up the house for winter
  6. to have buttons for fastening
    • this dress button s at the back

but·ton·ball ['bə-tᵊn-,bȯl] -n

  1. plane

but·ton·bush [-,bu̇sh] -n

  1. a No. American shrub ( Cephalanthus occidentalis) of the madder family with globular flower heads

but·tondown [-,dau̇n] -adj

  1. having the ends fastened to the garment with buttons
  2. having a button-down collar
  3. conservatively traditional or conventional
  4. adhering to conventional norms in dress and behavior
    • buttondown businessmen

buttondown -n

  1. a shirt with a button-down collar

but·tonedup ['bə-tᵊnd-'əp] -adj

  1. coldly reserved or standoffish
    • a buttonedup executive

but·ton·hole ['bə-tᵊn-,hōl] -n

  1. a slit or loop through which a button is passed
  2. boutonniere

buttonhole [-,hō-lər] -vt, n

  1. to furnish with buttonholes
  2. to work with buttonhole stitch
  3. to detain in conversation by or as if by holding on to the outer garments of

buttonhole stitch -n

  1. a closely worked loop stitch used to make a firm edge (as on a buttonhole)

but·ton·hook ['bə-tᵊn-,hu̇k] -n, vi

  1. a hook for drawing small buttons through buttonholes
  2. an offensive play in football in which the pass receiver runs straight downfield and then abruptly cuts back toward the line of scrimmage

button man -n

  1. a low-ranking member of a criminal underworld organization

button mushroom -n

  1. a usu. small white mushroom ( Agaricus bisporussyn. A. brunnescens) in which the pileus has not yet expanded

button quail -n

  1. any of a family (Turnicidae) of small terrestrial Old World birds that resemble quails and have only three toes on a foot with the hind toe being absent

button snakeroot -n

  1. blazing star
  2. any of several usu. prickly herbs (genus Eryngium) of the carrot family

but·ton·wood ['bə-tᵊn-,wu̇d] -n

  1. plane

butt out -vi

  1. to cease interference or involvement
    • told him to butt out of my affairs

but·tress ['bə-trəs] -n, adj

  1. a projecting structure of masonry or wood for supporting or giving stability to a wall or building
  2. : something that resembles a buttress: as
  3. a projecting part of a mountain or hill
  4. a horny protuberance on a horse's hoof at the heel
  5. the broadened base of a tree trunk or a thickened vertical part of it
  6. something that supports or strengthens
    • a buttress of the cause of peace

buttress -vt

  1. to furnish or shore up with a buttress
  2. support, strengthen
    • arguments buttress ed by solid facts

butt shaft -n

  1. a target arrow without a barb

butt·stock ['bət-,stäk] -n

  1. the stock of a firearm in the rear of the breech mechanism

butt weld -n, vt

  1. a butt joint made by welding

but·ty ['bə-tē] -n

  1. sandwich

bu·tut [bu̇-'tüt] -n

  1. see dalasi at

bu·tyl ['byü-tᵊl] -n

  1. any of four isomeric alkyl radicals C 4H 9 derived from butane

butyl alcohol -n

  1. any of four flammable alcohols C 4H 9OH (as butanol) used in organic synthesis and as solvents

bu·tyl·at·ed ['byü-tᵊl-,ā-təd] -adj, n

  1. combined with the butyl radical

butylated hy·droxy·an·i·sole [-(,)hī-,dräk-sē-'a-nə-,sōl] -n

  1. bha

butylated hy·droxy·tol·u·ene [-'täl-yə-,wēn] -n

  1. bht

bu·tyl·ene ['byü-tᵊl-,ēn] -n

  1. any of three isomeric hydrocarbons C 4H 8of the ethylene series obtained usu. by cracking petroleum

butyl nitrite -n

  1. an oily liquid ester C 4H 9NO 2of butyl alcohol and nitrous acid that is inhaled illicitly esp. as an aphrodisiac

butyl rubber -n

  1. any of a class of synthetic rubbers that are made by copolymerizing isobutylene with a small amount usu. of isoprene at low temperature

butyr- -comb form

  1. butyric
    • butyr aldehyde

bu·tyr·al·de·hyde [,byü-tə-'ral-də-,hīd] -n

  1. either of two aldehydes C 4H 8O used esp. in making synthetic resins

bu·ty·rate ['byü-tə-,rāt] -n

  1. a salt or ester of butyric acid

bu·tyr·ic [byü-'tir-ik] -adj

  1. relating to or producing butyric acid

butyric acid -n

  1. either of two isomeric fatty acids C 4H 8O 2
  2. the straight-chain acid of unpleasant odor normally found in perspiration and rancid butter

bu·ty·ro·phe·none [,byü-tə-(,)rō-fə-'nōn] -n

  1. any of a class of antipsychotic drugs (as haloperidol) used esp. in the treatment of schizophrenia

bux·om ['bək-səm] -adj, adv, n

  1. obedient, tractable
  2. offering little resistance : flexible
    • wing silently the buxom air -- John Milton
  3. full of gaiety
  4. vigorously or healthily plump
  5. full-bosomed

buy ['bī] -vb, n

  1. to acquire possession, ownership, or rights to the use or services of by payment esp. of money : purchase
  2. to obtain in exchange for something often at a sacrifice
    • they bought peace with their freedom
  3. redeem
  4. bribe, hire
  5. to be the purchasing equivalent of
    • the dollar buy s less today than it used to
  6. accept, believe
    • I don't buy that hooey
    often used with into
  7. to make a purchase
  8. something of value at a favorable price
  9. bargain
    • it's a real buy at that price
  10. an act of buying : purchase

buy·back ['bī-,bak] -n

  1. the act or an instance of buying something back
  2. the repurchase by a corporation of shares of its own common stock on the open market

buyer's market -n

  1. a market in which goods are plentiful, buyers have a wide range of choice, and prices tend to be low

buy off -vt

  1. to induce to refrain (as from prosecution) by a payment or other consideration
  2. to free (as from military service) by payment

buy·out ['bī-,au̇t] -n

  1. an act or instance of buying out
  2. a financial incentive offered to an employee in exchange for an early retirement or voluntary resignation

buy out -vt

  1. to purchase the share or interest of
  2. to purchase the entire stock-in-trade and the goodwill of (a business)

buy up -vt

  1. to buy freely or extensively
  2. to buy the entire available supply of

buzz ['bəz] -vb

  1. to make a low continuous humming sound like that of a bee
  2. murmur, whisper
  3. to be filled with a confused murmur
    • the room buzz ed with excitement
  4. to make a signal with a buzzer
  5. to go quickly : hurry
    • buzz ed around town in a sports car
  6. scram usu. used with off
  7. to feel high esp. from a drug
  8. to utter covertly by or as if by whispering
  9. to cause to buzz
  10. to fly fast and close to
    • planes buzz the crowd
  11. to summon or signal with a buzzer
  12. to let in through an electronically controlled entrance used with in or through
    • buzz ed him in
  13. to drink to the last drop
    • get some more port whilst I buzz this bottle -- W. M. Thackeray
  14. a persistent vibratory sound
  15. a confused murmur
  16. rumor, gossip
  17. a flurry of activity
  18. fad, craze
  19. speculative or excited talk or attention relating esp. to a new or forthcoming product or event
    • one of the few new shows that's getting good buzz -- TV Guide
  20. an instance of such talk or attention
    • their first CD created a huge buzz
  21. a signal conveyed by buzzer
  22. a telephone call
  23. high

buz·zard ['bə-zərd] -n

  1. buteo
  2. any of various usu. large birds of prey (as the turkey vulture)
  3. a contemptible or rapacious person

buzz bomb -n

  1. an unguided jet-propelled missile used by the Germans against England in World War II

buzz cut -n, adj

  1. crew cut

buzz·er ['bə-zər] -n

  1. one that buzzes
  2. an electric signaling device that makes a buzzing sound
  3. the sound of a buzzer

buzz·kill ['bəz-,kil] -n

  1. one that has a depressing or negative effect

buzz saw -n

  1. circular saw

buzz·word ['bəz-,wərd] -n

  1. an important-sounding usu. technical word or phrase often of little meaning used chiefly to impress laymen
  2. a voguish word or phrase called also buzz phrase