BO -abbr

  1. back order
  2. best offer
  3. body odor
  4. box office
  5. branch office
  6. buyer's option

boa ['bō-ə] -n

  1. any of a family (Boidae) of large snakes that kill by constriction and that includes the boa constrictor, anaconda, and python
  2. a long fluffy scarf

boa constrictor -n

  1. a tropical American boa ( Boa constrictorsyn. Constrictor constrictor) that is light brown barred or mottled with darker brown and reaches a length of 10 feet (3 meters) or more
  2. boa

boar ['bȯr] -n, adj

  1. an uncastrated male swine
  2. the male of any of several mammals (as a guinea pig)
  3. wild boar

board ['bȯrd] -n, adj

  1. border, edge
  2. the side of a ship
  3. a piece of sawed lumber of little thickness and a length greatly exceeding its width
  4. stage
  5. skis
  6. table
  7. a table spread with a meal
  8. daily meals esp. when furnished for pay
  9. a table at which a council or magistrates sit
  10. a group of persons having managerial, supervisory, investigatory, or advisory powers
    • board of directors
    • board of examiners
  11. an examination given by an examining board often used in pl.
    • pass the medical board s
  12. league, association
  13. the exposed hands of all the players in a stud poker game
  14. an exposed dummy hand in bridge
  15. : a flat usu. rectangular piece of material (as wood) designed for a special purpose: as
  16. springboard
  17. surfboard
  18. backboard
  19. a rebound in basketball
  20. a surface, frame, or device for posting notices
  21. blackboard
  22. switchboard
  23. cardboard
  24. the stiff foundation piece for the side of a book cover
  25. a securities or commodities exchange
  26. the low wooden wall enclosing a hockey rink
  27. a sheet of insulating material carrying circuit elements and terminals so that it can be inserted in an electronic apparatus (as a computer)
  28. bulletin board
  29. to come up against or alongside (a ship) usu. to attack
  30. accost, address
  31. to go aboard (as a ship, train, airplane, or bus)
  32. to put aboard
    • an airliner board ing passengers
  33. to cover or seal off with boards
    • board up a window
    • board up a house
  34. to provide with regular meals and often also lodging usu. for compensation
  35. to check (a player) into the boards in hockey
  36. to receive meals or lodging
  37. to live at a boarding school

board·er ['bȯr-dər] -n

  1. one that boards
  2. one that is provided with regular meals or regular meals and lodging
  3. a person who rides a snowboard : snowboarder

board foot -n

  1. a unit of quantity for lumber equal to the volume of a board 12 12 1 inches abbr. bd ft

board game -n

  1. a game of strategy (as checkers, chess, or backgammon) played by moving pieces on a board

board·ing·house ['bȯr-diŋ-,hau̇s] -n

  1. a lodging house at which meals are provided

boarding school -n

  1. a school that provides meals and lodging

board·man ['bȯrd-,man, esp for 2 -mən] -n

  1. a member of a board
  2. one who works at a board

board of trade

  1. a British governmental department concerned with commerce and industry
  2. a commodities exchange

board·room ['bȯrd-,rüm, -,ru̇m] -n

  1. a room that is designated for meetings of a board

board·sail·ing [-,sā-liŋ] -n

  1. windsurfing

board·walk [-,wȯk] -n

  1. a walk constructed of planking
  2. a walk constructed along a beach

boart ['bȯrt] -n

(variant of bort)

  1. imperfectly crystallized diamond or diamond fragments used as an abrasive

boast ['bōst] -n, adj, adv

  1. the act or an instance of boasting : brag
  2. a cause for pride
  3. to puff oneself up in speech : speak vaingloriously
  4. glory, exult
  5. to speak of or assert with excessive pride
  6. to possess and often call attention to (something that is a source of pride)
    • boast s a new stadium
  7. have, contain
    • a room boast ing no more than a desk and a chair
  8. to shape (stone) roughly in sculpture and stonecutting as a preliminary to finer work

boat ['bōt] -n, adj

  1. a small vessel for travel on water
  2. ship
  3. a boat-shaped container, utensil, or device
    • a gravy boat
    • a laboratory boat
  4. to place in or bring into a boat
  5. to go by boat

boat·build·er [-,bil-dər] -n

  1. one that builds boats

boat·er ['bō-tər] -n

  1. one who travels in a boat
  2. a stiff hat usu. made of braided straw with a brim, hatband, and flat crown

boat hook -n

  1. a pole-handled hook with a point or knob on the back used esp. to pull or push a boat, raft, or log into place

boat·house [-,hau̇s] -n

  1. a building to house and protect boats

boat·load ['bōt-,lōd] -n

  1. a load that fills a boat
  2. an indefinitely large number
    • a boatload of money

boat·man ['bōt-mən] -n

  1. a man who works on, deals in, or operates boats

boat·neck ['bōt-,nek] -n

  1. a wide neckline that extends toward the tips of the shoulders

boat people -n pl

  1. refugees fleeing by boat

boat shoe -n

  1. a low-cut shoe with a slip-resistant sole

boat·swain ['bō-sᵊn] -n

  1. a petty officer on a merchant ship having charge of hull maintenance and related work
  2. a naval warrant officer in charge of the hull and all related equipment

boat train -n

  1. an express train for transporting passengers between a port and a city

boat·yard ['bōt-,yärd] -n

  1. a yard where boats are built, repaired, and stored and often sold or rented

bob ['bäb] -vb

  1. to strike with a quick light blow : rap
  2. to move up and down in a short quick movement
    • bob the head
  3. to polish with a bob : buff
  4. to move up and down briefly or repeatedly
  5. to emerge, arise, or appear suddenly or unexpectedly
  6. to nod or curtsy briefly
  7. to try to seize a suspended or floating object with the teeth
  8. a short quick down-and-up motion
  9. any of several folk dances
  10. a blow or tap esp. with the fist
  11. a modification of the order in change ringing
  12. a method of change ringing using a bob
  13. a small polishing wheel of solid felt or leather with rounded edges
  14. deceive, cheat
  15. to take by fraud : filch
  16. bunch, cluster
  17. nosegay
  18. a knob, knot, twist, or curl esp. of ribbons, yarn, or hair
  19. a short haircut on a woman or child
  20. float
  21. a hanging ball or weight (as on a plumb line)
  22. trifle
    • bits and bob s
  23. to cut shorter : crop
    • bob a horse's tail
  24. to cut (hair) in the style of a bob
  25. shilling
  26. bobsled

bob·ber ['bä-bər] -n

  1. one that bobs

bobber -n

  1. a person who rides or races on a bobsled

bob·bery ['bä-b(ə-)rē] -n

  1. hubbub

bob·bin ['bä-bən] -n

  1. a cylinder or spindle on which yarn or thread is wound (as in a sewing machine)
  2. any of various small round devices on which threads are wound for working handmade lace
  3. a coil of insulated wire
  4. the reel it is wound on
  5. a cotton cord formerly used by dressmakers for piping

bob·bi·net ['bä-bə-,net] -n

  1. a machine-made net of cotton, silk, or nylon usu. with hexagonal mesh

bob·ble ['bä-bəl] -vb

  1. bob
  2. fumble

bobble -n

  1. a repeated bobbing movement
  2. a small ball of fabric
  3. one in a series used on an edging
  4. error, mistake
  5. a mishandling of the ball in baseball or football

bob·ble·head doll ['bä-bəl-,hed-] -n

  1. a doll having a head that makes repeated bobbing movements

bob·by ['bä-bē] -n

  1. police officer

bobby pin -n

  1. a flat wire hairpin with prongs that press close together

bobby socks -n pl

  1. girls' socks reaching above the ankle

bob·bysox·er [-,säk-sər] -n

  1. an adolescent girl

bob·cat ['bäb-,kat] -n

  1. a common No. American lynx ( Lynx rufus) reddish in base color with dark markings

bo·beche [bō-'besh, -'bāsh] -n

  1. a usu. glass collar on a candle socket to catch drippings or on a candlestick or chandelier to hold suspended glass prisms

bo·bo ['bō-(,)bō] -n

  1. a member of a social class of well-to-do professionals who espouse bohemian values and lead bourgeois lives

bob·o·link ['bä-bə-,liŋk] -n

  1. an American migratory songbird ( Dolichonyx oryzivorus) with the breeding male chiefly black

bob·sled ['bäb-,sled] -n, vi

  1. a short sled usu. used as one of a pair joined by a coupling
  2. a large usu. metal sled used in racing and equipped with two pairs of runners in tandem, a long seat for two or more people, a steering wheel, and a hand brake

bob·sled·ding [-,sle-diŋ] -n

  1. the act, skill, or sport of riding or racing on a bobsled

bob·stay ['bäb-,stā] -n

  1. a stay to hold a ship's bowsprit down

bob·tail ['bäb-,tāl] -n, adj

  1. a bobbed tail
  2. a horse, dog, or cat with a bobbed or very short tail
  3. old english sheepdog
  4. something curtailed

bob veal ['bäb-] -n

  1. the veal of a very young or unborn calf

bob·white ['bäb-'hwīt, -'wīt] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Colinus) of quail
  2. a popular game bird ( C. virginianus) of eastern and central No. America having mottled chiefly reddish-brown plumage

bo·cac·cio [bə-'kä-chē-,ō, -chō] -n

  1. a large rockfish ( Sebastes paucispinis) of the Pacific coast locally important as a market fish

boc·cie ['bä-chē] -n

  1. a game of Italian origin similar to lawn bowling played on a long narrow usu. dirt court

bock ['bäk] -n

  1. a strong dark rich beer usu. sold in the early spring

bod ['bäd] -n

  1. fellow, guy
  2. body

BOD -abbr

  1. biochemical oxygen demand
  2. biological oxygen demand

bo·da·cious [bō-'dā-shəs] -adj, adv

  1. outright, unmistakable
  2. remarkable, noteworthy
    • a bodacious bargain
  3. sexy, voluptuous
    • bodacious babes

bode ['bōd] -vt

  1. to announce beforehand : foretell
  2. to indicate by signs : presage

bode ['bīd] -vb, n

(variant of bide)

  1. to wait for used chiefly in the phrase bide one's time
  2. withstand
    • two men...might bide the winter storm -- W. C. Bryant
  3. to put up with : tolerate
  4. to continue in a state or condition
  5. to wait awhile : tarry
  6. to continue in a place : sojourn

bo·de·ga [bō-'dā-gə] -n

  1. a storehouse for maturing wine
  2. wineshop
  3. bar
  4. barroom
  5. a usu. small grocery store in an urban area
  6. one specializing in Hispanic groceries

bode·ment ['bōd-mənt] -n

  1. omen
  2. prediction

bo·dhi·satt·va [,bō-di-'sət-və, -'sät-] -n

  1. a being that compassionately refrains from entering nirvana in order to save others and is worshipped as a deity in Mahayana Buddhism

bodh·ran ['bȯ-(,)rän, -rən] -n

  1. a shallow handheld Irish drum

bod·ice ['bä-dəs] -n

  1. the upper part of a woman's dress
  2. corset, stays

bodice ripper -n

  1. a historical or Gothic romance typically featuring scenes in which the heroine is subjected to violence

bod·ied ['bä-dēd] -adj

  1. having a body of a specified kind used in combination
    • full- bodied
    • glass- bodied

bodi·less ['bä-di-ləs, 'bä-dᵊl-əs] -adj

  1. having no body

bodi·ly ['bä-dᵊl-ē] -adj

  1. having a body : physical
  2. of or relating to the body
    • bodily comfort
    • bodily organs

bodily -adv

  1. in the flesh
  2. as a whole : altogether

bod·ing ['bō-diŋ] -n

  1. foreboding

bod·kin ['bäd-kən] -n

  1. dagger, stiletto
  2. a sharp slender instrument for making holes in cloth
  3. an ornamental hairpin shaped like a stiletto
  4. a blunt needle with a large eye for drawing tape or ribbon through a loop or hem

body ['bä-dē] -n

  1. the main part of a plant or animal body esp. as distinguished from limbs and head : trunk
  2. : the main, central, or principal part: as
  3. the nave of a church
  4. the bed or box of a vehicle on or in which the load is placed
  5. the enclosed or partly enclosed part of an automobile
  6. : the organized physical substance of an animal or plant either living or dead: as
  7. the material part or nature of a human being
  8. a dead organism : corpse
  9. a human being : person
  10. a mass of matter distinct from other masses
    • a body of water
  11. something that embodies or gives concrete reality to a thing
  12. a sensible object in physical space
  13. aggregate, quantity
    • a body of evidence
  14. the part of a garment covering the body or trunk
  15. the main part of a literary or journalistic work : text
  16. the sound box or pipe of a musical instrument
  17. : a group of persons or things: as
  18. a fighting unit : force
  19. a group of individuals organized for some purpose
    • a legislative body
  20. fullness and richness of flavor (as of wine)
  21. viscosity, consistency used esp. of oils and grease
  22. denseness, fullness, or firmness of texture
  23. fullness or resonance of a musical tone
  24. to give form or shape to : embody
  25. represent, symbolize usu. used with forth

body bag -n

  1. a large zippered bag (as of rubber or vinyl) in which a human corpse is placed esp. for transportation

body blow -n

  1. a blow to the body
  2. a damaging or deeply felt blow
    • an economic body blow

body·board ['bä-dē-,bȯrd] -n, vi

  1. a short surfboard on which the rider lies prone

body·build·ing [-,bil-diŋ] -n

  1. the developing of the body through exercise and diet
  2. the developing of the physique for competitive exhibition

body cavity -n

  1. a cavity in an animal body
  2. coelom

bodycen·tered ['bä-dē-,sen-tərd] -adj

  1. relating to or being a crystal space lattice in which each cubic unit cell has an atom at its center and at each vertex

body check ['bä-dē-,chek] -n, vt

  1. a blocking of an opposing player with the body (as in ice hockey or lacrosse)

body clock -n

  1. the internal mechanisms that schedule periodic bodily functions and activities usu. not used technically

body corporate -n

  1. corporation

body count -n

  1. a count of the bodies of killed enemy soldiers
  2. the number of persons involved in a particular activity

body double -n

  1. a double who takes the place of an actor esp. in scenes calling for nudity

body English -n

  1. bodily motions made in a usu. unconscious effort to influence the progress of a propelled object (as a ball)

body·guard ['bä-dē-,gärd] -n

  1. a usu. armed attendant or group of attendants whose duty is to protect a person

body language -n

  1. the gestures, movements, and mannerisms by which a person or animal communicates with others

body louse -n

  1. a louse feeding primarily on the body
  2. a sucking louse ( Pediculus humanus humanus) feeding on the body and living in the clothing of humans called also cootie

body mass index -n

  1. a measure of body fat that is the ratio of the weight of the body in kilograms to the square of its height in meters

body mechanics -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. systematic exercises designed esp. to develop coordination, endurance, and poise

body piercing -n

  1. the practice or an instance of adorning the body with jewelry or ornamentation that penetrates the flesh

body politic -n

  1. a group of persons politically organized under a single governmental authority
  2. corporation
  3. a people considered as a collective unit

body shirt -n

  1. a close-fitting shirt or blouse
  2. a woman's close-fitting top made with a sewn-in or snapped crotch

body shop -n

  1. a shop where automotive bodies are made or repaired

body snatcher -n

  1. one who steals corpses from graves

body stocking -n

  1. a usu. sheer close-fitting one-piece garment for the torso that often has sleeves and legs

body·suit ['bä-dē-,süt] -n

  1. a close-fitting one-piece garment for the torso

body·surf ['bä-dē-,sərf] -vi, n

  1. to ride on a wave without a surfboard by planing on the chest and stomach

body wall -n

  1. the external surface of the animal body consisting of ectoderm and mesoderm and enclosing the body cavity

body·wash ['bä-dē-,wȯsh, -,wäsh] -n

  1. a liquid product for cleansing the body

body·work ['bä-dē-,wərk] -n

  1. a vehicle body
  2. the act or process of making or repairing vehicle bodies
  3. therapeutic touching or manipulation of the body by using specialized techniques

body wrap -n

  1. a body treatment involving the application of usu. oils or gels followed by a wrapping of the body with a sheet

boehm·ite ['bā-,mīt, 'bə(r)-] -n

  1. a mineral consisting of an orthorhombic form of aluminum oxide and hydroxide AlO(OH) found in bauxite

Boer ['bȯr, 'bu̇r] -n

  1. a South African of Dutch or Huguenot descent

boff ['bäf] -vt

  1. to have sexual intercourse with
  2. a hearty laugh
  3. a gag or line that produces a hearty laugh
  4. something that is conspicuously successful : hit

bof·fin ['bä-fən] -n

  1. a scientific expert
  2. one involved in technological research

bof·fo ['bä-(,)fō] -adj

  1. extremely successful : sensational

bof·fo·la [bä-'fō-lə] -n

  1. boff

Bo·fors gun ['bō-,fȯrz-, 'bü-] -n

  1. a double-barreled automatic antiaircraft gun

bog ['bäg, 'bȯg] -n, adj

  1. wet spongy ground
  2. a poorly drained usu. acid area rich in accumulated plant material, frequently surrounding a body of open water, and having a characteristic flora (as of sedges, heaths, and sphagnum)
  3. to cause to sink into or as if into a bog : impede, mire usu. used with down
  4. to become impeded or stuck usu. used with down
  5. lavatory

bo·gart ['bō-,gärt] -vt

  1. bully
  2. to use or consume without sharing

bog asphodel -n

  1. either of two bog herbs ( Narthecium ossifragumof Europe and N. americanumof the U.S.) of the lily family

bo·gey -n

  1. specter, phantom
  2. a source of fear, perplexity, or harassment
  3. an average golfer's score used as a standard for a particular hole or course
  4. one stroke over par on a hole in golf
  5. a numerical standard of performance set up as a mark to be aimed at esp. in competition
  6. an unidentified aircraft
  7. one not positively identified as friendly and so assumed to be hostile
  8. to shoot (a hole in golf) in one over par

bo·gey·man ['bu̇-gē-,man, 'bō-, 'bü-, 'bu̇-gər-] -n

  1. a monstrous imaginary figure used in threatening children
  2. a terrifying or dreaded person or thing : bugbear

bog·gle ['bä-gəl] -vb, n

  1. to start with fright or amazement : be overwhelmed
    • the mind boggle s at the research needed
  2. to hesitate because of doubt, fear, or scruples
  3. mishandle, bungle
  4. to overwhelm with wonder or bewilderment
    • boggle the mind

bo·gie ['bō-gē] -n

  1. a low strongly built cart
  2. a swiveling railway truck
  3. the driving-wheel assembly consisting of the rear four wheels of a 6-wheel automotive truck
  4. a small supporting or aligning wheel (as on the inside perimeter of a tank tread)

bo·gle ['bō-gəl] -n

  1. goblin, specter
  2. an object of fear or loathing

Bo·go·mil [,bə-gə-'mēl] -n

  1. a member of a medieval Bulgarian sect holding that God has two sons, the rebellious Satan and the obedient Jesus

bo·gus ['bō-gəs] -adj, adv, n

  1. not genuine : counterfeit, sham

bo·hea [bō-'hē] -n

  1. a black tea

bo·he·mia [bō-'hē-mē-ə] -n

  1. a community of bohemians : the world of bohemians

Bo·he·mi·an [-mē-ən] -n, adj

  1. a native or inhabitant of Bohemia
  2. the group of Czech dialects used in Bohemia
  3. vagabond, wanderer
  4. gypsy
  5. a person (as a writer or an artist) living an unconventional life usu. in a colony with others

Bohemian Brethren -n pl

  1. a Christian body originating in Bohemia in 1467 and forming a parent body of the Moravian Church

bo·he·mi·an·ism [bō-'hē-mē-ə-,ni-zəm] -n

  1. the unconventional way of life of bohemians

bo·ho ['bō-hō] -n, adj

  1. bohemian

Bohr effect ['bȯr-] -n

  1. the decrease in the oxygen affinity of a respiratory pigment (as hemoglobin) in response to decreased blood pH resulting from increased carbon dioxide concentration in the blood

bohr·i·um ['bȯr-ē-əm] -n

  1. a short-lived radioactive element produced artificially

Bohr theory -n

  1. a theory in early quantum physics: an atom consists of a positively charged nucleus about which revolves one or more electrons of quantized energy

bo·hunk ['bō-,həŋk] -n

  1. a person of central European descent or birth

boil ['bȯi(-ə)l] -vb, adj

  1. to come to the boiling point
  2. to generate bubbles of vapor when heated used of a liquid
  3. to cook in boiling water
  4. to become agitated : seethe
  5. to be moved, excited, or stirred up
  6. to rush headlong
  7. to burst forth
  8. to undergo the action of a boiling liquid
  9. to subject to the action of a boiling liquid
  10. to heat to the boiling point
  11. to form or separate (as sugar or salt) by boiling
  12. a localized swelling and inflammation of the skin resulting from infection of a hair follicle and adjacent tissue, having a hard central core, and forming pus
  13. the act or state of boiling
  14. a swirling upheaval (as of water)
  15. a boiled dish of seafood, vegetables, and seasonings
    • a crab boil
  16. a gathering at which this dish is served

boil down -vt

  1. to reduce in bulk by boiling
  2. condense, summarize
    • boil down a report
  3. to undergo reduction in bulk by boiling
  4. to be equivalent in summary : amount
    • his speech boiled down to a plea for more money
  5. to reduce ultimately
    • your choices boil down to three

boil·er ['bȯi-lər] -n

  1. one that boils
  2. a vessel used for boiling
  3. the part of a steam generator in which water is converted into steam and which consists usu. of metal shells and tubes
  4. a tank in which water is heated or hot water is stored

boil·er·mak·er ['bȯi-lər-,mā-kər] -n

  1. a worker who makes, assembles, or repairs boilers
  2. whiskey with a beer chaser

boil·er·plate [-,plāt] -n

  1. syndicated material supplied esp. to weekly newspapers in matrix or plate form
  2. standardized text
  3. formulaic or hackneyed language
    • bureaucratic boilerplate
  4. tightly packed icy snow

boiler room -n

  1. a room in which a boiler is located
  2. a room equipped with telephones used for making high-pressure usu. fraudulent sales pitches

boil·er·suit [-,süt] -n

  1. coverall

boil·ing ['bȯi(-ə)-liŋ] -adj

  1. heated to the boiling point
  2. torrid
    • a boiling sun
  3. intensely agitated
    • a boiling sea
    • boiling with anger

boiling -adv

  1. to an extreme degree : very
    • boiling mad
    • boiling hot

boiling point -n

  1. the temperature at which a liquid boils
  2. the point at which a person becomes uncontrollably angry
  3. the point of crisis : head
    • matters had reached the boiling point

boil over ['bȯi(-ə)l-,ō-vər] -vi, n

  1. to overflow while boiling
  2. to become so incensed as to lose one's temper

boink ['bȯiŋk] -vt

  1. to copulate with

bois d'arc ['bō-,dä(r)k, dial also 'bwä-, 'bȯr-] -n

  1. osage orange
  2. its wood

boi·se·rie [,bwä-zə-'rē] -n

  1. a panel or paneling of carved wood

bois·ter·ous ['bȯi-st(ə-)rəs] -adj, adv, n

  1. coarse
  2. durable, strong
  3. massive
  4. noisily turbulent : rowdy
  5. marked by or expressive of exuberance and high spirits
  6. stormy, tumultuous

boite ['bwät] -n

  1. nightclub

bok choy ['bäk-'chȯi] -n

  1. a Chinese cabbage ( Brassica rapa chinensis) forming an open head with long white stalks and green leaves

Bo·kha·ra [bō-'kär-ə] -n

  1. an Oriental rug characterized by fine knotting and a design of usu. three rows of octagonal medallions

Bok·ml ['bu̇k-,mȯl, 'bōk-] -n

  1. a literary form of Norwegian developed by the gradual reform of written Danish

bo·la ['bō-lə] -n

  1. a cord with weights attached to the ends for throwing at and entangling an animal

bold ['bōld] -adj, adv, n

  1. fearless before danger : intrepid
  2. showing or requiring a fearless daring spirit
  3. impudent, presumptuous
  4. assured, confident
  5. sheer, steep
    • bold cliffs
  6. adventurous, free
    • a bold thinker
  7. standing out prominently
  8. being or set in boldface
  9. boldface

bold·face ['bōl(d)-,fās] -n

  1. a heavy-faced type
  2. printing in boldface

boldfaced ['bōl(d)-'fāst] -adj

  1. bold in manner or conduct : impudent
  2. being or set in boldface

bole ['bōl] -n

  1. trunk

bo·le·ro [bə-'ler-(,)ō, -'le-rō] -n

  1. a Spanish dance characterized by sharp turns, stamping of the feet, and sudden pauses in a position with one arm arched over the head
  2. music in time for a bolero
  3. a loose waist-length jacket open at the front

bo·lete [bō-'lēt] -n

  1. any of a family (Boletaceae) of fleshy stalked pore fungi that usu. grow on the ground in wooded areas
  2. boletus

bo·le·tus [bō-'lē-təs] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Boletus) of boletes (as a porcini) some of which are poisonous and others edible

bo·lide ['bō-,līd, -lid] -n

  1. a large meteor : fireball
  2. one that explodes

boll ['bōl] -n

  1. the pod or capsule of a plant (as cotton)

bol·lard ['bä-lərd, Brit also -,lärd] -n

  1. a post of metal or wood on a wharf around which to fasten mooring lines
  2. bitt
  3. any of a series of short posts set at intervals to delimit an area (as a traffic island) or to exclude vehicles

bol·lix ['bä-liks] -vt, n

  1. to throw into disorder
  2. bungle usu. used with up

bol·locks ['bä-ləks] -n pl

  1. testicles
  2. nonsense

boll weevil -n

  1. a usu. grayish or brown weevil ( Anthonomus grandis grandis) that feeds on the squares and bolls of the cotton plant

boll·worm ['bōl-,wərm] -n

  1. corn earworm
  2. any of several other moths that feed on cotton bolls as larvae

Bol·ly·wood ['bä-lē-,wu̇d] -n

  1. the motion-picture industry in India

bo·lo ['bō-(,)lō] -n

  1. a long heavy single-edged knife of Philippine origin used to cut vegetation and as a weapon

bo·lo·gna [bə-'lō-nē also -nyə, -nə] -n

  1. a large smoked sausage of beef, veal, and pork
  2. a sausage made (as of turkey) to resemble bologna

Bo·lo·gnese [,bō-lə-'n(y)ēz, -'n(y)āz, -'n(y)ēs, -'n(y)ās; -'n(y)ā-zē, -sē] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Bologna, Italy
  2. being or prepared with tomato sauce flavored with meat

bo·lom·e·ter [bō-'lä-mə-tər] -n, adj, adv

  1. a very sensitive thermometer whose electrical resistance varies with temperature and which is used in the detection and measurement of feeble thermal radiation and is esp. adapted to the study of infrared spectra

bo·lo tie ['bō-lō-] -n

  1. a cord fastened around the neck with an ornamental clasp and worn as a necktie called also bolo

Bol·she·vik ['bōl-shə-,vik, 'bȯl-, 'bäl-, -,vēk] -n, adj

  1. a member of the extremist wing of the Russian Social Democratic party that seized power in Russia by the Revolution of November 1917
  2. communist

bol·she·vism ['bōl-shə-,vi-zəm, 'bȯl-, 'bäl-] -n

  1. the doctrine or program of the Bolsheviks advocating violent overthrow of capitalism
  2. Russian communism

Bol·she·vist [-vist] -n or adj

  1. bolshevik

bol·she·vize [-,vīz] -vt, n

  1. to make Bolshevist

bol·shie ['bōl-shē, 'bȯl-, 'bäl-] -n or adj

  1. bolshevik
  2. refusing to obey or help : defiant and uncooperative

bol·ster ['bōl-stər] -n

  1. a long pillow or cushion
  2. a structural part designed to eliminate friction or provide support or bearing

bolster [-st(ə-)riŋ] -vt, n

  1. to support with or as if with a bolster : reinforce
  2. to give a boost to
    • news that bolster ed his spirits

bolt ['bōlt] -n

  1. a shaft or missile designed to be shot from a crossbow or catapult
  2. a short stout usu. blunt-headed arrow
  3. a lightning stroke
  4. thunderbolt
  5. a wood or metal bar or rod used to fasten a door
  6. the part of a lock that is shot or withdrawn by the key
  7. a roll of cloth or wallpaper of specified length
  8. a metal rod or pin for fastening objects together that usu. has a head at one end and a screw thread at the other and is secured by a nut
  9. a block of timber to be sawed or cut
  10. a short round section of a log
  11. a metal cylinder that drives the cartridge into the chamber of a firearm, locks the breech, and usu. contains the firing pin and extractor
  12. to move suddenly or nervously : start
  13. to move or proceed rapidly : dash
  14. to dart off or away : flee
  15. to break away from control or a set course
  16. to break away from or oppose one's previous affiliation (as with a political party or sports team)
  17. to produce seed prematurely
  18. shoot, discharge
  19. flush, start
    • bolt rabbits
  20. to say impulsively : blurt
  21. to secure with a bolt
    • bolt the door
  22. to attach or fasten with bolts
  23. to eat hastily or without chewing
    • bolt ed his breakfast
  24. to break away from or refuse to support (as a political party)
  25. in an erect or straight-backed position : rigidly
    • sat bolt upright
  26. directly, straight
  27. the act or an instance of bolting
  28. to sift (as flour) usu. through fine-meshed cloth
  29. sift

boltac·tion ['bōlt-'ak-shən] -adj

  1. loaded by means of a manually operated bolt

bolt·er ['bōl-tər] -n

  1. : one that bolts: as
  2. a horse given to running away
  3. a voter who bolts from a political party

bolt from the blue

  1. a complete surprise : something totally unexpected called also bolt out of the blue

bolthole ['bōlt-,hōl] -n

  1. a place of escape or refuge

bolt·rope ['bōlt-,rōp] -n

  1. a strong rope stitched to the edges of a sail to strengthen it

bo·lus ['bō-ləs] -n

  1. : a rounded mass: as
  2. a large pill
  3. a soft mass of chewed food
  4. a dose of a substance (as a drug) given intravenously
  5. a large dose of a substance given by injection for the purpose of rapidly achieving the needed therapeutic concentration in the bloodstream

bomb ['bäm] -n

  1. an explosive device fused to detonate under specified conditions
  2. atomic bomb
  3. nuclear weapons in general usu. used with the
  4. : a vessel for compressed gases: as
  5. a pressure vessel for conducting chemical experiments
  6. a container for an aerosol (as an insecticide) : spray can
  7. a rounded mass of lava exploded from a volcano
  8. a lead-lined container for radioactive material
  9. failure, flop
    • the play was a bomb
  10. a large sum of money
  11. a great success : hit
  12. one that is striking or extraordinary used with the
    • their new album is the bomb
  13. a long pass in football
  14. a very long shot (as in basketball)
    • shooting 3-point bomb s
  15. home run
  16. something unexpected and unpleasant often used with drop
    • dropped a bomb with her resignation
  17. to attack with or as if with bombs : bombard
  18. to defeat decisively
  19. to hit (as a baseball or a golf shot) very hard
  20. to fall flat : fail
  21. to move rapidly
    • bomb ed down the hill

bom·bard ['bäm-,bärd] -n

  1. a late medieval cannon used to hurl large stones
  2. to attack esp. with artillery or bombers
  3. to assail vigorously or persistently (as with questions)
  4. to subject to the impact of rapidly moving particles (as electrons)

bom·bar·dier [,bäm-bə-'dir, -bər-] -n

  1. artilleryman
  2. a noncommissioned officer in the British artillery
  3. a bomber-crew member who releases the bombs

bom·bar·don ['bäm-bər-,dōn, bäm-'bär-dᵊn] -n

  1. a bass tuba
  2. the bass member of the shawm family

bom·bast ['bäm-,bast] -n

  1. pretentious inflated speech or writing

bom·bas·tic [bäm-'bas-tik] -adj, adv

  1. marked by or given to bombast : pompous, overblown

bom·ba·zine [,bäm-bə-'zēn] -n

  1. a twilled fabric with silk warp and worsted filling
  2. a silk fabric in twill weave dyed black

bombe ['bäm, 'bōⁿ(m)b] -n

  1. a frozen dessert usu. containing ice cream and formed in layers in a mold

bom·be [(,)bäm-'bā, (,)bōⁿ-] -adj

  1. having outward curving lines usu. used of furniture

bombed ['bämd] -adj

  1. affected by alcohol or drugs : drunk, high

bombedout ['bämd-,au̇t, -'au̇t] -adj

  1. destroyed by bombing
    • a bombedout factory
  2. extremely dilapidated or run-down
    • a bombedout inner-city neighborhood

bomb·er ['bä-mər] -n

  1. one that bombs
  2. an airplane designed for bombing
  3. bomber jacket
  4. a skilled long-distance shooter in basketball

bomber jacket -n

  1. a zippered usu. leather jacket with front pockets and knitted cuffs and waistband

bom·bi·nate ['bäm-bə-,nāt] -vi, n

  1. buzz, drone

bomb·let ['bäm-lət] -n

  1. a small bomb
  2. one of the many small bombs that make up a cluster bomb

bomb·proof ['bäm-,prüf] -adj

  1. safe from the force of bombs
  2. extremely sturdy or durable
    • a bombproof parka
    • a bombproof horse

bomb·shell ['bäm-,shel] -n

  1. bomb
  2. one that is stunning, amazing, or devastating
    • the book was a political bombshell

bomb·sight [-,sīt] -n

  1. a sighting device for aiming bombs

bo·na fide ['bō-nə-,fīd, 'bä-; ,bō-nə-'fī-dē, -'fī-də] -adj

  1. made in good faith without fraud or deceit
    • a bona fide offer to buy a farm
  2. made with earnest intent : sincere
  3. neither specious nor counterfeit : genuine

bo·na fi·des [,bō-nə-'fī-,dēz, ÷'bō-nə-,fīdz] -n

  1. good faith : sincerity
  2. the fact of being genuine often pl. in constr.
  3. evidence of one's good faith or genuineness often pl. in constr.
  4. evidence of one's qualifications or achievements often pl. in constr.

bo·nan·za [bə-'nan-zə] -n

  1. an exceptionally large and rich mineral deposit (as of an ore, precious metal, or petroleum)
  2. something that is very valuable, profitable, or rewarding
    • a box-office bonanza
  3. a very large amount
    • a bonanza of sympathy
  4. extravaganza
    • channels planning all-day viewing bonanza s -- William Borders

Bo·na·part·ism ['bō-nə-,pär-,ti-zəm] -n, n or adj

  1. support of the French emperors Napoleon I, Napoleon III, or their dynasty
  2. a political movement associated chiefly with authoritarian rule usu. by a military leader ostensibly supported by a popular mandate

bon·bon ['bän-,bän] -n

  1. a candy with chocolate or fondant coating and fondant center that sometimes contains fruits and nuts
  2. something that is pleasing in a light or frivolous way
    • singing pop bonbon s

bond ['bänd] -n

  1. something that binds or restrains : fetter
  2. a binding agreement : covenant
  3. a band or cord used to tie something
  4. a material or device for binding
  5. an attractive force that holds together the atoms, ions, or groups of atoms in a molecule or crystal
  6. an adhesive, cementing material, or fusible ingredient that combines, unites, or strengthens
  7. a uniting or binding element or force : tie
    • the bond s of friendship
  8. an obligation made binding by a money forfeit
  9. the amount of the money guarantee
  10. one who acts as bail or surety
  11. an interest-bearing certificate of public or private indebtedness
  12. an insurance agreement pledging surety for financial loss caused to another by the act or default of a third person or by some contingency over which the third person may have no control
  13. the systematic lapping of brick in a wall
  14. the state of goods made, stored, or transported under the care of bonded agencies until the duties or taxes on them are paid
  15. a 100-proof straight whiskey aged at least four years under government supervision before being bottled called also bonded whiskey
  16. bond paper
  17. to lap (as brick) for solidity of construction
  18. to secure payment of duties and taxes on (goods) by giving a bond
  19. to convert into a debt secured by bonds
  20. to provide a bond for or cause to provide such a bond
    • bond an employee
  21. to cause to adhere firmly
  22. to embed in a matrix
  23. to hold together in a molecule or crystal by chemical bonds
  24. to hold together or solidify by or as if by means of a bond or binder
  25. to form a close relationship esp. through frequent association
    • the new mother bond ed with her child
  26. bound in slavery

bond·age ['bän-dij] -n

  1. the tenure or service of a villein, serf, or slave
  2. : a state of being bound usu. by compulsion (as of law or mastery): as
  3. captivity, serfdom
  4. servitude or subjugation to a controlling person or force
    • young people in bondage to drugs
  5. sadomasochistic sexual practices involving the physical restraint of one partner

bond·ed ['bän-dəd] -adj

  1. composed of two or more layers of the same or different fabrics held together by an adhesive
    • bonded jersey

bond·hold·er ['bänd-,hōl-dər] -n

  1. one that holds a government or corporation bond

bond·ing ['bän-diŋ] -n

  1. the formation of a close relationship (as between a mother and child or between a person and an animal) esp. through frequent or constant association
  2. the attaching of a material (as porcelain) to a tooth surface esp. for cosmetic purposes

bond·maid ['bän(d)-,mād] -n

  1. a female bond servant

bond·man ['bän(d)-mən] -n

  1. slave, serf

bond paper -n

  1. a durable paper orig. used for documents

bond servant -n

  1. one bound to service without wages
  2. slave

bonds·man ['bän(d)z-mən] -n

  1. one who assumes the responsibility of a bond : surety

bondsman ['bän(d)-mən] -n

(variant of bondman)

  1. slave, serf

bond·stone ['bän(d)-,stōn] -n

  1. a stone long enough to extend through the full thickness of a wall to bind it together

bond·wom·an ['bänd-,wu̇-mən] -n

  1. a female slave

bone ['bōn] -n, adj

  1. one of the hard parts of the skeleton of a vertebrate
  2. any of various hard animal substances or structures (as baleen or ivory) akin to or resembling bone
  3. the hard largely calcareous connective tissue of which the adult skeleton of most vertebrates is chiefly composed
  4. essence, core
    • cut costs to the bone
    • a liberal to the bone
  5. the most deeply ingrained part : heart usu. used in pl.
    • knew in his bone s that it was wrong
  6. skeleton
  7. body
    • rested my weary bone s
  8. corpse
    • inter a person's bone s
  9. the basic design or framework (as of a play or novel)
  10. matter, subject
    • a bone of contention
  11. thin bars of bone, ivory, or wood held in pairs between the fingers and used to produce musical rhythms
  12. a strip of material (as whalebone or steel) used to stiffen a garment (as a corset)
  13. dice
  14. something that is designed to placate : sop
  15. a light beige
  16. inclination
    • hadn't a political bone in his body -- John Hersey
  17. dollar
  18. to remove the bones from
    • bone a fish
  19. to provide (a garment) with stays
  20. to rub (as a boot or baseball bat) with something hard (as a piece of bone) in order to smooth the surface
  21. to study hard : grind
    • bone through medical school
  22. extremely, very
    • bone tired
  23. totally

bone ash -n

  1. the white porous residue chiefly of tribasic calcium phosphate from bones calcined in air used esp. in making pottery and glass and in cleaning jewelry

bone black -n

  1. the black residue chiefly of tribasic calcium phosphate and carbon from bones calcined in closed vessels used esp. as a pigment or as a decolorizing adsorbent in sugar manufacturing called also bone char

bonechill·ing ['bōn-,chi-liŋ] -adj

  1. intensely cold
    • bonechilling weather
  2. penetrating, disturbing, or intense in emotional or physical effect
    • bonechilling drama
    • a bonechilling wind

bone china -n

  1. translucent white china made with bone ash or calcium phosphate and characterized by whiteness

bonedry ['bōn-'drī] -adj

  1. very dry
  2. dry

bone·fish ['bōn-,fish] -n

  1. a slender silvery small-scaled fish ( Albula vulpes) that is a notable sport and food fish of warm seas
  2. ladyfish

bone·head [-,hed] -n, adj

  1. a stupid person : numskull

bonehead -adj

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a bonehead : performed in a stupid or clumsy manner
    • the shortstop made a bonehead play
  2. being a college course for students lacking fundamental skills
    • teaches bonehead English

bone marrow -n

  1. : a soft highly vascular modified connective tissue that occupies the cavities of most bones and occurs in two forms:
  2. one that is yellowish, consists chiefly of fat cells, and is found esp. in the cavities of long bones
  3. one that is reddish, is the chief site of blood cell formation, and occurs in the normal adult in cancellous tissue esp. of certain flat bones called also red marrow

bone·meal ['bōn-,mēl] -n

  1. crushed or ground bone used esp. as fertilizer or feed

bon·er ['bō-nər] -n

  1. one that bones
  2. a clumsy or stupid mistake
  3. howler
  4. an erect penis

bone·set ['bōn-,set] -n

  1. any of several composite herbs (genus Eupatorium)
  2. a perennial ( E. perfoliatum) of central and eastern No. America with opposite perfoliate leaves and white-rayed flower heads used in folk medicine

bone·set·ter [-,se-tər] -n

  1. a person who sets broken or dislocated bones usu. without being a licensed physician

bone up -vi

  1. to try to master necessary information quickly : cram
    • bone up for the exam
  2. to renew one's skill or refresh one's memory
    • boned up on the speech just before giving it

bone·yard [-,yärd] -n

  1. cemetery
  2. a place where worn-out or damaged objects (as cars) are collected to await disposal

bon·fire ['bän-,fī(-ə)r] -n

  1. a large fire built in the open air

bong ['bäŋ, 'bȯŋ] -n, vb

  1. the deep resonant sound esp. of a bell
  2. a simple water pipe consisting of a bottle or vertical tube partially filled with a liquid (as water or liqueur) and a smaller offset tube ending in a bowl

bon·go ['bäŋ-(,)gō, 'bȯŋ-] -n

  1. one of a pair of small connected drums of different sizes and pitches played with the hands

bongo -n

  1. an African antelope ( Tragelaphus eurycerussyn. Boocerus euryceros) that is chestnut red with narrow white vertical stripes and is found in forests from Sierra Leone to Kenya

bon·ho·mie [,bä-nə-'mē, ,bō-] -n, adj

  1. good-natured easy friendliness

bo·ni·a·to [,bō-nē-'ä-tō] -n

  1. a sweet potato having white dry flesh with little sweetness that is usu. grown in subtropical regions

bon·i·face ['bä-nə-fəs, -,fās] -n

  1. the proprietor of a hotel, nightclub, or restaurant

bo·ni·to [bə-'nē-(,)tō, -'nē-tə] -n

  1. any of several scombroid fishes (esp. genera Sardaand Euthynnus) intermediate between the smaller mackerels and the larger tunas

bonk ['bäŋk, 'bȯŋk] -vt

  1. hit
    • bonk ed him over the head

bon·kers ['bäŋ-kərz, 'bȯŋ-] -adj

  1. crazy, mad
    • fans went bonkers when their team won

bon mot [bōⁿ-'mō] -n

  1. a clever remark : witticism

bonne ['bȯn] -n

  1. a French nursemaid or maidservant

bon·net ['bä-nət] -n

  1. a man's or boy's cap
  2. a brimless Scottish cap of seamless woolen fabric
  3. a cloth or straw hat tied under the chin and worn by women and children
  4. an automobile hood
  5. a metal covering or cowl (as for a fireplace, valve chamber, or ventilator)

bonnet -vt

  1. to provide with or dress in a bonnet

bon·ny ['bä-nē] -adj, adv

  1. attractive, fair
  2. fine, excellent

bon·ny·clab·ber ['bä-nē-,kla-bər] -n

  1. clabber

bo·no·bo [bə-'nō-bō; 'bä-nə-bō, -nō-] -n

  1. a rare anthropoid ape ( Pan paniscus) that has a more slender build and longer limbs than the related common chimpanzee ( P. troglodytes) and that inhabits a small geographic region in equatorial Africa south of the Congo River called also pygmy chimpanzee

bon·sai [(,)bōn-'sī, 'bōn-,, 'bän-, also 'bän-,zī] -n

  1. a potted plant (as a tree) dwarfed (as by pruning) and trained to an artistic shape
  2. the art of growing such a plant

bon·spiel ['bän-,spēl] -n

  1. a match or tournament between curling clubs

bon ton [(,)bän-'tän, 'bän-,] -n

  1. fashionable manner or style
  2. the fashionable or proper thing
  3. high society

bo·nus ['bō-nəs] -n

  1. : something in addition to what is expected or strictly due: as
  2. money or an equivalent given in addition to an employee's usual compensation
  3. a premium (as of stock) given by a corporation to a purchaser of its securities, to a promoter, or to an employee
  4. a government payment to war veterans
  5. a sum in excess of salary given an athlete for signing with a team

bon vi·vant [,bän-vē-'vänt, ,bōⁿ-vē-'väⁿ] -n

  1. a person having cultivated, refined, and sociable tastes esp. with respect to food and drink

bon voy·age [,bōⁿ-,vȯi-'äzh, ,bän-; ,bōⁿ-,vwī-'äzh, -,vwä-'yäzh] -n

  1. farewell often used interjectionally

bony ['bō-nē] -adj

  1. consisting of bone
  2. resembling bone
  3. full of bones
    • a bony piece of fish
  4. having prominent bones
    • a rugged bony face
  5. skinny, scrawny
  6. barren, lean

bony fish -n

  1. any of a major taxon (class Osteichthyes or superclass Teleostomi) comprising fishes (as sturgeons, eels, mackerels, and sunfish) with a bony rather than a cartilaginous skeleton called also teleost

bonze ['bänz] -n

  1. a Buddhist monk

boo ['bü] -interj

  1. used to express contempt or disapproval or to startle or frighten
  2. a shout of disapproval or contempt
  3. any utterance at all usu. used in negative constructions
    • never said boo
  4. to deride esp. by uttering a prolonged boo
  5. to express disapproval of by booing
    • the crowd boo ed the referee

boob ['büb] -n, adj

  1. a stupid awkward person : simpleton
  2. boor, philistine
  3. mistake, blunder
  4. goof
  5. breast

boo·bird ['bü-,bərd] -n

  1. a home fan at a sporting event who boos one or more members of the home team

boob·oi·sie [,büb-,wä-'zē] -n

  1. the general public regarded as consisting of boobs

booboo ['bü-(,)bü] -n

  1. a usu. trivial injury (as a bruise or scratch) used esp. by or of a child
  2. mistake, blunder

boob tube -n

  1. television

boo·by ['bü-bē] -n

  1. an awkward foolish person : dope
  2. any of several tropical seabirds (genus Sula) of the gannet family
  3. breast

booby hatch -n

  1. a raised framework with a sliding cover over a small hatch on a ship
  2. a psychiatric hospital

booby prize -n

  1. an award for the poorest performance in a game or competition
  2. an acknowledgment of notable inferiority

booby trap -n, vt

  1. a trap for the unwary or unsuspecting : pitfall
  2. a concealed explosive device contrived to go off when some harmless-looking object is touched

boo·dle ['bü-dᵊl] -n

  1. a collection or lot of persons : caboodle
  2. bribe money
  3. a large amount esp. of money

boog·er ['bu̇-gər, 'bü-] -n

  1. bogeyman
  2. a piece of dried nasal mucus

boo·gey·man ['bu̇-gē-,man, 'bü-] -n

  1. bogeyman

boo·gie ['bu̇-gē, 'bü-] -n

  1. boogie-woogie
  2. earthy and strongly rhythmic rock music conducive to dancing
  3. a period of or occasion for dancing to this music

boogie ['bu̇-gē, 'bü-] -vi

  1. to dance to rock music
  2. revel, party
  3. to move quickly
  4. to get going

boo·giewoo·gie [,bu̇-gē-'wu̇-gē, ,bü-gē-'wü-gē] -n

  1. a percussive style of playing blues on the piano characterized by a steady rhythmic ground bass of eighth notes in quadruple time and a series of improvised melodic variations

boo·jum ['bü-jəm] -n

  1. a tall spiny long-lived desert tree ( Fouquieria columnarissyn. Idria columnaris) native to northwestern Mexico and related to the ocotillo

book ['bu̇k] -n

  1. a set of written sheets of skin or paper or tablets of wood or ivory
  2. a set of written, printed, or blank sheets bound together into a volume
  3. a long written or printed literary composition
  4. a major division of a treatise or literary work
  5. a record of a business's financial transactions or financial condition often used in pl.
    • the book s show a profit
  6. magazine
  7. e-book
  8. bible
  9. something that yields knowledge or understanding
    • the great book of nature
    • her face was an open book
  10. the total available knowledge and experience that can be brought to bear on a task or problem
    • tried every trick in the book
  11. inside information or analysis
    • the book on him is that he can't hit a curveball
  12. the standards or authority relevant in a situation
    • run by the book
  13. all the charges that can be made against an accused person
    • threw the book at him
  14. a position from which one must answer for certain acts : account
    • bring criminals to book
  15. libretto
  16. the script of a play
  17. a book of arrangements for a musician or dance orchestra : musical repertory
  18. a packet of items bound together like a book
    • a book of stamps
    • a book of matches
  19. bookmaker
  20. the bets registered by a bookmaker
  21. the business or activity of giving odds and taking bets
  22. the number of tricks a cardplayer or side must win before any trick can have scoring value
  23. derived from books and not from practical experience
    • book learning
  24. shown by books of account
    • book assets
  25. to register (as a name) for some future activity or condition (as to engage transportation or reserve lodgings)
    • he was book ed to sail on Monday
  26. to schedule engagements for
    • book the band for a week
  27. to set aside time for
  28. to reserve in advance
    • book two seats at the theater
    • were all book ed up
  29. to enter charges against in a police register
  30. to note the name or number of (as a soccer player) for a serious infraction of the rules
  31. to make a reservation
    • book through your travel agent
  32. to register in a hotel usu. used with in
  33. leave, go
  34. to depart quickly

book·bind·ing ['bu̇k-,bīn-diŋ] -n

  1. the art or trade of binding books
  2. the binding of a book

book·case [-,kās] -n

  1. a piece of furniture consisting of shelves to hold books

book club -n

  1. an organization that ships selected books to members usu. on a regular schedule and often at discount prices
  2. a group of people who meet regularly to discuss books they are reading

book·end [-,end] -n

  1. a support placed at the end of a row of books

book·ie ['bu̇-kē] -n

  1. bookmaker

book·ing ['bu̇-kiŋ] -n

  1. the act of one that books
  2. an engagement or scheduled performance
  3. reservation

booking office -n

  1. a ticket office
  2. one in a railroad station

book·ish ['bu̇-kish] -adj, adv, n

  1. of or relating to books
  2. fond of books and reading
  3. inclined to rely on book knowledge
  4. literary and formal as opposed to colloquial and informal
  5. given to literary or scholarly pursuits
  6. affectedly learned

book·keep·er ['bu̇k-,kē-pər] -n

  1. a person who records the accounts or transactions of a business

book·let ['bu̇k-lət] -n

  1. a little book
  2. pamphlet

book louse -n

  1. any of various tiny usu. wingless insects (order Psocoptera and esp. genus Liposcelis) that feed on organic matter (as paper) and usu. inhabit damp areas

book lung -n

  1. a saccular breathing organ in many arachnids containing thin folds of membrane arranged like the leaves of a book

book·mak·er ['bu̇k-,mā-kər] -n

  1. a printer, binder, or designer of books
  2. a person who determines odds and receives and pays off bets

book·man [-mən] -n

  1. a person who has a love of books and esp. of reading
  2. a person who is involved in the writing, publishing, or selling of books

book·mark [-,märk] -n

  1. a marker for finding a place in a book
  2. a menu entry or icon on a computer that is usu. created by the user and that serves as a shortcut to a previously viewed location (as an Internet site)

bookmark -vt

  1. to create a computer bookmark for
    • bookmark a Web site

bookmatch [-,mach] -vt

  1. to match the grains of (as two sheets of veneer) so that one sheet seems to be the mirror image of the other

book·mo·bile ['bu̇k-mō-,bēl] -n

  1. a truck that serves as a traveling library

Book of Common Prayer

  1. the service book of the Anglican Communion

book off -vi

  1. to notify an employer that one is not reporting for work (as because of sickness)

book·plate ['bu̇k-,plāt] -n

  1. a book owner's identification label that is usu. pasted to the inside front cover of a book

book·sell·er ['bu̇k-,se-lər] -n

  1. one that sells books
  2. the proprietor of a bookstore

book·shelf [-,shelf] -n

  1. an open shelf for holding books

book·shop [-,shäp] -n

  1. bookstore

book·stall [-,stȯl] -n

  1. a stall where books are sold
  2. newsstand

book·store [-,stȯr] -n

  1. a place of business where books are the main item offered for sale called also bookshop

book value -n

  1. : the value of something as shown on bookkeeping records as distinguished from market value:
  2. the value of an asset equal to cost minus depreciation
  3. the value of a corporation's stock equal to its book value minus its liabilities

book·worm ['bu̇k-,wərm] -n

  1. a person unusually devoted to reading and study

Bool·ean ['bü-lē-ən] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or being a logical combinatorial system (as Boolean algebra) that represents symbolically relationships (as those implied by the logical operators AND, OR, and NOT) between entities (as sets, propositions, or on-off computer circuit elements)
    • Boolean expression
    • Boolean search strategy for information retrieval

Boolean algebra -n

  1. an algebraic system that consists of a set closed under two binary operations and that can be described by any of various systems of postulates all of which can be deduced from the postulates that each operation is commutative, that each operation is distributive over the other, that an identity element exists for each operation, and that for every element in the set there exists another element which when combined with the first under either one of the operations yields the identity element of the other operation

boom ['büm] -vb

  1. to make a deep hollow sound
  2. to increase in importance, popularity, or esteem
  3. to experience a sudden rapid growth and expansion usu. with an increase in prices
    • business was boom ing
  4. to develop rapidly in population and importance
    • California boom ed when gold was discovered there
  5. to increase greatly in size or number
    • the population boom ed
  6. to cause to resound often used with out
    • his voice boom s out the lyrics
  7. to cause a rapid growth or increase of : boost
  8. to hit or kick forcefully
    • boom a punt
  9. a booming sound or cry often used interjectionally to indicate suddenness
    • then boom, he was fired
  10. : a rapid expansion or increase: as
  11. a general movement in support of a candidate for office
  12. rapid settlement and development of a town or district
  13. a rapid widespread expansion of economic activity
  14. an upsurge in activity, interest, or popularity
    • a folk music boom
  15. a long spar used to extend the foot of a sail
  16. a chain or line of connected floating timbers extended across a river, lake, or harbor (as to obstruct passage or catch floating objects)
  17. a temporary floating barrier used to contain an oil spill
  18. a long beam projecting from the mast of a derrick to support or guide cargo
  19. a long more or less horizontal supporting arm or brace (as for holding a microphone or for supporting an antenna)
  20. a spar or outrigger connecting the tail surfaces and the main supporting structure of an aircraft

boom box -n

  1. a usu. large portable stereophonic radio and tape or CD player

boom·er -n

  1. one that booms
  2. one that joins a rush of settlers to a boom area
  3. a transient worker (as a bridge builder)
  4. a person born during a baby boom : baby boomer

boo·mer·ang ['bü-mə-,raŋ] -n, vi

  1. a bent or angular throwing club typically flat on one side and rounded on the other so that it soars or curves in flight
  2. one designed to return near the thrower
  3. an act or utterance that backfires on its originator

boom·ing ['bü-miŋ] -adj

  1. making a loud deep sound
    • his booming voice
  2. forcefully or powerfully executed
    • hit a booming serve

boom·let ['büm-lət] -n

  1. a small boom
  2. a sudden increase in business activity
    • a stock market boomlet

boom·town ['büm-,tau̇n] -n

  1. a town enjoying a business and population boom

boomy ['bü-mē] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or characterized by an economic boom
  2. having an excessive accentuation on the tones of lower pitch in reproduced sound

boon ['bün] -n

  1. benefit, favor
  2. one that is given in answer to a request
  3. a timely benefit : blessing
  4. favorable
  5. convivial
    • a boon companion

boon·docks ['bün-,däks] -n pl

  1. rough country filled with dense brush
  2. a rural area : sticks

boon·dog·gle ['bün-,dä-gəl, -,dȯ-] -n, vi

  1. a braided cord worn by Boy Scouts as a neckerchief slide, hatband, or ornament
  2. a wasteful or impractical project or activity often involving graft

boon·ies ['bü-nēz] -n pl

  1. boondocks

boor ['bu̇r] -n

  1. peasant
  2. a rude or insensitive person

boor·ish ['bu̇r-ish] -adj, adv, n

  1. resembling or befitting a boor (as in crude insensitivity)

boost ['büst] -vb

  1. to push or shove up from below
  2. increase, raise
    • plans to boost production
    • an extra holiday to boost morale
  3. to promote the cause or interests of : plug
    • a campaign to boost the new fashions
  4. to raise the voltage of or across (an electric circuit)
  5. steal, shoplift
  6. shoplift
  7. a push upward
  8. an act that brings help or encouragement : assist
  9. an increase in amount

boost·er ['bü-stər] -n

  1. : one that boosts: as
  2. an enthusiastic supporter
  3. an auxiliary device for increasing force, power, pressure, or effectiveness
  4. shoplifter
  5. a radio-frequency amplifier for a radio or television receiving set
  6. the first stage of a multistage rocket providing thrust for the launching and the initial part of the flight
  7. a substance that increases the effectiveness of a medicament
  8. booster shot

boost·er·ism [-stər-,i-zəm] -n

  1. the activities and attitudes characteristic of boosters

booster seat -n

  1. a seat used to elevate a sitting child

booster shot -n

  1. a supplementary dose of an immunizing agent called also booster booster dose

boot ['büt] -n

  1. deliverance
  2. something to equalize a trade
  3. avail
  4. avail, profit
  5. a fitted covering (as of leather or rubber) for the foot and usu. reaching above the ankle
  6. an instrument of torture used to crush the leg and foot
  7. something that resembles or is likened to a boot
  8. an enclosing or protective casing or sheath (as for a rifle or over an electrical or mechanical connection)
  9. a navy or marine corps recruit undergoing basic training
  10. an automobile trunk
  11. a kick with the foot
  12. summary dismissal used with the
    • gave him the boot
  13. momentary pleasure or enjoyment : bang
    • got a big boot out of the joke
  14. a sheath enclosing the inflorescence
  15. denver boot
  16. to put boots on
  17. kick
  18. to eject or discharge summarily often used with out
    • was boot ed out of office
  19. to make an error on (a grounder in baseball)
  20. botch
  21. to ride (a horse) in a race
    • boot ed home three winners
  22. to load (a program) into a computer from a disk
  23. to start or ready for use esp. by booting a program
    • boot a computer
    often used with up
  24. to become loaded into a computer's memory from a disk
    • the program boot s automatically
  25. to become ready for use esp. by booting a program
    • the computer boot s quickly
    often used with up
  26. booty, plunder

boot·black ['büt-,blak] -n

  1. one who shines shoes

boot camp -n

  1. a navy or marine corps camp for basic training
  2. a disciplinary facility or program in which young offenders are forced to participate in a rigidly structured routine

boot·ed ['bü-təd] -adj

  1. wearing boots

boo·tee [bü-'tē, of infants' footwear 'bü-tē] -n

  1. a usu. ankle-length boot, slipper, or sock
  2. an infant's knitted or crocheted sock

Bo·o·tes [bō-'ō-tēz] -n

  1. a northern constellation containing the bright star Arcturus

booth ['büth, esp Brit 'büth] -n

  1. a temporary shelter for livestock or field workers
  2. a stall or stand (as at a fair) for the sale or exhibition of goods
  3. a small enclosure affording privacy for one person at a time
    • a telephone booth
    • polling booth s
  4. a small enclosure that isolates its occupant esp. from patrons or customers
    • a ticket booth
  5. an isolated enclosure used in sound recording or in broadcasting
    • a radio booth
  6. a restaurant seating arrangement consisting of a table between two high-back benches

bootie [bü-'tē, of infants' footwear 'bü-tē] -n

(variant of bootee)

  1. a usu. ankle-length boot, slipper, or sock
  2. an infant's knitted or crocheted sock

boot·jack ['büt-,jak] -n

  1. a device (as with a V-shaped notch) used for pulling off boots

boot·lace [-,lās] -n

  1. shoelace

boot·leg [-,leg, -,lāg] -n, adj

  1. the upper part of a boot
  2. : something bootlegged: as
  3. moonshine
  4. an unauthorized audio or video recording
  5. a football play in which the quarterback fakes a handoff, hides the ball against his hip, and rolls out

bootleg -vt, n

  1. to carry (alcoholic liquor) on one's person illegally
  2. to manufacture, sell, or transport for sale (alcoholic liquor) illegally
  3. to produce, reproduce, or distribute illicitly or without authorization
  4. smuggle
  5. to engage in bootlegging
  6. to run a bootleg play in football

boot·less ['büt-ləs] -adj, adv, n

  1. useless, unprofitable
    • a bootless attempt

boot·lick [-,lik] -vt, n

  1. to try to gain favor with through a servile or obsequious manner
  2. to act obsequiously

boots ['büts] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. a servant who shines shoes esp. in a hotel

boot·strap ['büt-,strap] -n

  1. a looped strap sewed at the side or the rear top of a boot to help in pulling it on
  2. unaided efforts often used in the phrase by one's own bootstraps

bootstrap -adj

  1. designed to function independently of outside direction : capable of using one internal function or process to control another
    • a bootstrap operation to load a computer
  2. carried out with minimum resources or advantages : self-reliant
    • bootstrap efforts
  3. to promote or develop by initiative and effort with little or no assistance
    • bootstrapped herself to the top

boo·ty ['bü-tē] -n

  1. plunder taken (as in war)
  2. plunder taken on land as distinguished from prizes taken at sea
  3. a rich gain or prize

booty ['bü-tē] -n

  1. buttocks

booze ['büz] -vi

  1. to drink intoxicating liquor esp. to excess often used in the phrase booze it up
  2. intoxicating drink
  3. hard liquor

booze·hound ['büz-,hau̇nd] -n

  1. boozer, drunk

booz·er ['bü-zər] -n

  1. a person who boozes : drunk
  2. a drinking place : pub

bop ['bäp] -vt

  1. hit, sock
  2. a blow (as with the fist or a club) that strikes a person
  3. jazz characterized by harmonic complexity, convoluted melodic lines, and constant shifting of accent and often played at very rapid tempos
  4. jive
  5. to go quickly or unceremoniously : pop
    • bop into the corner store
    often used with off
  6. to dance or shuffle along to or as if to bop music

bo·peep [(,)bō-'pēp] -n

  1. peekaboo

BOQ -abbr

  1. bachelor officers' quarters

bor -abbr

  1. borough

bo·ra ['bȯr-ə] -n

  1. a violent cold northerly wind of the Adriatic

bo·rac·ic acid [bə-'ra-sik-] -n

  1. boric acid

bor·age ['bȯr-ij, 'bär-] -n

  1. a coarse hairy blue-flowered European herb ( Borago officinalisof the family Boraginaceae, the borage family) used medicinally and in salads

bo·rane ['bȯr-,ān] -n

  1. a compound of boron and hydrogen
  2. a compound BH 3known only in the form of its derivatives
  3. a derivative of borane

bo·rate [-,āt] -n

  1. a salt or ester of a boric acid

bo·rat·ed [-,ā-təd] -adj

  1. mixed or impregnated with borax or boric acid

bo·rax ['bȯr-,aks, -əks] -n

  1. a white crystalline compound that consists of a hydrated sodium borate Na 2B 4O 710H 2O, that occurs as a mineral or is prepared from other minerals, and that is used esp. as a flux, cleansing agent, and water softener, as a preservative, and as a fireproofing agent

borax -n

  1. cheap shoddy merchandise

bor·bo·ryg·mus [,bȯr-bə-'rig-məs] -n

  1. intestinal rumbling caused by moving gas

Bor·deaux [bȯr-'dō] -n

  1. white or red wine of the Bordeaux region of France
  2. claret

bor·deaux mixture [bȯr-'dō-, 'bȯr-,] -n

  1. a fungicide made by reaction of copper sulfate, lime, and water

bor·de·laise sauce ['bȯr-dᵊl-'āz-] -n

  1. a sauce consisting of stock thickened with roux and flavored typically with red wine and shallots

bor·del·lo [bȯr-'de-(,)lō] -n

  1. a building in which prostitutes are available

bor·der ['bȯr-dər] -n, adj

  1. an outer part or edge
  2. an ornamental design at the edge of a fabric or rug
  3. a narrow bed of planted ground along the edge of a garden or walk
    • a border of tulips
  4. boundary
    • crossed the border into Italy
  5. a plain or decorative margin around printed matter

border ['bȯr-d(ə-)riŋ] -vb, n

  1. to put a border on
  2. to touch at the edge or boundary : bound
    • border s the city on the south
  3. to lie on the border
    • the U.S. border s on Canada
  4. to approach the nature of a specified thing : verge
    • border s on the ridiculous

border collie -n

  1. any of a breed of medium-sized sheepdogs of British origin noted for their herding abilities

bor·de·reau [,bȯr-də-'rō] -n

  1. a detailed note or memorandum of account
  2. one containing an enumeration of documents

bor·der·land ['bȯr-dər-,land] -n

  1. territory at or near a border
  2. fringe
    • lives on the borderland of society
  3. a vague intermediate state or region
    • the borderland between fantasy and reality

bor·der·line [-,līn] -adj, n

  1. being in an intermediate position or state : not fully classifiable as one thing or its opposite
    • a borderline state between waking and sleeping
  2. not quite up to, typical of, or as severe as what is usual, standard, or expected
    • borderline intelligence
    • borderline hypertension
  3. characterized by psychological instability in several areas (as interpersonal relations, behavior, and identity) but only with brief or no psychotic episodes
    • a borderline personality disorder
  4. situated at or near a border
    • a borderline town

borderline -adv

  1. almost, nearly
    • borderline tacky
    • borderline suicidal

border terrier -n

  1. any of a breed of small terriers of British origin having a harsh dense coat and close undercoat

bor·dure ['bȯr-jər] -n

  1. a border on a heraldic shield

bore ['bȯr] -vb

  1. to pierce with a turning or twisting movement of a tool
  2. to make (as a cylindrical hole) by boring or digging away material
    • bored a tunnel
  3. to make a hole by or as if by boring
  4. to sink a mine shaft or well
  5. to make one's way steadily esp. against resistance
    • we bored through the jostling crowd
  6. a usu. cylindrical hole made by or as if by boring
  7. a borehole drilled esp. to make an artesian well
  8. the long usu. cylindrical hollow part of something (as a tube or gun barrel)
  9. the inner surface of a hollow cylindrical object
  10. : the size of a bore: as
  11. the interior diameter of a gun barrel
  12. gauge
  13. the diameter of an engine cylinder

bore ['ber] -n, adj

(variant of bear)

  1. any of a family (Ursidae of the order Carnivora) of large heavy mammals of America and Eurasia that have long shaggy hair, rudimentary tails, and plantigrade feet and feed largely on fruit, plant matter, and insects as well as on flesh
  2. a surly, uncouth, burly, or shambling person
    • a tall, friendly bear of a man
  3. one that sells securities or commodities in expectation of a price decline
  4. something difficult to do or deal with
    • the oven is a bear to clean
  5. to move while holding up and supporting
  6. to be equipped or furnished with
  7. behave, conduct
    • bear ing himself well
  8. to have as a feature or characteristic
    • bear s a likeness to her grandmother
  9. to give as testimony
    • bear false witness
  10. to have as an identification
    • bore the name of John
  11. to hold in the mind or emotions
    • bear malice
  12. disseminate
  13. lead, escort
  14. render, give
  15. to give birth to
  16. to produce as yield
  17. to permit growth of
  18. contain
    • oil- bearing shale
  19. to support the weight of : sustain
  20. to accept or allow oneself to be subjected to esp. without giving way
    • couldn't bear the pain
    • I can't bear seeing you cry
  21. to call for as suitable or essential
    • it bear s watching
  22. to hold above, on top, or aloft
  23. to admit of : allow
  24. assume, accept
  25. thrust, press
  26. to produce fruit : yield
  27. to force one's way
  28. to extend in a direction indicated or implied
  29. to be situated : lie
  30. to become directed
  31. to go or incline in an indicated direction
  32. to support a weight or strain often used with up
  33. to exert influence or force
  34. apply, pertain often used with on or upon
    • facts bear ing on the question

bo·re·al ['bȯr-ē-əl] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or located in northern regions
    • boreal waters
  2. of, relating to, or comprising the northern biotic area characterized esp. by dominance of coniferous forests

Bo·re·as [-ē-əs] -n

  1. the Greek god of the north wind
  2. the north wind personified

bore·dom ['bȯr-dəm] -n

  1. the state of being weary and restless through lack of interest

bo·reen [bȯr-'ēn] -n

  1. a narrow country lane

bore·hole ['bȯr-,hōl] -n

  1. : a hole bored or drilled in the earth: as
  2. an exploratory well
  3. a small-diameter well drilled esp. to obtain water

bor·er ['bȯr-ər] -n

  1. a tool used for boring
  2. shipworm
  3. an insect that bores in the woody parts of plants

bore·scope ['bȯr-,skōp] -n

  1. an optical device (as a prism or optical fiber) used to inspect an inaccessible space (as an engine cylinder)

bo·ric acid ['bȯr-ik-] -n

  1. a white crystalline acid B(OH) 3obtained from its salts and used esp. as a weak antiseptic and fire-retardant

bo·ride ['bȯr-,īd] -n

  1. a binary compound of boron with a more electropositive element or radical

bor·ing ['bȯr-iŋ] -adj, adv, n

  1. causing boredom : tiresome
    • a boring lecture

born ['bȯrn] -adj

  1. brought forth by or as if by birth
  2. native usu. used in combination
    • American- born
  3. deriving or resulting from usu. used in combination
    • poverty- born crime
  4. having from birth specified qualities
    • a born leader
  5. being in specified circumstances from birth
    • nobly born
    • born to wealth
  6. destined from or as if from birth
    • born to succeed

bornagain [-ə-'gen, -'gin, -'gān] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or being a usu. Christian person who has made a renewed or confirmed commitment of faith esp. after an intense religious experience
  2. having returned to or newly adopted an activity, a conviction, or a persona esp. with a proselytizing zeal
    • a bornagain conservative

borne ['ber] -n, adj

(variant of bear)

  1. any of a family (Ursidae of the order Carnivora) of large heavy mammals of America and Eurasia that have long shaggy hair, rudimentary tails, and plantigrade feet and feed largely on fruit, plant matter, and insects as well as on flesh
  2. a surly, uncouth, burly, or shambling person
    • a tall, friendly bear of a man
  3. one that sells securities or commodities in expectation of a price decline
  4. something difficult to do or deal with
    • the oven is a bear to clean
  5. to move while holding up and supporting
  6. to be equipped or furnished with
  7. behave, conduct
    • bear ing himself well
  8. to have as a feature or characteristic
    • bear s a likeness to her grandmother
  9. to give as testimony
    • bear false witness
  10. to have as an identification
    • bore the name of John
  11. to hold in the mind or emotions
    • bear malice
  12. disseminate
  13. lead, escort
  14. render, give
  15. to give birth to
  16. to produce as yield
  17. to permit growth of
  18. contain
    • oil- bearing shale
  19. to support the weight of : sustain
  20. to accept or allow oneself to be subjected to esp. without giving way
    • couldn't bear the pain
    • I can't bear seeing you cry
  21. to call for as suitable or essential
    • it bear s watching
  22. to hold above, on top, or aloft
  23. to admit of : allow
  24. assume, accept
  25. thrust, press
  26. to produce fruit : yield
  27. to force one's way
  28. to extend in a direction indicated or implied
  29. to be situated : lie
  30. to become directed
  31. to go or incline in an indicated direction
  32. to support a weight or strain often used with up
  33. to exert influence or force
  34. apply, pertain often used with on or upon
    • facts bear ing on the question

bor·ne·ol ['bȯr-nē-,ȯl, -,ōl] -n

  1. a crystalline cyclic alcohol C 10H 17OH that occurs in two enantiomeric forms, is found in essential oils, and is used esp. in perfumery

born·ite ['bȯr-,nīt] -n

  1. a brittle metallic-looking mineral that consists of a sulfide of copper and iron and is a valuable copper ore

boro- -comb form

  1. boron
    • boro silicate

bo·ro·hy·dride [,bȯr-ō-'hī-,drīd] -n

  1. the anion BH 4 of boron and hydrogen that is used esp. as a reducing agent and as a source of hydrogen atoms
  2. any of various compounds (as of metals) containing the borohydride anion

bo·ron ['bȯr-,än] -n, adj

  1. a trivalent metalloid element found in nature only in combination and used esp. in glass and detergents

boron carbide -n

  1. a refractory shiny black crystalline compound B 4C that is one of the hardest known materials and is used esp. in abrasives and as a structural reinforcing material

bo·ro·sil·i·cate [,bȯr-ō-'si-lə-,kāt, -'si-li-kət] -n

  1. a silicate containing boron in the anion and occurring naturally
  2. borosilicate glass

borosilicate glass -n

  1. a silicate glass that is composed of at least five percent oxide of boron and is used esp. in heat-resistant glassware

bor·ough ['bər-(,)ō, 'bə-(,)rō] -n

  1. a medieval fortified group of houses forming a town with special duties and privileges
  2. a town or urban constituency in Great Britain that sends a member to Parliament
  3. an urban area in Great Britain incorporated for purposes of self-government
  4. a municipal corporation proper in some states (as New Jersey and Minnesota) corresponding to the incorporated town or village of the other states
  5. one of the five constituent political divisions of New York City
  6. a civil division of the state of Alaska corresponding to a county in most other states

borough English -n

  1. a custom formerly existing in parts of England by which the lands of an intestate descended to the youngest son

borough hall -n

  1. the chief administrative building of a borough

bor·row ['bär-(,)ō, 'bȯr-] -vb, n

  1. to receive with the implied or expressed intention of returning the same or an equivalent
    • borrow a book
    • borrow ed a dollar
  2. to borrow (money) with the intention of returning the same plus interest
  3. to appropriate for one's own use
    • borrow a metaphor
  4. derive, adopt
  5. to take (one) from a digit of the minuend in arithmetical subtraction in order to add as 10 to the digit holding the next lower place
  6. to adopt into one language from another
  7. lend
  8. to borrow something

bor·rowed time -n

  1. an uncertain and usu. uncontrolled postponement of something inevitable used with living on

bor·row·ing ['bär-ə-wiŋ, 'bȯr-] -n

  1. something borrowed
  2. a word or phrase adopted from one language into another

borrow pit -n

  1. an excavated area where material has been dug for use as fill at another location

Bors ['bȯrz] -n

  1. a knight of the Round Table and nephew of Lancelot

borscht ['bȯrsh(t)] -n

  1. a soup made primarily of beets and served hot or cold often with sour cream

borscht belt -n

  1. borscht circuit

borscht circuit -n

  1. the theaters and nightclubs associated with the Jewish summer resorts in the Catskills

Bor·stal ['bȯr-stᵊl] -n

  1. reformatory

bort ['bȯrt] -n

  1. imperfectly crystallized diamond or diamond fragments used as an abrasive

bor·zoi ['bȯr-,zȯi] -n

  1. any of a breed of large dogs developed in Russia esp. for pursuing wolves that have a long silky usu. white coat with darker markings called also Russian wolfhound

Bosc ['bäsk] -n

  1. a pear with firm flesh and brown or dark yellow skin

bos·cage ['bäs-kij] -n

  1. a growth of trees or shrubs : thicket

bosh ['bäsh] -n

  1. foolish talk or activity : nonsense often used interjectionally

bosk ['bäsk] -n

  1. a small wooded area

bosky ['bäs-kē] -adj

  1. having abundant trees or shrubs
  2. of or relating to a woods

bos·om ['bu̇-zəm also 'bü-] -n

  1. the human chest and esp. the front part of the chest
    • hugged the child to his bosom
  2. a woman's breasts regarded esp. as a single feature
    • a woman with an ample bosom
  3. breast
  4. the chest conceived of as the seat of the emotions and intimate feelings
    • a story you will take to your bosom
  5. the security and intimacy of or like that of being hugged to someone's bosom
    • the bosom of her family
  6. the part of a garment that covers the chest or the breasts

bosom -vt

  1. embrace
  2. to enclose or carry in the bosom
  3. close, intimate
    • bosom friends

bos·omed [-zəmd] -adj

  1. having a bosom of a specified kind used in combination
    • full- bosomed

bos·omy ['bu̇-zə-mē also 'bü-] -adj

  1. swelling upward or outward
    • bosomy hills
  2. having prominent breasts

bo·son ['bō-,sän, -,zän] -n, adj

  1. a particle (as a photon or meson) whose spin is zero or an integral number

bos·quet ['bäs-kət] -n

  1. thicket

boss ['bäs, 'bȯs] -n

  1. a protuberant part or body
    • a boss of granite
    • a boss on an animal's horn
  2. a raised ornamentation : stud
  3. an ornamental projecting block used in architecture
  4. a soft pad used in ceramics and glassmaking
  5. the hub of a propeller
  6. to ornament with bosses : emboss
  7. to treat (as the surface of porcelain) with a boss
  8. a person who exercises control or authority
  9. one who directs or supervises workers
  10. a politician who controls votes in a party organization or dictates appointments or legislative measures
  11. excellent, first-rate
  12. to act as boss of
  13. to give usu. arbitrary orders to usu. used with around
  14. cow, calf

bos·sa no·va [,bä-sə-'nō-və] -n

  1. popular music of Brazilian origin that is rhythmically related to the samba but with complex harmonies and improvised jazzlike passages
  2. a dance performed to bossa nova music

boss man -n

  1. boss

bossy ['bä-sē, 'bȯ-] -adj

  1. marked by a swelling or roundness
  2. marked by bosses : studded
  3. cow, calf
  4. inclined to domineer : dictatorial

Bos·ton ['bȯs-tən] -n

  1. a variation of whist played with two decks of cards
  2. a dance somewhat like a waltz

Boston cream pie -n

  1. a round cake that is split and filled with a custard or cream filling and usu. frosted with chocolate

Boston fern -n

  1. a luxuriant fern ( Nephrolepis exaltata bostoniensis) often with drooping much-divided fronds

Boston ivy -n

  1. a woody Asian vine ( Parthenocissus tricuspidata) of the grape family typically having 3-lobed leaves

Boston lettuce -n

  1. butter lettuce of a variety that is larger than the closely related Bibb lettuce

Boston marriage -n

  1. a long-term loving relationship between two women

Boston rocker -n

  1. a wooden rocking chair with a high spindle back, a decorative top panel, and a seat and arms that curve down at the front

Boston terrier -n

  1. any of a breed of small smooth-coated terriers originating as a cross of the bulldog and bullterrier and being brindled or black with white markings called also Boston bull

bosun ['bō-sᵊn] -n

(variant of boatswain)

  1. a petty officer on a merchant ship having charge of hull maintenance and related work
  2. a naval warrant officer in charge of the hull and all related equipment

Bos·well ['bäz-,wel, -wəl] -n, adj, vb

  1. a person who records in detail the life of a usu. famous contemporary

bot ['bät] -n

  1. the larva of a botfly
  2. one infesting the horse
  3. botanical; botanist; botany
  4. bottle
  5. bottom
  6. bought
  7. robot

bo·ta ['bō-tə] -n

  1. a leather bottle (as for wine)

botan -abbr

  1. botanical

bo·tan·i·ca [bə-'ta-ni-kə] -n

  1. a shop that deals in herbs and charms used esp. by adherents of Santeria

bo·tan·i·cal [bə-'ta-ni-kəl] -adj, adv

  1. of or relating to plants or botany
  2. derived from plants
  3. species
    • botanical tulips

botanical -n

  1. a plant part or extract used esp. in skin and hair care products
  2. a medicinal preparation derived from a plant

botanical garden [bə-'ta-nik-] -n

  1. a garden often with greenhouses for the culture, study, and exhibition of special plants called also bo*tan*ic garden b-ta-nik-

bot·an·ise ['bä-tə-,nīz] -vb, n

(variant of botanize)

  1. to collect plants for botanical investigation
  2. to study plants esp. on a field trip
  3. to explore for botanical purposes

bot·a·nize ['bä-tə-,nīz] -vb, n

  1. to collect plants for botanical investigation
  2. to study plants esp. on a field trip
  3. to explore for botanical purposes

bot·a·ny ['bä-tə-nē, 'bät-nē] -n

  1. a branch of biology dealing with plant life
  2. plant life
  3. the properties and life phenomena exhibited by a plant, plant type, or plant group
  4. a botanical treatise or study
  5. a particular system of botany

botch ['bäch] -n

  1. an inflammatory sore
  2. to foul up hopelessly often used with up
  3. to put together in a makeshift way
  4. something that is botched : mess
  5. patchwork, hodgepodge

bot·fly ['bät-,flī] -n

  1. any of various stout dipteran flies (family Oestridae) with larvae parasitic in cavities or tissues of various mammals including humans

both ['bōth] -pron, pl in constr

  1. the one as well as the other
    • both of us
  2. used as a function word to indicate and stress the inclusion of each of two or more things specified by coordinated words, phrases, or clauses
    • prized both for its beauty and for its utility
    • he...who loveth well both man and bird and beast -- S. T. Coleridge
  3. being the two : affecting or involving the one and the other
    • both feet
    • both his eyes
    • both these armies

both·er ['bä-thər] -vb

  1. to annoy esp. by petty provocation : irk
  2. to intrude upon : pester
  3. to cause to be somewhat anxious or concerned
    • my stomach is bother ing me
    often used interjectionally
  4. to become concerned
    • wouldn't bother with details
  5. to take pains : take the trouble
    • never bother ed to ask

bother -n

  1. a state of petty discomfort, annoyance, or worry
  2. something that causes petty annoyance or worry
  3. fuss

both·er·ation [,bä-thə-'rā-shən] -n

  1. the act of bothering : the state of being bothered
  2. something that bothers often used interjectionally

both·er·some ['bä-thər-səm] -adj

  1. causing bother : vexing

bo·thy ['bä-thē, 'bō-] -n

  1. hut

bot·o·nee [,bä-tᵊn-'ā] -adj

  1. having a cluster of three balls or knobs at the end of each arm

Botox ['bō-,täks] -trademark

  1. used for a preparation of botulinum toxin

bo tree ['bō-] -n

  1. pipal

bot·ry·oi·dal [,bä-trē-'ȯi-dᵊl] -adj

  1. having the form of a bunch of grapes
    • botryoidal garnets

bo·try·tis [bō-'trī-təs] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Botrytis) of imperfect fungi having botryoidal conidia and including several serious plant pathogens

bot·tle ['bä-tᵊl] -n

  1. a rigid or semirigid container typically of glass or plastic having a comparatively narrow neck or mouth and usu. no handle
  2. a usu. bottle-shaped container made of skin for storing a liquid
  3. the quantity held by a bottle
  4. intoxicating drink : the practice of drinking
    • slipped deeper and deeper into the bottle -- Anne Bernays
  5. liquid food (as milk) used in place of mother's milk
  6. mettle, courage

bottle ['bä-tᵊl-iŋ, 'bät-liŋ] -vt, n

  1. to confine as if in a bottle : restrain usu. used with up
    • bottling up their anger
  2. to put or keep in a position or situation that makes free activity, progress, or escape difficult or impossible usu. used with up
    • bottle up legislation in committee
  3. to put into or as if into a bottle
    • wished she could bottle their energy

bottle blond -n

  1. a person whose hair has been bleached blond

bot·tle·brush ['bä-tᵊl-,brəsh] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Callistemon) of Australian trees and shrubs of the myrtle family widely cultivated in warm regions esp. for their spikes of brightly colored flowers

bottle club -n

  1. a club serving patrons previously purchased or reserved alcoholic drinks after normal legal closing hours

bottled gas -n

  1. gas under pressure in portable cylinders

bot·tlefeed ['bä-tᵊl-,fēd] -vt

  1. to feed (as an infant) with a bottle

bottle gourd -n

  1. a common cultivated gourd ( Lagenaria siceraria) having a variably shaped fruit with a hard shell that is sometimes used as a container

bottle green -n

  1. a dark green

bot·tle·neck ['bä-tᵊl-,nek] -adj

  1. narrow
    • bottleneck harbors

bottleneck -n

  1. a narrow route
  2. a point of traffic congestion
  3. someone or something that retards or halts free movement and progress
  4. impasse
  5. a dramatic reduction in the size of a population (as of a species) that results in a decrease in genetic variation
  6. a style of guitar playing in which glissando effects are produced by sliding an object (as a knife blade or the neck of a bottle) along the strings called also bottleneck guitar
  7. to slow or halt by causing a bottleneck

bot·tlenosed dolphin ['bä-tᵊl-,nōz-] -n

  1. bottlenose dolphin

bottlenose dolphin -n

  1. a relatively small stout-bodied chiefly gray toothed whale ( Tursiops truncatus) with a prominent beak and falcate dorsal fin

bot·tling ['bä-tᵊl-iŋ, 'bät-liŋ] -n

  1. a beverage and esp. a wine that is bottled at a particular time

bot·tom ['bä-təm] -n, adj

  1. the underside of something
  2. a surface (as the seat of a chair) designed to support something resting on it used figuratively in phrases like the bottom dropped out to describe a sudden collapse or downturn
    • lost millions when the bottom dropped out of the stock market
  3. the posterior end of the trunk : buttocks, rump
  4. the surface on which a body of water lies
  5. the part of a ship's hull lying below the water
  6. boat, ship
  7. the lowest part or place
    • the bottom of the page
  8. the remotest or inmost point
  9. the lowest or last place in point of precedence
    • started work at the bottom
  10. the part of a garment worn on the lower part of the body
  11. the pants of pajamas usu. used in pl.
  12. the last half of an inning of baseball
  13. the bass or baritone instruments of a band
  14. bottomland usu. used in pl.
  15. basis, source
    • trying to get to the bottom of these rumors
  16. capacity (as of a horse) to endure strain
  17. a foundation color applied to textile fibers before dyeing
  18. a fundamental quark that accounts for the existence and lifetime of upsilon particles and has an electric charge of and a measured energy of approximately 5 GeV
  19. the flavor characterizing this particle

bottom -vt, n

  1. to furnish with a bottom
  2. to provide a foundation for
  3. to bring to the bottom
  4. to get to the bottom of
  5. to become based
  6. to reach the bottom
  7. to reach a point where a decline is halted or reversed usu. used with out
    • the team bottomed out in last place
  8. of, relating to, or situated at the bottom
    • bottom rock
  9. frequenting the bottom
    • bottom fish

bot·tomfeed·er ['bä-təm-,fē-dər] -n, adj

  1. a fish that feeds at the bottom
  2. one that is of the lowest status or rank
  3. an opportunist who seeks quick profit usu. at the expense of others or from their misfortune

bot·tomfish·ing [-,fi-shiŋ] -n

  1. the practice of making purchases (as of stocks) when prices appear to be at their lowest point

bot·tom·land ['bä-təm-,land] -n

  1. low-lying land along a watercourse often used in pl.
    • the fertile bottomland s

bot·tom·less [-ləs] -adj, adv, n

  1. having no bottom
    • a bottomless chair
  2. extremely deep
  3. impossible to comprehend : unfathomable
    • a bottomless mystery
  4. boundless, unlimited
  5. nude
    • bottomless dancers
  6. featuring nude entertainers

bot·tomline ['bä-təm-,līn] -adj, n

  1. concerned only with cost or profits
  2. pragmatic, realistic

bottom line -n

  1. the essential or salient point : crux
  2. the primary or most important consideration
  3. the line at the bottom of a financial report that shows the net profit or loss
  4. financial considerations (as cost or profit or loss)
  5. the final result

bot·tom·most ['bä-tə(m)-,mōst] -adj

  1. situated at the very bottom : lowest, deepest
  2. last
    • the bottommost part of the day -- Alfred Kazin
  3. most basic
    • the bottommost problems facing the world

bottom round -n

  1. meat (as steak) from the outer part of a round of beef

bot·tomup ['bä-təm-'əp] -adj

  1. progressing upward from the lowest levels (as of a stratified organization or system)
    • bottomup management

bot·u·lin ['bä-chə-lən] -n

  1. botulinum toxin

bot·u·li·num [,bä-chə-'lī-nəm] -n, adj

  1. a spore-forming bacterium ( Clostridium botulinum) that secretes botulinum toxin

botulinum toxin -n

  1. a neurotoxin formed by botulinum that causes botulism and that is injected in a purified form for therapeutic and cosmetic purposes (as to treat blepharospasm and reduce wrinkles)

bot·u·lism ['bä-chə-,li-zəm] -n

  1. an acute paralytic disease caused by botulinum toxin esp. in food

bou·bou ['bü-,bü] -n

  1. a long flowing garment worn in parts of Africa

bou·chee [bü-'shā] -n

  1. a small patty shell usu. containing a creamed filling

bou·cle [bü-'klā] -n

  1. an uneven yarn of three plies one of which forms loops at intervals
  2. a fabric of boucle yarn

bou·din [bü-'dan, -'daⁿ] -n

  1. blood sausage
  2. a spicy Cajun sausage containing rice and meat (as pork) or seafood

bou·doir ['bü-,dwär, 'bu̇-, ,bü-', ,bu̇-'] -n

  1. a woman's dressing room, bedroom, or private sitting room

bouf·fant [bü-'fänt, 'bü-,] -adj

  1. puffed out
    • bouffant hairdos
    • a bouffant veil

bou·gain·vil·lea [,bü-gən-'vil-yə, ,bō-, ,bu̇-, -'vē-ə] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Bougainvillaea) of the four-o'clock family of ornamental tropical American woody vines and shrubs with brilliant purple or red floral bracts

bough ['bau̇] -n, adj

  1. a branch of a tree
  2. a main branch

bought ['bī] -vb, n

(variant of buy)

  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

bought·en ['bȯ-tᵊn] -adj

  1. bought
    • the only boughten carpet in the region -- H. W. Thompson

bou·gie ['bü-,zhē, -,jē] -n

  1. a wax candle
  2. a tapering cylindrical instrument for introduction into a tubular passage of the body
  3. suppository

bouil·la·baisse [,bü-yə-'bās, -'bāz, 'bü-yə-,, -,bāz] -n

  1. a highly seasoned fish stew made with at least two kinds of fish
  2. potpourri

bouil·lon ['bü(l)-,yän, 'bu̇(l)-; 'bu̇l-yən; 'bü-,yōⁿ] -n

  1. a clear seasoned soup made usu. from lean beef
  2. broth

bouillon cube -n

  1. a cube of evaporated meat extract

boul·der ['bōl-dər] -n, adj

  1. a detached and rounded or much-worn mass of rock

boul·der·ing [-d(ə-)riŋ] -n, vi

  1. the sport of rock climbing on large boulders or low cliffs

bou·le ['bü-(,)lē, bü-'lā] -n

  1. a legislative council of ancient Greece consisting first of an aristocratic advisory body and later of a representative senate

boule ['bül] -n

  1. a synthetically formed mass (as of sapphire) with the atomic structure of a single crystal

bou·le·vard ['bu̇-lə-,värd, 'bü- also 'bə-] -n

  1. a broad often landscaped thoroughfare

bou·le·vard·ier [,bu̇-lə-,vär-'dyā, ,bü-, -'dir] -n

  1. a frequenter of the Parisian boulevards
  2. man-about-town

bou·le·ver·se·ment [bül-ver-sə-mäⁿ] -n

  1. reversal
  2. a violent disturbance : disorder

boulle ['bül, 'byül] -n

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

bounce ['bau̇n(t)s] -vb

  1. beat, bump
  2. to cause to rebound or be reflected
    • bounce a ball
    • bounce a light ray off a reflector
  3. dismiss, fire
  4. to expel precipitately from a place
  5. to eliminate from a competition by defeating
    • was bounced from the tournament in the first round
  6. to issue (a check) drawn on an account with insufficient funds
  7. to present (as an idea) to another person to elicit comments or to gain approval usu. used with off
  8. to rebound or reflect after striking a surface (as the ground)
  9. to recover from a blow or a defeat quickly usu. used with back
  10. to be returned by a bank because of insufficient funds in a checking account
    • his checks bounce
  11. to leap suddenly : bound
  12. to walk with springing steps
  13. to hit a baseball so that it hits the ground before it reaches an infielder
  14. a sudden leap or bound
  15. rebound
  16. bluster
  17. verve, liveliness

bounc·er ['bau̇n(t)-sər] -n

  1. : one that bounces: as
  2. one employed to restrain or eject disorderly persons
  3. a bouncing ground ball

bounc·ing [-siŋ] -adj, adv

  1. lively, animated
  2. enjoying good health : robust

bouncing bet [-'bet] -n

  1. a European perennial herb ( Saponaria officinalis) of the pink family that is widely naturalized in the U.S. and has pink or white flowers and leaves which yield a detergent when bruised called also soapwort

bouncy ['bau̇n(t)-sē] -adj, adv

  1. buoyant, exuberant
  2. resilient
  3. marked by or producing bounces

bound ['bau̇nd] -adj

  1. ready
  2. intending to go : going
    • bound for home
    • college- bound
  3. a limiting line : boundary usu. used in pl.
  4. something that limits or restrains
    • beyond the bound s of decency
  5. borderland
  6. the land within certain bounds
  7. a number greater than or equal to every number in a set (as the range of a function)
  8. a number less than or equal to every number in a set

bound ['bīnd] -vb

(variant of bind)

  1. to make secure by tying
  2. to confine, restrain, or restrict as if with bonds
  3. to put under an obligation
    • bind s himself with an oath
  4. to constrain with legal authority
  5. to wrap around with something so as to enclose or cover
  6. bandage
  7. to fasten round about
  8. to tie together (as stocks of wheat)
  9. to cause to stick together
  10. to take up and hold (as by chemical forces) : combine with
  11. constipate
  12. to make a firm commitment for
    • a handshake bind s the deal
  13. to protect, strengthen, or decorate by a band or binding
  14. to apply the parts of the cover to (a book)
  15. to set at work as an apprentice : indenture
  16. to cause to have an emotional attachment
  17. to fasten together
    • a pin bound the ends of the scarf
  18. to form a cohesive mass
  19. to combine or be taken up esp. by chemical action
    • antibody bind s to a specific antigen
  20. to hamper free movement or natural action
  21. to become hindered from free operation
  22. to exert a restraining or compelling effect
    • a promise that bind s
  23. something that binds
  24. the act of binding : the state of being bound
  25. a place where binding occurs
  26. tie
  27. a position or situation in which one is hampered, constrained, or prevented from free movement or action

bound·ary ['bau̇n-d(ə-)rē] -n, adj

  1. something that indicates or fixes a limit or extent

boundary layer -n

  1. a region of retarded fluid near the surface of a body which moves through a fluid or past which a fluid moves

bound·ed ['bau̇n-dəd] -adj

  1. having a mathematical bound or bounds
    • a set bounded above by 25 and bounded below by 10

bound·ed·ness ['bau̇n-dəd-nəs] -n

  1. the quality or state of being bounded

bound·en ['bau̇n-dən] -adj

  1. being under obligation : beholden
  2. made obligatory : binding
    • our bounden duty

bound·er [-dər] -n, adj

  1. one that bounds
  2. a man of objectionable social behavior : cad

bound·less ['bau̇n(d)-ləs] -adj, adv, n

  1. having no boundaries : vast
    • boundless possibilities

bound up -adj

  1. closely involved or associated usu. used with with
    • his life was bound up with the town's history

boun·te·ous ['bau̇n-tē-əs] -adj, adv, n

  1. giving or disposed to give freely
  2. liberally bestowed

boun·tied ['bau̇n-tēd] -adj

  1. having the benefit of a bounty
  2. rewarded or rewardable by a bounty

boun·ti·ful ['bau̇n-ti-fəl] -adj, adv, n

  1. liberal in bestowing gifts or favors
  2. given or provided abundantly
    • a bountiful harvest

boun·ty ['bau̇n-tē] -n

  1. something that is given generously
  2. liberality in giving : generosity
  3. yield esp. of a crop
  4. : a reward, premium, or subsidy esp. when offered or given by a government: as
  5. an extra allowance to induce entry into the armed services
  6. a grant to encourage an industry
  7. a payment to encourage the destruction of noxious animals
  8. a payment for the capture of or assistance in the capture of an outlaw

bounty hunter -n

  1. one who tracks down and captures outlaws for whom a reward is offered
  2. one who hunts predatory animals for the reward offered

bou·quet [bō-'kā, bü-] -n

  1. flowers picked and fastened together in a bunch : nosegay
  2. medley
    • a bouquet of songs
  3. compliment
  4. a distinctive and characteristic fragrance (as of wine)
  5. a subtle aroma or quality (as of an artistic performance)

bou·quet gar·ni [-gär-'nē] -n

  1. an herb mixture that is either tied together or enclosed in a porous container and is cooked with a dish but removed before serving

bour·bon ['bu̇r-bən, 'bȯr-; usu 'bər- in sense 3] -n

  1. a member of a French family founded in 1272 to which belong the rulers of France from 1589 to 1793 and from 1814 to 1830, of Spain from 1700 to 1808, from 1814 to 1868, from 1875 to 1931, and from 1975, of Naples from 1735 to 1805, and of the Two Sicilies from 1815 to 1860
  2. a rose ( Rosa borboniana) of upright growth with shining leaves, prickly branches, and clustered large flowers
  3. a whiskey distilled from a mash made up of not less than 51 percent corn plus malt and rye
  4. a person who clings obstinately to old social and political ideas
  5. an extremely conservative member of the U.S. Democratic party usu. from the South

bourg ['bu̇r(g)] -n

  1. : town, village: as
  2. one neighboring a castle
  3. a market town

bour·geois ['bu̇rzh-,wä also 'bu̇zh- or 'büzh- or bu̇rzh-'] -adj, n, vb

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the townsman or of the social middle class
  2. marked by a concern for material interests and respectability and a tendency toward mediocrity
  3. dominated by commercial and industrial interests : capitalistic

bourgeois [-,wä(z), -'wä(z)] -n

  1. burgher
  2. a middle-class person
  3. a person with social behavior and political views held to be influenced by private-property interest : capitalist
  4. bourgeoisie

bour·geoise ['bu̇rzh-,wäz also 'bu̇zh- or 'büzh- or bu̇rzh-'] -n

  1. a woman of the middle class

bour·geoi·sie [,bu̇(r)zh-,wä-'zē] -n

  1. middle class
  2. members of the middle class
  3. a social order dominated by bourgeois

bourgeon ['bər-jən] -vi

(variant of burgeon)

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

bour·gui·gnonne [,bu̇r-gēn-'yȯn] -adj

  1. prepared or served in the manner of Burgundy (as with a sauce made with red wine)
    • beef bourguignonne

bourn ['bȯrn, 'bu̇rn] -n

  1. stream, brook

bourne -n

  1. boundary, limit
  2. goal, destination

bour·ree [bu̇-'rā, 'bü-,] -n

  1. a 17th century French dance usu. in quick duple time
  2. a musical composition with the rhythm of this dance
  3. pas de bourree

bour·ride [bu̇-'rēd, bə-] -n

  1. a fish stew similar to bouillabaisse that is usu. thickened with egg yolks and strongly flavored with garlic

bourse ['bu̇rs] -n

  1. exchange
  2. a European stock exchange
  3. a sale of numismatic or philatelic items on tables (as at a convention)

bou·stro·phe·don [,bü-strə-'fē-,dän, -dᵊn] -n, adj or adv, adj

  1. the writing of alternate lines in opposite directions (as from left to right and from right to left)

bout ['bau̇t] -n

  1. : a spell of activity: as
  2. an athletic match (as of boxing)
  3. outbreak, attack
    • a bout of pneumonia
  4. session

bou·tique [bü-'tēk] -n, adj

  1. a small fashionable shop
  2. a small shop within a large department store
  3. a small company that offers highly specialized services or products
    • boutique wineries
    • an independent investment boutique

bou·ton·niere [,bü-tᵊn-'ir, ,bü-tən-'yer] -n

  1. a flower or bouquet worn in a buttonhole

Bou·vi·er des Flan·dres [,bü-vē-,ā-də-'flan-dərz, -'fläⁿdrᵊ] -n

  1. any of a breed of large powerfully built rough-coated dogs of Belgian origin used esp. for herding and in guard work called also Bouvier

bou·zou·ki [bü-'zü-kē] -n

  1. a long-necked stringed instrument of Greek origin that resembles a mandolin

bo·vid ['bō-vəd] -n

  1. any of a family (Bovidae) of ruminants that have hollow unbranched permanently attached horns present in usu. both sexes and that include antelopes, oxen, sheep, and goats

bo·vine ['bō-,vīn, -,vēn] -adj, adv, n

  1. of, relating to, or resembling bovines and esp. the ox or cow
  2. having qualities (as placidity or dullness) characteristic of oxen or cows

bovine -n

  1. any of a subfamily (Bovinae) of bovids including oxen, bison, buffalo, and their close relatives

bovine spongiform encephalopathy -n

  1. a fatal prion disease of cattle that affects the nervous system, resembles or is identical to scrapie of sheep and goats, and is prob. transmitted by infected tissue in food abbr. BSE called also mad cow disease

bow ['bau̇] -vb

  1. to cease from competition or resistance : submit, yield
    • refusing to bow to the inevitable -- John O'Hara
  2. to suffer defeat
    • bow ed to the champion
  3. to bend the head, body, or knee in reverence, submission, or shame
  4. to incline the head or body in salutation or assent or to acknowledge applause
  5. debut
    • the play will bow next month
  6. to cause to incline
  7. to incline (as the head) esp. in respect or submission
  8. to crush with a heavy burden
  9. to express by bowing
  10. to usher in or out with a bow
  11. a bending of the head or body in respect, submission, assent, or salutation
  12. a show of respect or submission
  13. something bent into a simple curve
  14. rainbow
  15. a weapon that is made of a strip of flexible material (as wood) with a cord connecting the two ends and holding the strip bent and that is used to propel an arrow
  16. archer
  17. a metal ring or loop forming a handle (as of a key)
  18. a knot formed by doubling a ribbon or string into two or more loops
  19. bow tie
  20. a frame for the lenses of eyeglasses
  21. the sidepiece of the frame passing over the ear
  22. a wooden rod with horsehairs stretched from end to end used in playing an instrument of the viol or violin family
  23. a stroke of such a bow
  24. to bend into a curve
  25. to play a stringed musical instrument with a bow
  26. to cause to bend into a curve
  27. to play (a stringed instrument) with a bow
  28. the forward part of a ship often used in pl.
    • crossing the bow s
  29. bowman

Bow bells ['bō-] -n pl

  1. the bells of the Church of St. Mary-le-Bow in London

bowd·ler·ise ['bōd-lə-,rīz, 'bau̇d-] -vt, n

(variant of bowdlerize)

  1. to expurgate (as a book) by omitting or modifying parts considered vulgar
  2. to modify by abridging, simplifying, or distorting in style or content

bowd·ler·ize ['bōd-lə-,rīz, 'bau̇d-] -vt, n

  1. to expurgate (as a book) by omitting or modifying parts considered vulgar
  2. to modify by abridging, simplifying, or distorting in style or content

bowed ['bau̇d] -adj

  1. bent downward and forward
    • listened with bowed heads
  2. having the back and head inclined
  3. furnished with or shaped like a bow

bow·el ['bau̇(-ə)l] -n, adj

  1. intestine, gut
  2. one of the divisions of the intestines usu. used in pl. except in medical use
    • the large bowel
    • move your bowel s
  3. the seat of pity, tenderness, or courage usu. used in pl.
  4. the interior parts
  5. the deep or remote parts
    • bowel s of the earth

bow·er ['bau̇(-ə)r] -n, adj

  1. an attractive dwelling or retreat
  2. a lady's private apartment in a medieval hall or castle
  3. a shelter (as in a garden) made with tree boughs or vines twined together : arbor

bower -vt

  1. embower, enclose
  2. an anchor carried at the bow of a ship

bow·er·bird ['bau̇(-ə)r-,bərd] -n

  1. any of a family (Ptilonorhynchidae) of passerine birds of Australia and New Guinea in which the male builds a chamber or passage arched over with twigs and grasses, often adorned with bright-colored objects, and used esp. to attract the female

bow·ery ['bau̇(-ə)r-ē] -n

  1. a colonial Dutch plantation or farm
  2. a city district known for cheap bars and derelicts

bow·fin ['bō-,fin] -n

  1. a predaceous dull-green iridescent No. American freshwater fish ( Amia calva) that is the only surviving member of an order (Amiiformes) dating back to the Jurassic

bow·front [-,frənt] -adj

  1. having an outward curving front
    • bowfront furniture
  2. having a bow window in front
    • bowfront houses

bow·head whale [-,hed-] -n

  1. a baleen whale ( Balaena mysticetus) of arctic and subarctic seas called also bowhead

bow·ie knife ['bü-ē-, 'bō-] -n

  1. a stout single-edged hunting knife with part of the back edge curved concavely to a point and sharpened

bow·ing ['bō-iŋ] -n

  1. the technique or manner of managing the bow in playing a stringed musical instrument

bow·knot ['bō-,nät] -n

  1. a knot with decorative loops

bowl ['bōl] -n, adj

  1. a concave usu. nearly hemispherical vessel
  2. a drinking vessel (as for wine)
  3. the contents of a bowl
  4. : a bowl-shaped or concave part: as
  5. the hollow of a spoon or tobacco pipe
  6. the receptacle of a toilet
  7. a natural formation or geographical region shaped like a bowl
  8. a bowl-shaped structure
  9. an athletic stadium
  10. a postseason football game between specially invited teams
  11. a ball (as of lignum vitae) weighted or shaped to give it a bias when rolled in lawn bowling
  12. lawn bowling
  13. a delivery of the ball in bowling
  14. a cylindrical roller or drum (as for a machine)
  15. to participate in a game of bowling
  16. to roll a ball in bowling
  17. to travel smoothly and rapidly (as in a wheeled vehicle)
  18. to roll (a ball) in bowling
  19. to complete by bowling
    • bowl a string
  20. to score by bowling
    • bowl s 150
  21. to strike with a swiftly moving object

bowlder ['bōl-dər] -n, adj

(variant of boulder)

  1. a detached and rounded or much-worn mass of rock

bow·leg ['bō-,leg, -,lāg, 'bō-'] -n, adj

  1. a leg bowed outward at or below the knee

bowl·er ['bō-lər] -n

  1. a person who bowls
  2. the player who delivers the ball to the batsman in cricket

bow·ler ['bō-lər] -n

  1. derby

bow·line ['bō-lən, -,līn] -n

  1. a rope used to keep the weather edge of a square sail taut forward
  2. a knot used to form a loop that neither slips nor jams

bowl·ing ['bō-liŋ] -n

  1. any of several games in which balls are rolled on a green or down an alley at an object or group of objects

bowl over -vt

  1. to take unawares
  2. impress

bow·man ['bō-mən] -n

  1. archer
  2. a boatman, oarsman, or paddler stationed in the front of a boat

Bow·man's capsule ['bō-mənz-] -n

  1. a thin membranous double-walled capsule surrounding the glomerulus of a vertebrate nephron

bow out -vi

  1. retire, withdraw
  2. lose
    • bowed out in the first round of the tournament

bow saw ['bō-] -n

  1. a saw having a narrow blade held under tension by a light bow-shaped frame

bowse ['bau̇z] -vb

  1. to haul by means of a tackle
  2. to bowse something

bow shock ['bau̇-] -n

  1. the shock wave formed by the collision of a stellar wind with another medium (as the magnetosphere of a planet)

bow·sprit ['bau̇-,sprit, Brit usu 'bō-] -n

  1. a large spar projecting forward from the stem of a ship

bow·string ['bō-,striŋ] -n

  1. a waxed or sized cord joining the ends of a shooting bow

bowstring hemp -n

  1. any of various Asian and African sansevierias
  2. its soft tough leaf fiber used esp. in cordage

bow tie ['bō-] -n

  1. a short necktie tied in a bowknot
  2. something (as pasta) resembling a bow tie in shape

bow window ['bō-] -n

  1. a usu. curved bay window

bow·wow ['bau̇-,wau̇, bau̇-'] -n

  1. the bark of a dog
  2. dog
  3. noisy clamor
  4. arrogant dogmatic manner

bow·yer ['bō-yər] -n

  1. a maker of shooting bows

box ['bäks] -n

  1. an evergreen shrub or small tree (genus Buxusof the family Buxaceae, the box family) with opposite entire leaves and capsular fruits
  2. a widely cultivated shrub ( B. sempervirens) used for hedges, borders, and topiary figures
  3. : a rigid typically rectangular container with or without a cover
    • a cigar box
    : as
  4. an open cargo container of a vehicle
  5. coffin
  6. the contents of a box esp. as a measure of quantity
  7. : a box or boxlike container and its contents: as
  8. a gift in a box
  9. an automobile transmission
  10. television
  11. a signaling apparatus
    • alarm box
  12. a usu. self-contained piece of electronic equipment
  13. boom box
  14. : an often small space, compartment, or enclosure: as
  15. an enclosed group of seats for spectators (as in a theater or stadium)
  16. a driver's seat on a carriage or coach
  17. a cell for holding mail
  18. box stall
  19. penalty box
  20. : a usu. rectangular space that is frequently outlined or demarcated on a surface: as
  21. any of six spaces on a baseball diamond where the batter, coaches, pitcher, and catcher stand
  22. a space on a page for printed matter or in which to make a mark
  23. predicament, fix
  24. a cubical building
  25. the limitations of conventionality
    • trying to think outside the box
  26. to enclose in or as if in a box
  27. to hem in (as an opponent) usu. used with in, out, or up
    • box ed out the tackle
  28. a punch or slap esp. on the ear
  29. to hit (as the ears) with the hand
  30. to engage in boxing with
  31. to fight with the fists : engage in boxing
  32. to name the 32 points of (the compass) in their order used figuratively in the phrase box the compass to describe making a complete reversal

box·board ['bäks-,bȯrd] -n

  1. cardboard used for making boxes and cartons

box camera -n

  1. a box-shaped camera with a simple lens and rotary shutter

box·car ['bäks-,kär] -n

  1. a roofed freight car usu. with sliding doors in the sides

boxcar -adj

  1. very large
    • the judge awarded her a boxcar figure

box coat -n

  1. a heavy overcoat formerly worn for driving
  2. a loose coat usu. fitted at the shoulders

box cutter -n

  1. a small cutting tool that is designed for opening cardboard boxes and typically consists of a retractable razor blade in a thin metal sheath

box elder -n

  1. a rapidly growing No. American maple ( Acer negundo) with compound leaves

box·er ['bäk-sər] -n

  1. a person who engages in the sport of boxing
  2. boxer shorts

boxer -n

  1. one that makes boxes or packs things in boxes
  2. any of a German breed of compact medium-sized dogs with a short usu. fawn or brindled coat

Box·er ['bäk-sər] -n

  1. a member of a Chinese secret society that in 1900 attempted by violence to drive foreigners out of China and to force Chinese converts to renounce Christianity

boxer shorts -n pl

  1. men's underwear shorts characterized by loose fit

box·ing ['bäk-siŋ] -n

  1. the art of attack and defense with the fists practiced as a sport

boxing -n

  1. an act of enclosing in a box
  2. a boxlike enclosure : casing
  3. material used for boxes and casings

Boxing Day -n

  1. the first weekday after Christmas observed as a legal holiday in parts of the Commonwealth of Nations and marked by the giving of Christmas boxes to service workers (as postal workers)

boxing glove -n

  1. one of a pair of leather mittens heavily padded on the back and worn in boxing

box jellyfish -n

  1. sea wasp

box kite -n

  1. a tailless kite consisting of two or more open-ended connected boxes

box lunch -n

  1. a lunch packed in a container (as a box)

box office -n

  1. an office (as in a theater) where tickets of admission are sold
  2. income from ticket sales (as for a film)
  3. the ability (as of a show) to attract ticket buyers
  4. something that enhances that ability
    • any publicity is good box office

box pleat -n

  1. a pleat made by forming two folded edges one facing right and the other left

box score -n

  1. a printed score of a game (as baseball) giving the names and positions of the players and a record of the play arranged in tabular form
  2. total count : summary

box seat -n

  1. box
  2. a seat in a box (as in a theater or grandstand)
  3. a position favorable for viewing something

box social -n

  1. a fund-raising affair at which box lunches are auctioned to the highest bidder

box spring -n

  1. a bedspring that consists of spiral springs attached to a foundation and enclosed in a cloth-covered frame

box stall -n

  1. an individual enclosure within a barn or stable in which an animal may move about freely without a restraining device

box·thorn ['bäks-,thȯrn] -n

  1. matrimony vine

box turtle -n

  1. any of several No. American land turtles (genus Terrapene) capable of withdrawing into their shell and closing it by hinged joints in the lower half called also box tortoise

box·wood ['bäks-,wu̇d] -n

  1. the close-grained heavy hard tough wood of the box (genus Buxus)
  2. a wood of similar properties
  3. a tree producing boxwood

boxy ['bäk-sē] -adj, n

  1. resembling a box

boy ['bȯi] -n, adj, adv

  1. a male servant
  2. a male child from birth to adulthood
  3. son
  4. an immature male
    • separate the men from the boy s
    • boy genius
  5. sweetheart, beau
  6. one native to a given place
    • local boy
  7. fellow, person
    • the boy s at the office
  8. used interjectionally to express intensity of feeling
    • boy, what a game

bo·yar [bō-'yär] -n

  1. a member of a Russian aristocratic order next in rank below the ruling princes until its abolition by Peter the Great

boy·chick ['bȯi-,chik] -n

  1. a young man : boy

boy·cott ['bȯi-,kät] -vt, n

  1. to engage in a concerted refusal to have dealings with (as a person, store, or organization) usu. to express disapproval or to force acceptance of certain conditions

boy·friend ['bȯi-,frend] -n

  1. a male friend
  2. a frequent or regular male companion in a romantic or sexual relationship

Boyle's law ['bȯi(-ə)lz-] -n

  1. a statement in physics: the volume of a gas at constant temperature varies inversely with the pressure exerted on it

boyo ['bȯi-(,)ō] -n

  1. boy, lad

Boy Scout -n

  1. a member of any of various national scouting programs (as the Boy Scouts of America) for boys usu. 11 to 17 years of age
  2. a person whose values or actions are characteristic of a Boy Scout

boy·sen·ber·ry ['bȯi-zᵊn-,ber-ē, -be-rē, -sᵊn-, -zᵊm-] -n

  1. a large reddish black fruit with a raspberry flavor
  2. the trailing hybrid bramble yielding this fruit and developed by crossing several blackberries and raspberries

boy toy -n

  1. a usu. young man considered as an object of sexual desire

boy wonder -n

  1. a young man of noteworthy achievements

bo·zo ['bō-(,)zō] -n

  1. a foolish or incompetent person