bu -abbr
- bureau
- bushel
Bu -abbr
- butyl
bub ['bəb] -n
- fellow, buddy used in informal address
Bub·ba ['bə-bə] -n
- redneck
bub·ble ['bə-bəl] -n
- : a small globule typically hollow and light: as
- a small body of gas within a liquid
- a thin film of liquid inflated with air or gas
- a globule in a transparent solid
- something (as a plastic or inflatable structure) that is hemispherical or semicylindrical
- something that lacks firmness, solidity, or reality
- a delusive scheme
- a sound like that of bubbling
- magnetic bubble
- a state of booming economic activity (as in a stock market) that often ends in a sudden collapse
- the condition of being at risk of exclusion or replacement (as from a tournament) usu. used in the phrase on the bubble
- teams still on the bubble for the play-offs
bubble ['bə-b(ə-)liŋ] -vb
- to form or produce bubbles
- to rise in or as if in bubbles usu. used with up
- to flow with a gurgling sound
- a brook bubbling over rocks
- to become lively or effervescent
- to speak in a lively and fluent manner
- to utter (as words) effervescently
- to cause to bubble
bubble and squeak -n
- a British dish consisting of usu. leftover potatoes, greens (as cabbage), and sometimes meat fried together
bubble chamber -n
- a chamber of superheated liquid in which the path of an ionizing particle is made visible by a string of vapor bubbles
bub·ble·gum ['bə-bəl-,gəm] -adj
- appealing to or characteristic of preteens or adolescents
bubble gum ['bə-bəl-,gəm] -n
- a chewing gum that can be blown into large bubbles
- rock music having simple repetitive phrasings and intended esp. for young teenagers
bub·ble·head ['bə-bəl-,hed] -n, adj
- a foolish or stupid person
bubble memory -n
- a computer memory that uses magnetic bubbles to store information
bub·bler ['bə-b(ə-)lər] -n
- a drinking fountain from which a stream of water bubbles upward
- one that bubbles
Bubble Wrap -trademark
- used for packing material composed of sheets of plastic with bubbles of entrapped gases
bub·bly ['bə-b(ə-)lē] -adj
- full of bubbles : effervescent
- full of or showing good spirits : lively, effusive
- resembling a bubble
bubbly -n
- champagne
bub·by ['bə-bē] -n
- breast
bub·kes ['bəp-kəs, 'bu̇p-] -n pl but sing in constr
- the least amount : beans
- won't win bubkes this year -- Ivan Maisel
- nothing
- received bubkes for their efforts
bu·bo ['byü-(,)bō, 'bü-] -n, adj
- an inflammatory swelling of a lymph gland esp. in the groin
bubonic plague -n
- plague caused by a bacterium ( Yersinia pestis) and characterized esp. by the formation of buboes
buc·cal ['bə-kəl] -adj, adv
- of, relating to, near, involving, or supplying a cheek
- the buccal surface of a tooth
- the buccal branch of the facial nerve
- of, relating to, involving, or lying in the mouth
buc·ca·neer [,bə-kə-'nir] -n, vi, adj
- any of the freebooters preying on Spanish ships and settlements esp. in 17th century West Indies
- pirate
- an unscrupulous adventurer esp. in politics or business
buc·ci·na·tor ['bək-sə-,nā-tər] -n
- a thin broad muscle forming the wall of the cheek
buck ['bək] -n
- a male animal
- a male deer or antelope
- a male human being : man
- a dashing fellow : dandy
- antelope
- buckskin
- an article (as a shoe) made of buckskin
- dollar
- a sum of money esp. to be gained
- money usu. used in pl.
- a supporting rack or frame
- a short thick leather-covered block for gymnastic vaulting
- butt
- oppose, resist
- to throw (as a rider) by bucking
- to charge into (as a headwind)
- to pass esp. from one person to another
- to move or load (as heavy objects) esp. with mechanical equipment
- to spring into the air with the back arched
- to charge against something (as an obstruction)
- to move or react jerkily
- to refuse assent : balk
- to strive for advancement sometimes without regard to ethical behavior
- an act or instance of bucking
- an object formerly used in poker to mark the next player to deal
- a token used as a mark or reminder
- responsibility used esp. in the phrases pass the buck and the buck stops here
- of the lowest grade within a military category
- stark, completely
buckandwing [,bə-kᵊn-'wiŋ] -n
- a solo tap dance with sharp foot accents, springs, leg flings, and heel clicks
buck·a·roo [,bə-kə-'rü, 'bə-kə-,] -n
- cowboy
- broncobuster
buck·bean ['bək-,bēn] -n
- a perennial herbaceous plant ( Menyanthes trifoliataof the family Menyanthaceae) growing in bogs and having racemes of white or pinkish flowers
buck·board [-,bȯrd] -n
- a four-wheeled vehicle with a floor made of long springy boards
buck·et ['bə-kət] -n
- a typically cylindrical vessel for catching, holding, or carrying liquids or solids
- : something resembling a bucket: as
- the scoop of an excavating machine
- one of the receptacles on the rim of a waterwheel
- one of the cups of an endless-belt conveyor
- one of the vanes of a turbine rotor
- bucketful
- bucket seat
- basket
bucket -vt
- to draw or lift in buckets
- to ride (a horse) hard
- to drive hurriedly or roughly
- to deal with in a bucket shop
- hustle, hurry
- to move about haphazardly or irresponsibly
- to move roughly or jerkily
bucket brigade -n
- a chain of persons acting to put out a fire by passing buckets of water from hand to hand
buck·et·ful ['bə-kət-,fu̇l] -n
- as much as a bucket will hold
- a large quantity
bucket seat -n
- a low separate seat for one person (as in an automobile or an airplane)
bucket shop -n
- a saloon in which liquor was formerly sold from or dispensed in open containers (as buckets or pitchers)
- a gambling establishment that formerly used market fluctuations (as in securities or commodities) as a basis for gaming
- a dishonest brokerage firm
- one that formerly failed to execute customers' margin orders in expectation of making a profit from market fluctuations adverse to the customers' interests
buck·eye ['bək-,ī] -n
- any of various shrubs or trees (genus Aesculus) of the horse-chestnut family
- the large nutlike seed of such a shrub or tree
- a native or resident of Ohio used as a nickname
buck fever -n
- nervous excitement of an inexperienced hunter at the sight of game
buck·le ['bə-kəl] -n
- a fastening for two loose ends that is attached to one and holds the other by a catch
- an ornamental device that suggests a buckle
- a crisp curl
buckle ['bə-k(ə-)liŋ] -vb
- to fasten with a buckle
- to prepare with vigor
- to cause to bend, give way, or crumple
- to become fastened with a buckle
- to apply oneself with vigor usu. used with down
- to bend, heave, warp, or kink usu. under the influence of some external agency
- wheat buckling in the wind
- collapse
- the props buckled under the strain
- to give way : yield
- he buckled under pressure
- a product of buckling : bend, fold
- a coffee cake baked with berries and a crumbly topping
buck·ler ['bə-klər] -n
- a small round shield held by a handle at arm's length
- a shield worn on the left arm
- one that shields and protects
buckler -vt
- to shield or defend with a buckler
buckle up -vi
- to fasten one's seat belt
buck·min·ster·ful·ler·ene ['bək-(,)min-stər-,fu̇-lə-'rēn] -n
- a spherical fullerene C 60that is an extremely stable form of pure carbon, consists of interconnected pentagons and hexagons suggestive of the geometry of a geodesic dome, and is believed to be a major constituent of soot
bucko ['bə-(,)kō] -n
- a person who is domineering and bullying : swaggerer
- young fellow : lad
buck passer ['bək-,pa-siŋ] -n
- a person who habitually passes the buck
buck·ram ['bə-krəm] -n
- a stiff-finished heavily sized fabric of cotton or linen used for interlinings in garments, for stiffening in millinery, and in bookbinding
- stiffness, rigidity
buckram -adj
- suggesting buckram esp. in stiffness
- to give strength or stiffness to (as with buckram)
- to make pretentious
Buck Rogers ['bək-'rä-jərz] -adj
- marked by futuristic and high-tech qualities : suggestive of science fiction
Bucks -abbr
- Buckinghamshire
buck·saw ['bək-,sȯ] -n
- a saw set in a usu. H-shaped frame for sawing wood
buck·shee ['bək-(,)shē, ,bək-'] -n
- something extra obtained free
- extra rations
- windfall, gratuity
buck·shot ['bək-,shät] -n
- lead shot that is from .24 to .33 inch (about 6.1 to 8.4 millimeters) in diameter
buckshot -adj
- scattershot
buck·skin [-,skin] -n
- the skin of a buck
- a soft pliable usu. suede-finished leather
- buckskin breeches
- a person dressed in buckskin
- an early American backwoodsman
- a horse of a light yellowish-dun color with black mane and tail
buck·skinned [-,skind] -adj
- dressed in buckskin
buck·tail [-,tāl] -n
- an angler's lure made typically of hairs from the tail of a deer
buck·thorn [-,thȯrn] -n
- any of a genus ( Rhamnusof the family Rhamnaceae, the buckthorn family) of often thorny trees or shrubs some of which yield purgatives or pigments
- a shrub or small tree ( Bumelia lycioides) of the sapodilla family of the southern U.S.
buck·tooth [-'tüth] -n, adj
- a large protruding front tooth
buck up -vb
- to become encouraged : brace up
- improve, smarten
- to raise the morale of
buck·wheat ['bək-,hwēt, -,wēt] -n
- any of a genus ( Fagopyrumof the family Polygonaceae, the buckwheat family) of Eurasian herbs with alternate leaves, clusters of apetalous pinkish-white flowers, and triangular seeds
- either of two plants ( F. esculentumand F. tartaricum) cultivated for their edible seeds
- the seed of a buckwheat used as a cereal grain
bucky·ball ['bə-kē-,bȯl] -n
- a molecule of buckminsterfullerene
- fullerene
bucky·tube [-,tüb, -,tyüb] -n
- a nanotube composed of pure carbon with a molecular arrangement similar to that of a fullerene
bu·col·ic [byü-'kä-lik] -adj, adv
- of or relating to shepherds or herdsmen : pastoral
- relating to or typical of rural life
- idyllic
bud ['bəd] -n
- a small lateral or terminal protuberance on the stem of a plant that may develop into a flower, leaf, or shoot
- : something not yet mature or at full development: as
- an incompletely opened flower
- child, youth
- an outgrowth of an organism that differentiates into a new individual : gemma
- an outgrowth having the potential to differentiate and grow into a definitive organ or part : primordium
- buddy
- to set or put forth buds
- to commence growth from buds
- to grow or develop from or as if from a bud
- to reproduce asexually esp. by the pinching off of a small part of the parent
- to produce or develop from buds
- to cause (as a plant) to bud
- to insert a bud from a plant of one kind into an opening in the bark of (a plant of another kind) usu. in order to propagate a desired variety
Bud·dha ['bü-də, 'bu̇-] -n
- a person who has attained Buddhahood
- a representation of Gautama Buddha
Bud·dha·hood [-,hu̇d] -n
- a state of perfect enlightenment sought in Buddhism
Bud·dhism ['bü-,di-zəm, 'bu̇-] -n, n or adj, adj
- a religion of eastern and central Asia growing out of the teaching of Gautama Buddha that suffering is inherent in life and that one can be liberated from it by mental and moral self-purification
bud·ding ['bə-diŋ] -adj
- being in an early stage of development
bud·dle·ia ['bəd-lē-ə, ,bəd-'lē-] -n
- any of a genus ( Buddleiaof the family Loganiaceae) of shrubs or small trees of warm regions with showy terminal clusters of usu. purple or white flowers called also butterfly bush
bud·dy ['bə-dē] -n
- companion, partner
- friend
- fellow used esp. in informal address
buddy -vi
- to become friendly usu. used with up or with
- featuring a friendship or partnership between the two main usu. male characters
bud·dybud·dy [,bə-dē-'bə-dē] -adj
- familiarly friendly
buddy system -n
- an arrangement in which two individuals are paired (as for mutual safety in a hazardous situation)
budge ['bəj] -n
- a fur formerly prepared from lambskin dressed with the wool outward
- move, shift
- to give way : yield
- wouldn't budge on the issue
- to cause to move or change
- pompous, solemn
bud·ger·i·gar ['bə-jə-rē-,gär] -n
- a small Australian parrot ( Melopsittacus undulatus) usu. light green with black and yellow markings in the wild but bred under domestication in many colors
bud·get ['bə-jət] -n, adj
- a usu. leather pouch, wallet, or pack
- its contents
- stock, supply
- a quantity (as of energy or water) involved in, available for, or assignable to a particular situation
- an account of gains and losses of such a quantity
- a statement of the financial position of an administration for a definite period of time based on estimates of expenditures during the period and proposals for financing them
- a plan for the coordination of resources and expenditures
- the amount of money that is available for, required for, or assigned to a particular purpose
budget -vt
- to put or allow for in a budget
- to require to adhere to a budget
- to allocate funds for in a budget
- to plan or provide for the use of in detail
- to put oneself on a budget
- budget ing for a vacation
- suitable for one on a budget : inexpensive
bud·ge·teer [,bə-jə-'tir] -n
- one who prepares a budget
- one who is restricted to a budget
bud·gie ['bə-jē] -n
- budgerigar
bud scale -n
- one of the leaves resembling scales that form the sheath of a plant bud
bud·worm ['bəd-,wərm] -n
- a moth larva that feeds on the buds of plants
buff ['bəf] -n
- a garment (as a uniform) made of buff leather
- the state of being nude
- a moderate orange yellow
- a light to moderate yellow
- a device having a soft absorbent surface (as of cloth) by which polishing material is applied
- fan, enthusiast
- of the color buff
- having a physique enhanced by bodybuilding exercises
- polish, shine
- waxed and buff ed the floor
- to give a velvety surface to (leather)
buf·fa·lo ['bə-fə-,lō] -n
- : any of several wild bovids: as
- water buffalo
- cape buffalo
- any of a genus ( Bison) of bovids
- a large shaggy-maned No. American bovid ( B. bison) that has short horns and heavy forequarters with a large muscular hump and that was formerly abundant on the central and western plains
- the flesh of the buffalo used as food
- any of several suckers (genus Ictiobus) found mostly in the Mississippi valley called also buffalo fish
buffalo -vt
- bewilder, baffle
- bamboozle
buffalo berry -n
- either of two No. American shrubs ( Shepherdia argenteaand S. canadensis) of the oleaster family with silvery foliage
- their edible scarlet berry
buffalo gourd -n
- a perennial foul-smelling cucurbit ( Cucurbita foetidissima) of arid lands of the central and southwest U.S. and Mexico with a large starchy taproot and seeds rich in oil
buffalo grass -n
- a low-growing perennial grass ( Buchloe dactyloides) native to the Great Plains that has curly grayish-green leaves
- grama
buffalo plaid -n
- a broad checkered plaid pattern usu. of two colors
buffalo soldier -n
- an African-American soldier serving in the western U.S. after the Civil War
buffalo wing -n
- a deep-fried chicken wing coated with a spicy sauce and usu. served with a blue cheese dressing
buff·er ['bə-fər] -n
- fellow, man
- an old man
buffer [-fərd] -n, adj
- any of various devices or pieces of material for reducing shock or damage due to contact
- a means or device used as a cushion against the shock of fluctuations in business or financial activity
- : something that serves as a protective barrier: as
- buffer state
- a person who shields another esp. from annoying routine matters
- mediator
- a substance capable in solution of neutralizing both acids and bases and thereby maintaining the original acidity or basicity of the solution
- a solution containing such a substance
- a temporary storage unit (as in a computer)
- one that accepts information at one rate and delivers it at another
- to lessen the shock of : cushion
- to treat (as a solution or its acidity) with a buffer
- to prepare (aspirin) with an antacid
- to collect (as data) in a buffer
- one that buffs
buffer state -n
- a usu. neutral state lying between two larger potentially rival powers
buffer zone -n
- a neutral area separating conflicting forces
- an area designed to separate
buf·fet ['bə-fət] -n
- a blow esp. with the hand
- something that strikes with telling force
buffet -vt
- to strike sharply esp. with the hand : cuff
- to strike repeatedly : batter
- the waves buffet ed the shore
- to drive, force, move, or attack by or as if by repeated blows
- to make one's way esp. under difficult conditions
buf·fet [(,)bə-'fā, bü-', Brit esp 'bü-,] -n
- sideboard
- a counter for refreshments
- a restaurant operated as a public convenience (as in a railway station)
- a meal set out on a buffet or table for ready access and informal service
- served informally (as from a buffet)
buffing wheel -n
- a wheel covered with polishing material
buff leather -n
- a strong supple oil-tanned leather produced chiefly from cattle hides
buf·fle·head ['bə-fəl-,hed] -n
- a small No. American diving duck ( Bucephala albeola)
buf·fo ['bü-(,)fō] -n
- clown, buffoon
- a male singer of comic roles in opera
buf·foon [(,)bə-'fün] -n, adj
- a ludicrous figure : clown
- a gross and usu. ill-educated or stupid person
buf·foon·ery [-'fü-nə-rē, -'fün-rē] -n
- foolish or playful behavior or practice
bug ['bəg] -n
- bogey, bugbear
- an insect or other creeping or crawling invertebrate (as a spider or centipede)
- : any of several insects (as the bedbug or cockroach) commonly considered obnoxious
- any of an order (Hemiptera and esp. its suborder Heteroptera) of insects that have sucking mouthparts, forewings thickened at the base, and incomplete metamorphosis and are often economic pests called also true bug
- an unexpected defect, fault, flaw, or imperfection
- the software was full of bug s
- a germ or microorganism esp. when causing disease
- an unspecified or nonspecific sickness usu. presumed due to a bug
- a sudden enthusiasm
- enthusiast
- a prominent person
- a crazy person
- a concealed listening device
- a weight allowance given apprentice jockeys
- to plant a concealed microphone in
- bother, annoy
- don't bug me with petty details
- to lose one's composure : freak often used with out
- protrude, bulge often used with out
- to cause to bug
- his eyes were bugged with horror
bug·a·boo ['bə-gə-,bü] -n
- an imaginary object of fear
- bugbear
- something that causes fear or distress out of proportion to its importance
bug·bane ['bəg-,bān] -n
- any of several perennial herbs (genus Cimicifuga) of the buttercup family
- black cohosh
bug·bear [-,ber] -n
- an imaginary goblin or specter used to excite fear
- an object or source of dread
- a continuing source of irritation : problem
bug·eye [-,ī] -n
- a small boat with a flat bottom, a centerboard, and two raked masts
bugeyed [-,īd] -adj
- having the eyes bulging (as with fright)
bug·ger ['bə-gər, 'bu̇-gər] -n
- sodomite
- a worthless person : rascal
- fellow, chap
- a small or annoying thing
- put down my keys and now I can't find the bugger s
- to commit sodomy with
- damn
- to put into disorder : bungle, botch often used with up
bugger -n
- a person who plants electronic bugs
bugger all -n
- nothing
bugger off -vi
- leave, depart often used as a command
bug·gery ['bə-gə-rē] -n
- sodomy
bug·gy ['bə-gē] -adj
- infested with bugs
- characterized by bugs
- containing many bugs
buggy -n
- a light one-horse carriage made with two wheels in England and with four wheels in the U.S.
- a small cart or truck for short transportations of heavy materials
- baby carriage
bug·house ['bəg-,hau̇s] -adj
- mentally deranged : crazy
bughouse -n
- an insane asylum
bu·gle ['byü-gəl] -n
- any of a genus ( Ajuga) of plants of the mint family
- a European annual ( A. reptans) that has spikes of blue flowers and is naturalized in the U.S.
bugle -n
- a valveless brass instrument that resembles a trumpet and is used esp. for military calls
- to sound a bugle
- to utter the characteristic rutting call of the bull elk
- a small cylindrical bead of glass or plastic used for trimming esp. on women's clothing
bu·gler ['byü-glər] -n
- a person who sounds a bugle
bu·gle·weed ['byü-gəl-,wēd] -n
- any of a genus ( Lycopus) of mints
- a No. American perennial ( L. virginicus) that is mildly narcotic and astringent
- bugle
bu·gloss ['byü-,gläs, -,glȯs] -n
- any of several coarse hairy plants (genera Anchusa, Lycopsis,and Echium) of the borage family
bug off -vi
- leave, depart usu. used as a command
bug out ['bəg-,au̇t] -vi, n
- to retreat during a military action
- to flee in panic
- to depart esp. in a hurry
buhl ['bül, 'byül] -n
(variant of boulle)
- inlaid decoration of tortoiseshell, yellow metal, and white metal in cabinetwork
build ['bild] -vb
- to form by ordering and uniting materials by gradual means into a composite whole : construct
- to cause to be constructed
- to develop according to a systematic plan, by a definite process, or on a particular base
- increase, enlarge
- to engage in building
- to progress toward a peak (as of intensity)
- to develop in extent
- form or mode of structure : make
- bodily conformation of a person or animal
build·able ['bil-də-bəl] -adj
- suitable for building
- capable of being built
- plans for a buildable house
build·ed ['bild] -vb
(variant of build)
- to form by ordering and uniting materials by gradual means into a composite whole : construct
- to cause to be constructed
- to develop according to a systematic plan, by a definite process, or on a particular base
- increase, enlarge
- to engage in building
- to progress toward a peak (as of intensity)
- to develop in extent
- form or mode of structure : make
- bodily conformation of a person or animal
build·er ['bil-dər] -n
- one that builds
- one that contracts to build and supervises building operations
- a substance added to or used with detergents to increase their cleansing action
build in -vt
- to make an integral part of something
build·ing ['bil-diŋ] -n
- a usu. roofed and walled structure built for permanent use (as for a dwelling)
- the art or business of assembling materials into a structure
building block -n
- a unit of construction or composition
- something essential on which a larger entity is based
build·up ['bild-,əp] -n
- something produced by building up
- fluid buildup in the lungs
- the act or process of building up
build up ['bil-dər-'ə-pər] -vt, n
- to develop gradually by increments
- to promote the health, strength, esteem, or reputation of
- to accumulate or develop appreciably
built ['bilt] -adj
- formed as to physique or bodily contours
- well or attractively formed
builtin ['bilt-'in] -adj
- forming an integral part of a structure or object
- a camera with a builtin flash
- constructed as or in a recess in a wall
- built into the ground
- inherent
- already established
- her best-seller status gave her a builtin audience
- a built-in piece of furniture
builtup ['bilt-'əp] -adj
- made of several sections or layers fastened together
- covered with buildings
buird·ly ['bu̇r(d)-lē] -adj
- sturdy
bulb ['bəlb] -n, adj
- a resting stage of a plant (as the lily, onion, hyacinth, or tulip) that is usu. formed underground and consists of a short stem base bearing one or more buds enclosed in overlapping membranous or fleshy leaves
- a fleshy structure (as a tuber or corm) resembling a bulb in appearance
- a plant having or developing from a bulb
- a bulb-shaped part
- a glass envelope enclosing the light source of an electric lamp or such an envelope together with the light source it encloses
- a rounded or swollen anatomical structure
- a camera setting that indicates that the shutter can be opened by pressing on the release and closed by ending the pressure
bul·bar ['bəl-bər, -,bär] -adj
- of or relating to a bulb
- involving the medulla oblongata
bul·bil ['bəl-bəl, -,bil] -n
- bulblet
bulb·let ['bəlb-lət] -n
- a small or secondary bulb
- an aerial deciduous bud produced in a leaf axil or replacing the flowers and capable when separated of producing a new plant
bul·bo·ure·thral gland [,bəl-(,)bō-yu̇-'rē-thrəl-] -n
- cowper's gland
bul·bous ['bəl-bəs] -adj, adv
- having a bulb : growing from or bearing bulbs
- resembling a bulb esp. in roundness
bul·bul ['bu̇l-,bu̇l] -n
- a songbird frequently mentioned in Persian poetry that is prob. a nightingale ( Erithacus megarhynchos)
- any of a group of gregarious passerine birds (family Pycnonotidae) of Asia and Africa
Bulg -abbr
- Bulgaria; Bulgarian
Bul·gar ['bəl-,gär, 'bu̇l-] -n
- bulgarian
Bul·gar·i·an [,bəl-'ger-ē-ən, bu̇l-] -n, adj
- a native or inhabitant of Bulgaria
- the Slavic language of the Bulgarians
bulge ['bəlj also 'bu̇lj] -vb
- to cause to bulge
- bilge
- to jut out : swell
- to bend outward
- to become swollen or protuberant
- to be filled to overflowing
- a notebook bulging with ideas
- bilge
- bilge
- a protuberant or swollen part or place
- advantage, upper hand
- sudden expansion
bul·gur ['bəl-gər, 'bu̇l-] -n
- parched cracked wheat
bu·lim·ia [bü-'lē-mē-ə, byü-, -'li-] -n, adj or n
- an abnormal and constant craving for food
- a serious eating disorder that occurs chiefly in females, is characterized by compulsive overeating usu. followed by self-induced vomiting or laxative or diuretic abuse, and is often accompanied by guilt and depression called also bulimia nervosa
bulk ['bəlk also 'bu̇lk] -n
- spatial dimension : magnitude
- material that forms a mass in the intestine
- fiber
- body
- a large or corpulent human body
- an organized structure esp. when viewed primarily as a mass of material
- a ponderous shapeless mass
- the main or greater part
- to cause to swell or bulge : stuff
- to gather into a mass or aggregate
- swell, expand
- to appear as a factor : loom
- a consideration that bulk s large in everyone's thinking
- being in bulk
- of or relating to materials in bulk
bulk·head ['bəlk-,hed, 'bəl-,ked] -n
- an upright partition separating compartments
- a structure or partition to resist pressure or to shut off water, fire, or gas
- a retaining wall along a waterfront
- a projecting framework with a sloping door giving access to a cellar stairway or a shaft
bulk up -vi
- to gain weight esp. by becoming more muscular
- to cause to bulk up
bulky ['bəl-kē also 'bu̇l-] -adj, adv, n
- having bulk
- large of its kind
- corpulent
- having great volume in proportion to weight
bull ['bu̇l, 'bəl] -n
- a male bovine
- an adult uncastrated male domestic bovine
- a usu. adult male of various large animals (as elephants, whales, or seals)
- one who buys securities or commodities in expectation of a price rise or who acts to effect such a rise
- one that resembles a bull (as in brawny physique)
- bulldog
- police officer, detective
- taurus
- of or relating to a bull
- male
- suggestive of a bull
- large of its kind
- to advance forcefully
- to act on with violence
- force
- bull ed his way through the crowd
- a solemn papal letter sealed with a bulla or with a red-ink imprint of the device on the bulla
- edict, decree
- to fool esp. by fast boastful talk
- to engage in idle and boastful talk
- a grotesque blunder in language
- empty boastful talk
- nonsense
- bulletin
bul·la ['bu̇-lə] -n
- the round usu. lead seal attached to a papal bull
- a hollow thin-walled rounded bony prominence
- a large vesicle or blister
bul·lace ['bu̇-ləs] -n
- a European plum ( Prunus domestica insititia) with small ovoid fruit in clusters
bull·bait·ing ['bu̇l-,bā-tiŋ, 'bəl-] -n
- the former practice of baiting bulls with dogs
bull·bat ['bu̇l-,bat, 'bəl-] -n
- the common nighthawk ( Chordeiles minor)
bull·dog ['bu̇l-,dȯg also 'bəl-] -n
- any of a breed of compact muscular short-haired dogs having widely separated forelegs and an undershot lower jaw that were developed in England to fight bulls
- a handgun with a thick usu. short barrel
- a proctor's attendant at an English university
bulldog -adj
- suggestive of a bulldog
- to throw (a steer) by seizing the horns and twisting the neck
bull·doze ['bu̇l-,dōz also 'bəl-] -vb
- to coerce or restrain by threats : bully
- to move, clear, gouge out, or level off by pushing with or as if with a bulldozer
- to force insensitively or ruthlessly
- bulldozed the program through the legislature
- to operate a bulldozer
- to force one's way like a bulldozer
bull·doz·er [-,dō-zər] -n
- one that bulldozes
- a tractor-driven machine usu. having a broad blunt horizontal blade for moving earth (as in road building)
bull dyke -n
- an aggressively masculine lesbian
bul·let ['bu̇-lət also 'bə-] -n, adj
- a round or elongated missile (as of lead) to be fired from a firearm
- cartridge
- something resembling a bullet (as in curved form)
- a large dot placed in printed matter to call attention to a particular passage
- a very fast and accurately thrown or hit object (as a ball or puck)
bul·le·tin ['bu̇-lə-tᵊn also 'bə-] -n
- a brief public notice issuing usu. from an authoritative source
- a brief news item intended for immediate publication or broadcast
- periodical
- the organ of an institution or association
bulletin -vt
- to make public by bulletin
bulletin board -n
- a board for posting notices (as at a school)
- a public electronic forum that allows users to post or read messages or to post or download files and that is accessed by computer over a network (as the Internet)
bul·let·proof ['bu̇-lət-,prüf also 'bə-] -adj
- impenetrable to bullets
- not subject to correction, alteration, or modification
- invincible
bullet train -n
- a high-speed passenger train esp. of Japan
bull fiddle -n
- double bass
bull·fight ['bu̇l-,fīt also 'bəl-] -n
- a spectacle in which men ceremonially fight with and in Hispanic tradition kill bulls in an arena for public entertainment
bull·fight·ing [-tiŋ] -n
- the action involved in a bullfight
bull·finch ['bu̇l-,finch also 'bəl-] -n
- a European finch ( Pyrrhula pyrrhulaof the family Fringillidae) having in the male rosy-red underparts, blue-gray back, and black cap, chin, tail, and wings
- any of several other finches
bull·frog [-,frȯg, -,fräg] -n
- a heavy-bodied deep-voiced frog ( Rana catesbeiana) of the eastern U.S. and southern Canada that has been introduced elsewhere
bull·head [-,hed] -n
- any of various large-headed fishes (as a sculpin)
- any of several common freshwater catfishes (genus Ameiurussometimes included in the genus Ictalurus) of the U.S.
bull·head·ed [-'he-dəd] -adj, adv, n
- stupidly stubborn : headstrong
bull·horn [-,hȯrn] -n
- a loudspeaker on a naval ship
- a handheld combined microphone and loudspeaker
bul·lion ['bu̇l-yən, -,yän] -n
- gold or silver considered as so much metal
- uncoined gold or silver in bars or ingots
- metal in the mass
- lace, braid, or fringe of gold or silver threads
bull·ish ['bu̇-lish also 'bə-] -adj, adv, n
- suggestive of a bull (as in brawniness)
- marked by, tending to cause, or hopeful of rising prices (as in a stock market)
- optimistic about something's or someone's prospects
- bullish on the company's future
bull market -n
- a market in which securities or commodities are persistently rising in value
bull·mas·tiff ['bu̇l-'mas-təf also 'bəl-] -n
- any of a breed of large powerful dogs developed in England by crossing bulldogs with mastiffs
Bull Moose -n
- a follower of Theodore Roosevelt in the U.S. presidential campaign of 1912
Bull Moos·er [-'mü-sər] -n
- bull moose
bull neck ['bu̇l-'nekt also 'bəl-] -n, adj
- a thick short powerful neck
bull·ock ['bu̇-lək also 'bə-] -n, adj
- a young bull
- a castrated bull : steer
Bul·lock's oriole ['bu̇-ləks-] -n
- an oriole ( Icterus bullockii) of the western U.S. in which the male has a black crown and black line through the eye and the female has a yellowish head and breast and that was formerly considered to be a subspecies of northern oriole
bul·lous ['bu̇-ləs] -adj
- resembling or characterized by bullae : vesicular
bull pen -n
- a large cell where prisoners are detained until brought into court
- a place on a baseball field where pitchers warm up before they start pitching
- the relief pitchers of a baseball team
- an open work area not divided into offices
bull·ring ['bu̇l-,riŋ] -n
- an arena for bullfights
- a short oval track for horse or auto racing
bull rush -n, vb
- a direct forceful rush by a defensive player in football
bull session -n
- an informal discursive group discussion
bull'seye ['bu̇lz-,ī also 'bəlz-] -n
- a very hard globular candy
- a circular piece of glass esp. with a lump in the middle
- the center of a target
- something central or crucial
- a shot that hits the bull's-eye
- something that precisely attains a desired end
- a simple lens of short focal distance
- a lantern with such a lens
bull'seye window -n
- a circular window
- a window made up of bull's-eyes
bull·shit ['bu̇l-,shit also 'bəl-] -n
- nonsense
- foolish insolent talk
bullshit -vi
- to talk foolishly, boastfully, or idly
- to engage in a discursive discussion
- to talk nonsense to esp. with the intention of deceiving or misleading
bull·shot [-,shät] -n
- a drink made of vodka and bouillon
bull snake -n
- any of several large harmless constricting colubrid snakes (genus Pituophis) esp. of the central and western U.S. that feed chiefly on rodents and are classified either as subspecies of the pine snake (P. melanoleucus) or as subspecies of their own species (P. catenifer) called also gopher snake
bull terrier -n
- any of a breed of short-haired terriers developed in England by crossing the bulldog with terriers
bull thistle -n
- a biennial Eurasian thistle ( Cirsium vulgare) with purplish flower heads and prickly leaves that is naturalized as a weed in the U.S.
bull tongue -n
- a wide blade attached to a cultivator or plow to stir the soil, kill weeds, or mark furrows
bull·whip ['bu̇l-,(h)wip also 'bəl-] -n
- a rawhide whip with a very long plaited lash
bul·ly ['bu̇-lē, 'bə-] -n
- sweetheart
- a fine chap
- a blustering browbeating person
- one habitually cruel to others who are weaker
- pimp
- a hired ruffian
bully -adj
- excellent often used in interjectional expressions
- resembling or characteristic of a bully
- to treat abusively
- to affect by means of force or coercion
- to use browbeating language or behavior : bluster
- pickled or canned usu. corned beef
bul·ly·boy ['bu̇-lē-,bȯi, 'bə-] -n
- a swaggering bully
bully pulpit -n
- a prominent public position (as a political office) that provides an opportunity for expounding one's views
- such an opportunity
bul·ly·rag [-,rag] -vt
- to intimidate by bullying
- to vex by teasing : badger
bul·rush ['bu̇l-,rəsh] -n
- : any of several large rushes or sedges growing in wetlands: as
- any of a genus ( Scirpus,esp. S. lacustris) of annual or perennial sedges that bear solitary or much-clustered spikelets containing perfect flowers with a perianth of six bristles
- either of two cattails ( Typha latifoliaand T. angustifolia)
- papyrus
bul·wark ['bu̇l-(,)wərk, -,wȯrk; 'bəl-(,)wərk; sense 3 also 'bə-,läk] -n
- a solid wall-like structure raised for defense : rampart
- breakwater, seawall
- a strong support or protection
- the side of a ship above the upper deck usu. used in pl.
bulwark -vt
- to fortify or safeguard with a bulwark
bum ['bəm] -n
- buttocks
- of poor quality or nature
- not valid or deserved
- not pleasant or enjoyable
- affected or disabled by damage or injury
- loaf
- to spend time unemployed and often wandering often used with around
- to obtain by asking or begging : cadge
- one who sponges off others and avoids work
- one who performs a function poorly
- one whose time is devoted to a recreational activity
- vagrant, tramp
- a drinking spree : bender
- disappoint, depress often used with out
- the news really bummed me out
bum·ber·shoot ['bəm-bər-,shüt] -n
- umbrella
bum·ble ['bəm-bəl] -vi
- buzz
- drone, rumble
bumble [-b(ə-)lər] -vb, n, adv
- blunder
- to speak ineptly in a stuttering and faltering manner
- to proceed unsteadily : stumble
- bungle
bum·ble·bee ['bəm-bəl-,bē] -n
- any of numerous large robust hairy social bees (genus Bombus)
bum·boat ['bəm-,bōt] -n
- a boat that brings provisions and commodities for sale to larger ships in port or offshore
bumf ['bəm(p)f] -n
- paperwork
bum·mer ['bə-mər] -n
- one that bums
bummer -n
- an unpleasant experience (as a bad reaction to a hallucinogenic drug)
- failure, flop
bump ['bəmp] -n
- : a relatively abrupt convexity or protuberance on a surface: as
- a swelling of tissue
- a cranial protuberance
- a sudden forceful blow, impact, or jolt
- demotion
- an act of thrusting the hips forward in an erotic manner
- to strike or knock with force or violence
- to collide with
- to dislodge with a jolt
- to subject to a scalar change
- to oust usu. by virtue of seniority or priority
- was bump ed from the flight
- to knock against something with a forceful jolt
- to proceed in or as if in a series of bumps
- to encounter something that is an obstacle or hindrance
- bump ed up against a chair
bum·per ['bəm-pər] -n
- a brimming cup or glass
- something unusually large
bumper -adj
- unusually large
- banner
bump·er ['bəm-pər] -n
- a device for absorbing shock or preventing damage (as in collision)
- a bar at either end of an automobile
- one that bumps
- a brief interval on radio or television filled with music, video shots, or voice-overs that marks a break between a program and a commercial
bumper car -n
- a small electric car made to be driven around in an enclosure and to be bumped into others (as at an amusement park)
bumper sticker -n
- a strip of adhesive paper or plastic bearing a printed message and designed to be stuck on a vehicle's bumper
bumpertobumper -adj
- marked by long closed lines of cars
bump·kin ['bəm(p)-kən] -n, adj
- an awkward and unsophisticated rustic
- a spar projecting from a ship esp. at the stern
bump off -vt
- to murder casually or cold-bloodedly
bump·tious ['bəm(p)-shəs] -adj, adv, n
- presumptuously, obtusely, and often noisily self-assertive : obtrusive
bumpy ['bəm-pē] -adj, adv, n
- having or covered with bumps
- marked by bumps or jolts
- marked by or full of difficulties
bumrush ['bəm-'rəsh] -vt
- to attack or seize with an overpowering rush
bum's rush ['bəmz-] -n
- forcible eviction or dismissal
bun ['bən] -n
- a sweet or plain small bread
- a round roll
- a knot of hair shaped like a bun
- buttocks
- load
bu·na ['byü-nə, 'bü-] -n
- any of several rubbers made by polymerization or copolymerization of butadiene
bunch ['bənch] -n, adv, adj
- protuberance, swelling
- a number of things of the same kind
- group
- a considerable amount : lot
- swell, protrude
- to form a group or cluster often used with up
- to form into a bunch
bunch·ber·ry ['bənch-,ber-ē, -,be-rē] -n
- a creeping perennial herb ( Cornus canadensis) of the dogwood family that has whorled leaves and white floral bracts and bears clusters of red berries
bunch·grass [-,gras] -n
- any of various grasses (as of the genus Andropogon) esp. of the western U.S. that grow in tufts
bun·co ['bəŋ-(,)kō] -n, vt
- a swindling game or scheme
bund ['bənd] -n
- an embankment used esp. in India to control the flow of water
- an embanked thoroughfare along a river or the sea esp. in the Far East
- : a political association: as
- a Jewish socialist organization founded in czarist Russia in 1897
- a pro-Nazi German-American organization of the 1930s
bun·dle ['bən-dᵊl] -n
- a group of things fastened together for convenient handling
- package, parcel
- a considerable number : lot
- a sizable sum of money
- a person embodying a specified quality or characteristic
- bunch
- a small band of mostly parallel fibers (as of nerve or muscle)
- vascular bundle
- a package offering related products or services at a single price
bundle ['bən(d)-liŋ, 'bən-dᵊl-iŋ] -vb, n
- to make into a bundle
- to hustle or hurry unceremoniously
- bundled the children off to school
- to include (a product or service) with a related product for sale at a single price
- hurry, hustle
- to practice bundling
bundle up -vt
- to dress (someone) warmly
- to dress warmly
bun·dling ['bən(d)-liŋ, 'bən-dᵊl-iŋ] -n
- a former custom of an unmarried couple's occupying the same bed without undressing esp. during courtship
Bundt ['bənt] -trademark
- used for a cake pan having a tube in the center and scalloped sides
bung ['bəŋ] -n
- the stopper esp. in the bunghole of a cask
- bunghole
- the cecum or anus esp. of a slaughtered animal
- to plug with or as if with a bung
- throw
bun·ga·low ['bəŋ-gə-,lō] -n
- a one-storied house with a low-pitched roof
- a house having one and a half stories and usu. a front porch
bun·gee cord ['bən-jē-] -n
- an elasticized cord used esp. as a fastening or shock-absorbing device called also bungee
bungee jump -vi, n
- to jump from a height while attached to an elasticized cord
bung·hole ['bəŋ-,hōl] -n
- a hole for emptying or filling a cask
bun·gle ['bəŋ-gəl] -vb, n, adv
- to act or work clumsily and awkwardly
- mishandle, botch
bun·gle·some [-gəl-səm] -adj
- awkward, clumsy
bung up -vt
- batter
bun·ion ['bən-yən] -n
- an inflamed swelling of the small fluid-filled sac on the first joint of the big toe accompanied by enlargement and protrusion of the joint
bunk ['bəŋk] -n
- bunk bed
- a built-in bed (as on a ship) that is often one of a tier of berths
- a sleeping place
- a feeding trough for farm animals and esp. cattle
- to occupy a bunk or bed : stay the night
- bunk ed with a friend for the night
- to provide with a bunk or bed
- bunkum, nonsense
- a hurried departure or escape usu. used in the phrase do a bunk
bunk bed -n
- one of two single beds usu. placed one above the other
bun·ker ['bəŋ-kər] -n, adj
- a bin or compartment for storage
- one on shipboard for the ship's fuel
- a protective embankment or dugout
- a fortified chamber mostly below ground often built of reinforced concrete and provided with embrasures
- a sand trap or embankment constituting a hazard on a golf course
bunker [-k(ə-)riŋ] -vb
- to fill a ship's bunker with coal or oil
- to place or store in a bunker
- to hit (a golf ball or shot) into a bunker
bunker mentality -n
- a state of mind esp. among members of a group that is characterized by chauvinistic defensiveness and self-righteous intolerance of criticism
bunk·house ['bəŋk-,hau̇s] -n
- a rough simple building providing sleeping quarters
bun·kum ['bəŋ-kəm] -n
- insincere or foolish talk : nonsense
bun·ny ['bə-nē] -n
- rabbit
- a young rabbit
- a desirable young woman
bunny slope -n
- a gentle incline for skiing used esp. by novice skiers called also bunny hill
Bun·ra·ku [bu̇n-'rä-(,)kü] -n
- Japanese puppet theater featuring large costumed wooden puppets, puppeteers who are onstage, and a chanter who speaks all the lines
Bun·sen burner ['bən(t)-sən-] -n
- a gas burner consisting typically of a straight tube with small holes at the bottom where air enters and mixes with the gas to produce an intensely hot blue flame
bunt ['bənt] -n
- the middle part of a square sail
- the part of a furled sail gathered up in a bunch at the center of the yard
- the bagging part of a fishing net
- to strike or push with or as if with the head : butt
- to push or tap (a baseball) lightly with a bat without swinging
- to bunt a baseball
- an act or instance of bunting
- a bunted ball
- a destructive covered smut of wheat caused by a fungus (genus Tilletia)
bun·ting ['bən-tiŋ] -n
- any of various stout-billed passerine birds (families Cardinalidae and Emberizidae) of which some are grouped with the cardinal and some with the New World sparrows
bunting -n
- a lightweight loosely woven fabric used chiefly for flags and festive decorations
- flags
- decorations esp. in the colors of the national flag
- an infant's hooded garment made of napped fabric
bunt·line ['bənt-,līn, -lən] -n
- one of the lines attached to the foot of a square sail to haul the sail up to the yard for furling
Bun·yan·esque [,bən-yə-'nesk] -adj
- of, relating to, or suggestive of the allegorical writings of John Bunyan
- of, relating to, or suggestive of the tales of Paul Bunyan
- of fantastically large size
bun·ya·vi·rus ['bən-yə-,vī-rəs] -n
- any of a family ( Bunyaviridae) of usu. spherical or pleomorphic single-stranded RNA viruses usu. transmitted by the bite of an arthropod (as a mosquito) or in the bodily secretions of rodents and including the hantaviruses and the causative agents of Rift Valley fever, sandfly fever, and some forms of encephalitis and hemorrhagic fever
buoy ['bü-ē, 'bȯi] -n
- float
- a floating object moored to the bottom to mark a channel or something (as a shoal) lying under the water
- life buoy
- to mark by or as if by a buoy
- to keep afloat
- support, uplift
- an economy buoy ed by the dramatic postwar growth of industry -- Time
- to raise the spirits of usu. used with up
- float usu. used with up
buoy·ance ['bȯi-ən(t)s, 'bü-yən(t)s] -n
- buoyancy
buoy·an·cy ['bȯi-ən(t)-sē, 'bü-yən(t)-] -n
- the tendency of a body to float or to rise when submerged in a fluid
- the power of a fluid to exert an upward force on a body placed in it
- the upward force exerted
- the ability to recover quickly from depression or discouragement : resilience
- the property of maintaining a satisfactorily high level (as of prices or economic activity)
buoy·ant ['bȯi-ənt, 'bü-yənt] -adj, adv
- : having buoyancy: as
- capable of floating
- cheerful, gay
- capable of maintaining a satisfactorily high level
bupkes ['bəp-kəs, 'bu̇p-] -n pl but sing in constr
(variant of bubkes)
- the least amount : beans
- won't win bubkes this year -- Ivan Maisel
- nothing
- received bubkes for their efforts
bup·pie ['bə-pē] -n
- a college-educated black adult who is employed in a well-paying profession and who lives or works in or near a large city
bur ['bər] -n, adj
(variant of burr)
- a rough or prickly envelope of a fruit
- a plant that bears burs
- something that sticks or clings
- hanger-on
- an irregular rounded mass
- a tree burl
- a thin ridge or area of roughness produced in cutting or shaping metal
- a trilled uvular r as used by some speakers of English esp. in northern England and in Scotland
- a tongue-point trill that is the usual Scottish r
- a small rotary cutting tool
- a bit used on a dental drill
- a rough humming sound : whir
- to speak with a burr
- to make a whirring sound
- to pronounce with a burr
- to form into a projecting edge
- to remove burrs from
burb ['bərb] -n
- suburb usu. used in pl.
Bur·ber·ry ['bər-b(ə-)rē, 'bər-,ber-ē, -,be-rē] -trademark
- used for various fabrics used esp. for coats for outdoor wear
bur·ble ['bər-bəl] -vi, n
- to make a bubbling sound
- babble, prattle
burble [-b(ə-)lē] -n, adj
- prattle
- the breaking up of the smooth flow of air about a body (as an airplane wing)
bur·bot ['bər-bət] -n
- a Holarctic freshwater bony fish ( Lota lota) of the cod family having barbels on the nose and chin
bur·den ['bər-dᵊn] -n
- something that is carried : load
- duty, responsibility
- something oppressive or worrisome
- the bearing of a load usu. used in the phrase beast of burden
- capacity for carrying cargo
- a ship of a hundred tons burden
- load
burden ['bərd-niŋ, 'bər-dᵊn-iŋ] -vt
- load, oppress
- I will not burden you with a lengthy account
- a bass or accompanying part
- chorus, refrain
- a central topic : theme
burden of proof
- the duty of proving a disputed assertion or charge
bur·den·some ['bər-dᵊn-səm] -adj
- imposing or constituting a burden : oppressive
bur·dock ['bər-,däk] -n
- any of a genus ( Arctium) of coarse composite herbs bearing globular flower heads with prickly bracts
bu·reau ['byu̇r-(,)ō, 'byər-] -n
- writing desk
- one having drawers and a slant top
- a low chest of drawers for use in a bedroom
- a specialized administrative unit
- a subdivision of an executive department of a government
- a branch of a newspaper, newsmagazine, or wire service in an important news center
- a usu. commercial agency that serves as an intermediary esp. for exchanging information or coordinating activities
bu·reau·cra·cy [byu̇-'rä-krə-sē, byə-, byər-'ä-] -n
- a body of nonelective government officials
- an administrative policy-making group
- government characterized by specialization of functions, adherence to fixed rules, and a hierarchy of authority
- a system of administration marked by officialism, red tape, and proliferation
bu·reau·crat ['byu̇r-ə-,krat, 'byər-] -n
- a member of a bureaucracy
bu·reau·crat·ese [,byu̇r-ə-(,)kra-'tēz, -'tēs, ,byər-] -n
- a style of language held to be characteristic of bureaucrats and marked by abstractions, jargon, euphemisms, and circumlocutions
bu·reau·crat·ic [,byu̇r-ə-'kra-tik, ,byər-] -adj, adv
- of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a bureaucracy or a bureaucrat
bu·reau·cra·tise [byu̇-'rä-krə-,tīz, byə-, byər-'ä-] -vt, n
(variant of bureaucratize)
- to make bureaucratic
bu·reau·crat·ism ['byu̇r-ə-(,)kra-,ti-zəm, 'byər-] -n
- bureaucracy
bu·reau·cra·tize [byu̇-'rä-krə-,tīz, byə-, byər-'ä-] -vt, n
- to make bureaucratic
bu·rette [byu̇-'ret] -n
- a graduated glass tube with a small aperture and stopcock for delivering measured quantities of liquid or for measuring the liquid or gas received or discharged
burg ['bərg] -n
- an ancient or medieval fortress or walled town
- city, town
bur·gage ['bər-gij] -n
- a tenure by which real property in England and Scotland was held under the king or a lord for a yearly rent or for watching and warding
bur·gee [,bər-'jē, 'bər-,] -n
- a swallow-tailed flag used esp. by ships for signals or identification
- the usu. triangular identifying flag of a yacht club
bur·geon ['bər-jən] -vi
- to send forth new growth (as buds or branches) : sprout
- bloom
- to grow and expand rapidly : flourish
bur·ger ['bər-gər] -n
- hamburger
- a sandwich similar to a hamburger often used in combination
bur·gess ['bər-jəs] -n
- a citizen of a British borough
- a representative of a borough, corporate town, or university in the British Parliament
- a representative in the popular branch of the legislature of colonial Maryland or Virginia
burgh ['bər-(,)ō, 'bə-(,)rō] -n, adj
- borough
- an incorporated town in Scotland having local jurisdiction of certain services
bur·gher ['bər-gər] -n
- an inhabitant of a borough or a town
- a member of the middle class : a prosperous solid citizen
bur·glar ['bər-glər also -gə-lər] -n
- one who commits burglary
bur·glar·ize ['bər-glə-,rīz also 'bər-gə-lə-] -vb
- to break into and steal from
- to commit burglary against
- to commit burglary
bur·glar·proof ['bər-glər-,prüf] -adj
- protected against or designed to afford protection against burglary
bur·glary ['bər-glə-rē also -gə-lə-rē also -gəl-rē] -n, adj, adv
- the act of breaking and entering a dwelling at night to commit a felony (as theft)
- the entering of a building with the intent to commit a crime
bur·gle ['bər-gəl] -vt
- burglarize
bur·go·mas·ter ['bər-gə-,mas-tər] -n
- the chief magistrate of a town in some European countries : mayor
bur·go·net ['bər-gə-nət, ,bər-gə-'net] -n
- a close-fitting 16th century helmet with cheek guards
bur·goo ['bər-,gü, (,)bər-'] -n
- oatmeal gruel
- hardtack and molasses cooked together
- a stew or thick soup of meat and vegetables orig. served at outdoor gatherings
- a picnic at which burgoo is served
bur·gun·dy ['bər-gən-dē] -n
- a red or white unblended wine from Burgundy
- a blended red wine produced elsewhere
- a reddish-purple color
buri·al ['ber-ē-əl, 'be-rē- also 'bər-] -n
- grave, tomb
- the act or process of burying
buri·er ['ber-ē-ər, 'be-rē- also 'bər-] -n
- one that buries
bu·rin ['byu̇r-ən, 'bər-] -n
- an engraver's steel cutting tool having the blade ground obliquely to a sharp point
- a prehistoric flint tool with a beveled point
bur·ka ['bu̇r-kə] -n
- a loose enveloping garment that covers the face and body and is worn in public by certain Muslim women
burke ['bərk] -vt
- to suppress quietly or indirectly
- bypass, avoid
Bur·kitt's lymphoma ['bər-kəts-] -n
- a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of B cell origin that occurs esp. in children of central Africa and is associated with Epstein-Barr virus
burl ['bər(-ə)l] -n
- a knot or lump in thread or cloth
- a hard woody often flattened hemispherical outgrowth on a tree
- veneer made from burls
bur·la·de·ro [,bu̇r-lə-'der-(,)ō, ,bər-] -n
- a wooden shield near the wall in a bullring for bullfighters to take shelter behind if pursued
bur·lap ['bər-,lap] -n
- a coarse heavy plain-woven fabric usu. of jute or hemp used for bagging and wrapping and in furniture and linoleum manufacture
- a lightweight material resembling burlap used in interior decoration or for clothing
burled ['bər(-ə)ld] -adj
- having a distorted grain due to burls
bur·lesque [(,)bər-'lesk] -n, adj, adv
- a literary or dramatic work that seeks to ridicule by means of grotesque exaggeration or comic imitation
- mockery usu. by caricature
- theatrical entertainment of a broadly humorous often earthy character consisting of short turns, comic skits, and sometimes striptease acts
burlesque -vb, n
- to imitate in a humorous or derisive manner : mock
- to employ burlesque
bur·ley ['bər-lē] -n
- a thin-bodied air-cured tobacco grown mainly in Kentucky
bur·ly ['bər-lē] -adj, adv, n
- strongly and heavily built : husky
bur marigold -n
- any of a genus ( Bidens) of coarse composite herbs with prickly flattened achenes that adhere to clothing and fur
Bur·mese [,bər-'mēz, -'mēs] -n, adj
- a native or inhabitant of Burma (Myanmar)
- the Tibeto-Burman language of the Burmese people
- any of a U.S.-developed breed of slender short-haired cats having gold eyes and a usu. dark brown coat
burn ['bərn] -n
- creek
- to consume fuel and give off heat, light, and gases
- a small fire burn s on the hearth
- to undergo combustion
- to undergo nuclear fission or nuclear fusion
- to contain a fire
- a little stove burn ing in the corner
- to give off light : shine, glow
- a light burn ing in the window
- to be hot
- to produce or undergo discomfort or pain
- ears burn ing from the cold
- : to become emotionally excited or agitated: as
- to yearn ardently
- burn ing to tell the story
- to be or become very angry or disgusted
- to undergo alteration or destruction by the action of fire or heat
- the potatoes burn ed to a crisp
- to die in the electric chair
- to force or make a way by or as if by burning
- her words burn ed into his heart
- to suffer sunburn
- to cause to undergo combustion
- to destroy by fire
- to use as fuel
- to use up : consume
- to transform by exposure to heat or fire
- to produce by burning
- burn ed a hole in his sleeve
- to record digital data or music on (an optical disk) using a laser
- to record (data or music) in this way
- to injure or damage by or as if by exposure to fire, heat, or radiation : scorch
- to execute by burning
- burn ed heretics at the stake
- electrocute
- irritate, annoy often used with up
- : to subject to misfortune, mistreatment, or deception often used in passive
- to beat or score on
- burn ed the defense with a touchdown pass
- : an act, process, instance, or result of burning: as
- injury or damage resulting from exposure to fire, heat, caustics, electricity, or certain radiations
- a burned area
- an abrasion (as of the skin) having the appearance of a burn
- a burning sensation
- the burn of iodine on a cut
- the firing of a rocket engine in flight
- anger
- increasing fury used chiefly in the phrase slow burn
burnedout ['bərnd-'au̇t, 'bərnt-'au̇t] -adj
- worn-out
- exhausted
- destroyed by fire
burn·er ['bər-nər] -n
- one that burns : as
- the part of a fuel-burning or heat-producing device (as a furnace or stove) where the flame or heat is produced
- a device for recording data on an optical disk
- an athlete who possesses great speed
bur·net [(,)bər-'net, 'bər-nət] -n
- any of a genus ( Sanguisorba) of herbs of the rose family with odd-pinnate stipulate leaves and spikes of apetalous flowers
burnin ['bərn-,in] -n
- the continuous operation of a device (as a computer) as a test for defects or failure prior to putting it to use
burn in -vt
- to increase the density of (portions of a photographic print) during enlarging by giving extra exposure
burn·ing ['bər-niŋ] -adj, adv
- being on fire
- ardent, intense
- affecting with or as if with heat
- resembling that produced by a burn
- a burning sensation on the tongue
- of fundamental importance : urgent
- one of the burning issues of our time
burning bush -n
- : any of several plants associated with fire (as by redness): as
- wahoo
- summer cypress
- a deciduous Asian shrub ( Euonymus alata) of the spindle tree family having stems with corky wings and leaves that turn a brilliant red in autumn
burning ghat -n
- a level space at the head of a ghat for cremation
bur·nish ['bər-nish] -vt, n, adj or n
- to make shiny or lustrous esp. by rubbing
- polish
- to rub (a material) with a tool for compacting or smoothing or for turning an edge
burnish -n
- luster, gloss
burn off -vi
- to be dissipated by the sun's warmth
- waiting for the fog to burn off
- to cause to burn off
bur·noose [(,)bər-'nüs] -n, adj
- a one-piece hooded cloak worn by Arabs and Berbers
burn·out ['bərn-,au̇t] -n
- the cessation of operation usu. of a jet or rocket engine
- the point at which burnout occurs
- exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usu. as a result of prolonged stress or frustration
- a person suffering from burnout
- a person showing the effects of drug abuse
burn out -vt
- to drive out or destroy the property of by fire
- to cause to fail, wear out, or become exhausted esp. from overwork or overuse
- to suffer burnout
burn·sides ['bərn-,sīdz] -n pl
- side-whiskers
- full muttonchop whiskers
bur oak -n
- a usu. large oak ( Quercus macrocarpa) of eastern No. America having oval acorns enclosed in a fringed cap and tough close-grained wood
burp ['bərp] -n
- the act or an instance of belching
- belch
- belch
- to help (a baby) expel gas from the stomach esp. by patting or rubbing the baby's back
burp gun -n
- a small submachine gun
burqa ['bu̇r-kə] -n
(variant of burka)
- a loose enveloping garment that covers the face and body and is worn in public by certain Muslim women
burr ['bər] -n, adj
- a rough or prickly envelope of a fruit
- a plant that bears burs
- something that sticks or clings
- hanger-on
- an irregular rounded mass
- a tree burl
- a thin ridge or area of roughness produced in cutting or shaping metal
- a trilled uvular r as used by some speakers of English esp. in northern England and in Scotland
- a tongue-point trill that is the usual Scottish r
- a small rotary cutting tool
- a bit used on a dental drill
- a rough humming sound : whir
- to speak with a burr
- to make a whirring sound
- to pronounce with a burr
- to form into a projecting edge
- to remove burrs from
bur reed -n
- any of a genus ( Sparganiumof the family Sparganiaceae) of herbaceous plants with globose fruits resembling burs
bur·ri·to [bə-'rē-(,)tō] -n
- a flour tortilla rolled or folded around a filling (as of meat, beans, and cheese)
bur·ro ['bər-(,)ō, 'bu̇r-; 'bə-(,)rō] -n
- donkey
- a small one used as a pack animal
bur·row ['bər-(,)ō; 'bə-(,)rō] -n
- a hole or excavation in the ground made by an animal (as a rabbit) for shelter and habitation
burrow -vt, n
- to hide in or as if in a burrow
- to construct by tunneling
- to penetrate by means of a burrow
- to make a motion suggestive of burrowing with : nestle
- burrow s her hand into mine
- to conceal oneself in or as if in a burrow
- to make a burrow
- to progress by or as if by digging
- to make a motion suggestive of burrowing : snuggle, nestle
- burrow ed against his back for warmth
burrowing owl -n
- a small diurnal chiefly ground-dwelling American owl ( Athene cunicularia) of grassland and desert regions that roosts and nests in burrows
bur·ry ['bər-ē] -adj
- containing burs
- prickly
- characterized by a burr
bur·sa ['bər-sə] -n, adj
- : a bodily pouch or sac: as
- a small serous sac between a tendon and a bone
- bursa of fabricius
bursa of Fa·bri·cius [-fə-'brē-sh(ē-)əs, -'bri-, -s(ē-)əs]
- a lymphoid organ that opens into the cloaca of birds and functions in B cell production
bur·sar ['bər-sər, -,sär] -n
- an officer (as of a monastery or college) in charge of funds : treasurer
bur·sa·ry ['bər-sə-rē, 'bərs-rē] -n
- the treasury of a college or monastery
- a monetary grant to a needy student : scholarship
burse ['bərs] -n
- purse
- a square cloth case used to carry the corporal in a Communion service
- exchange, bourse
bur·si·tis [(,)bər-'sī-təs] -n
- inflammation of a bursa (as of the shoulder or elbow)
burst ['bərst] -vb
- to break open, apart, or into pieces usu. from impact or from pressure from within
- to give way from an excess of emotion
- to give vent suddenly to a repressed emotion
- to emerge or spring suddenly
- launch, plunge
- to be filled to the breaking point
- burst ing with excitement
- a crate burst ing with fruit
- to cause to burst
- to force open (as a door or a way) by strong or vigorous action
- to flood over
- the river burst its banks
- to produce by or as if by bursting
- a sudden outbreak
- a vehement outburst (as of emotion)
- explosion, eruption
- a sudden intense effort
- the duration of fire in one engagement of the mechanism of an automatic firearm
- an act of bursting
- a result of bursting
- a visible puff accompanying the explosion of a shell
burst·er ['bərs-tər] -n
- one that bursts
- the celestial source of an outburst of radiation (as X-rays)
bur·then ['bər-dᵊn] -n
(variant of burden)
- something that is carried : load
- duty, responsibility
- something oppressive or worrisome
- the bearing of a load usu. used in the phrase beast of burden
- capacity for carrying cargo
- a ship of a hundred tons burden
- load
bur·weed ['bər-,wēd] -n
- any of various plants (as a cocklebur or burdock) having burry fruit
bury ['ber-ē, 'be-rē also 'bər-] -vt
- to dispose of by depositing in or as if in the earth
- to inter with funeral ceremonies
- to conceal by or as if by covering with earth
- to cover from view
- buried her face in her hands
- to have done with
- bury ing their differences
- to conceal in obscurity
- buried the retraction among the classified ads
- submerge, engross usu. used with in
- buried himself in his books
- to put (a playing card) out of play by placing it in or under the dealer's pack
- to succeed emphatically or impressively in making (a shot)
- to defeat overwhelmingly
burying beetle -n
- any of various beetles (family Silphidae and esp. genus Nicrophorus) that bury and lay eggs on the carcasses of small animals which provide a food source for the developing larvae
bus ['bəs] -n
- a large motor vehicle designed to carry passengers usu. along a fixed route according to a schedule
- automobile
- a small hand truck
- bus bar
- a set of parallel conductors in a computer system that forms a main transmission path
- a spacecraft or missile that carries one or more detachable devices (as warheads)
- to travel by bus
- to work as a busboy
- to transport by bus
- clear
- to remove dirty dishes from
- business
bus bar -n
- a conductor or an assembly of conductors for collecting electric currents and distributing them to outgoing feeders
bus·boy ['bəs-,bȯi] -n
- a waiter's assistant
- one who removes dirty dishes and resets tables in a restaurant
bus·by ['bəz-bē] -n
- a military full-dress fur hat with a pendent bag on one side usu. of the color of regimental facings
- the bearskin worn by British guardsmen not used by the guardsmen themselves
bush ['bu̇sh] -n
- shrub
- a low densely branched shrub
- a close thicket of shrubs suggesting a single plant
- a large uncleared or sparsely settled area (as in Australia) usu. scrub-covered or forested : wilderness usu. used with the
- a bunch of ivy formerly hung outside a tavern to indicate wine for sale
- tavern
- advertising
- good wine needs no bush -- Shak.
- a bushy tuft or mass
- brush
- minor league usu. used in pl.
- spent ten years in the bush es
- to support, mark, or protect with bushes
- to extend like a bush : resemble a bush
- having a low-growing compact bushy habit used esp. of cultivated beans
- serving, occurring in, or used in the bush
- bushing
- falling below acceptable standards : unprofessional
bush baby -n
- any of several small nocturnal arboreal African primates ( Galagoand related genera of the family Lorisidae) with large eyes, long ears, a long tail, and elongated hind limbs that enable them to leap with great agility called also galago
bush basil -n
- a sweet basil of a cultivar with small leaves
bush·buck ['bu̇sh-,bək] -n
- a small African striped antelope ( Tragelaphus scriptus) esp. of sub-Saharan forests that has spirally twisted horns in the male
bush clover -n
- any of several usu. shrubby lespedezas
bushed ['bu̇sht] -adj
- covered with or as if with a bushy growth
- lost esp. in the bush
- perplexed , confused
- tired, exhausted
- having a bushing
bush·el ['bu̇-shəl] -n
- any of various units of dry capacity
- a container holding a bushel
- a large quantity
bushel [-sh(ə-)liŋ] -vb, n
- repair, renovate
bush·fire ['bu̇sh-,fī(-ə)r] -n
- an uncontrolled fire in a bush area
Bu·shi·do ['bu̇-shi-,dō, 'bü-] -n
- a feudal-military Japanese code of behavior valuing honor above life
bush·ing ['bu̇-shiŋ] -n
- a usu. removable cylindrical lining for an opening (as of a mechanical part) used to limit the size of the opening, resist abrasion, or serve as a guide
- an electrically insulating lining for a hole to protect a through conductor
bush jacket -n
- a long cotton jacket resembling a shirt and having four patch pockets and a belt
bush·land ['bu̇sh-,land] -n
- bush
bushleague [-,lēg] -adj
- being of an inferior class or group of its kind : marked by a lack of sophistication or professionalism
bush league -n
- minor league
bush·man ['bu̇sh-mən] -n
- a member of a group of short-statured peoples of southern Africa who traditionally live by hunting and foraging
- the Khoisan languages spoken by these people
- woodsman
- a person who lives in the bush
bush·mas·ter [-,mas-tər] -n
- a pit viper of Central and So. America that is the largest New World venomous snake
bush·pig [-,pig] -n
- a wild usu. reddish to black pig ( Potamochoerus porcus) of forests and scrubland of sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar that has much facial hair, long pointed ears, and a light-colored mane along the top of the neck and back
bush pilot -n
- a pilot who flies a small plane into remote areas
bush·rang·er [-,rān-jər] -n
- an outlaw living in the bush
- frontiersman, woodsman
bush shirt -n
- a usu. loose-fitting cotton shirt with patch pockets
bush·tit [-,tit] -n
- a small gray titmouse ( Psaltriparus minimus) of western No. America with light underparts that occurs in several geographic forms
bush·veld ['bu̇sh-,felt] -n
- veld of southern Africa with abundant shrubby and often thorny vegetation
bush·whack ['bu̇sh-,hwak, -,wak] -vb, n
- ambush
- to attack suddenly : assault
- to clear a path through thick woods esp. by chopping down bushes and low branches
bushy ['bu̇-shē] -adj, adv, n
- full of or overgrown with bushes
- resembling a bush
- being thick and spreading
busi·ness ['biz-nəs, -nəz, Southern also 'bid-] -n
- purposeful activity : busyness
- role, function
- how the human mind went about its business of learning -- H. A. Overstreet
- an immediate task or objective : mission
- what is your business here
- a particular field of endeavor
- a usu. commercial or mercantile activity engaged in as a means of livelihood : trade, line
- in the restaurant business
- a commercial or sometimes an industrial enterprise
- such enterprises
- dealings or transactions esp. of an economic nature : patronage
- took their business elsewhere
- affair, matter
- the whole business got out of hand
- creation, concoction
- movement or action (as lighting a cigarette) by an actor intended esp. to establish atmosphere, reveal character, or explain a situation called also stage business
- personal concern
- right
- you have no business speaking to me that way
- serious activity requiring time and effort and usu. the avoidance of distractions
- maximum effort
- a damaging assault
- rebuke, tongue-lashing
- double cross
- a bowel movement used esp. of pets
business administration -n
- a program of studies in a college or university providing general knowledge of business principles and practices
business card -n
- a small card bearing information (as name and address) about a business or business representative
business class -n
- a class of air transportation at a fare lower than first class and higher than coach
business cycle -n
- a cycle of economic activity usu. consisting of recession, recovery, growth, and decline
business end -n
- the end with, from, or through which a thing's function is fulfilled
- the business end of a revolver
busi·ness·like ['biz-nəs-,līk, -nəz-] -adj
- exhibiting qualities believed to be advantageous in business
- serious, purposeful
busi·ness·man [-,man, -mən] -n
- a man who transacts business
- a business executive
busi·ness·peo·ple [-,pē-pəl] -n pl
- persons active in business
busi·ness·per·son [-,pər-sᵊn] -n
- a businessman or businesswoman
business suit -n
- a suit consisting of matching coat and trousers or coat and skirt and sometimes a vest
busi·ness·wom·an [-,wu̇-mən] -n
- a woman who transacts business
- one who is a business executive
bus·ing ['bə-siŋ] -n
- the act of transporting by bus
- the transporting of children to a school outside their residential area as a means of achieving racial balance in that school
busk·er ['bəs-kər] -n, vi
- a person who entertains in a public place for donations
bus·kin ['bəs-kən] -n
- a laced boot reaching halfway or more to the knee
- cothurnus
- tragedy
- tragedy resembling that of ancient Greek drama
bus·load ['bəs-,lōd] -n
- a load that fills a bus
bus·man's holiday ['bəs-mənz-] -n
- a holiday spent in following or observing the practice of one's usual occupation
buss ['bəs] -n, vt
- kiss
bust ['bəst] -n
- a sculptured representation of the upper part of the human figure including the head and neck and usu. part of the shoulders and breast
- the upper part of the human torso between neck and waist
- the breasts of a woman
- to break or smash esp. with force
- to make inoperative
- to bring an end to : break up
- helped bust trusts -- Newsweek
often used with up - better not try to bust up his happy marriage -- Forbes
- to ruin financially
- exhaust, wear out used in phrases like bust one's butt to describe making a strenuous effort
- to give a hard time to often used in phrases like bust one's chops
- tame
- demote
- arrest
- bust ed for carrying guns -- Saul Gottlieb
- raid
- hit, slug
- to go broke
- burst
- break down
- to lose at cards by exceeding a limit (as the count of 21 in blackjack)
- to fail to complete a straight or flush in poker
- spree
- a hearty drinking session
- a complete failure : flop
- a business depression
- punch, sock
- a police raid
- arrest
- bankrupt, broke
bus·tard ['bəs-tərd] -n
- any of a family (Otididae) of large chiefly terrestrial Old World and Australian game birds
bust·er ['bəs-tər] -n
- someone or something extraordinary
- a buster of a breakfast -- Harriet B. Stowe
- an unusually sturdy child
- fellow usu. used as a form of address
- a sudden violent wind often coming from the south
- : one that breaks, breaks up, or eliminates something: as
- plow
- a person who breaks horses
- a bad fall
bus·tier [,büs-tē-'ā, ,bəs-, -'tyā] -n
- a tight-fitting often strapless top worn as a brassiere or outer garment
bus·tle ['bə-səl] -vi, adj, adv
- to move briskly and often ostentatiously
- to be busily astir : teem
bustle -n
- noisy, energetic, and often obtrusive activity
- the hustle and bustle of the big city
- a pad or framework expanding and supporting the fullness and drapery of the back of a woman's skirt or dress
- the drapery so supported
bust·line ['bəs(t)-,līn] -n
- an arbitrary line encircling the fullest part of the bust
- body circumference at the bust
busty ['bəs-tē] -adj
- having a large bust
bu·sul·fan [byü-'səl-fən] -n
- an antineoplastic agent C 6H 14O 6S 2used in the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia
busy ['bi-zē] -adj, adv, n
- engaged in action : occupied
- being in use
- full of activity : bustling
- foolishly or intrusively active : meddling
- full of distracting detail
- to make busy : occupy
- bustle
- small boats busied to and fro -- Quentin Crewe
busy·body ['bi-zē-,bä-dē] -n
- an officious or inquisitive person
busy·work [-,wərk] -n
- work that usu. appears productive or of intrinsic value but actually only keeps one occupied
but ['bət] -conj
- except for the fact
- would have protested but that he was afraid
- that used after a negative
- there is no doubt but he won
- without the concomitant that
- it never rains but it pours
- if not : unless
- than
- no sooner started but it stopped
not often in formal use - on the contrary : on the other hand : notwithstanding used to connect coordinate elements
- he was called but he did not answer
- yet
- with the exception of used before a word often taken to be the subject of a clause
- none but the brave deserves the fair -- John Dryden
- with the exception of : barring
- other than
- this letter is nothing but an insult
- without, lacking
- outside
- only, merely
- outside
- to the contrary
- who knows but that she may succeed
- used as an intensive
- that not : who not
- nobody but has his fault -- Shak.
- the kitchen or living quarters of a 2-room cottage
bu·ta·di·ene [,byü-tə-'dī-,ēn, -,dī-'] -n
- a flammable gaseous open chain hydrocarbon C 4H 6used in making synthetic rubbers
bu·tane ['byü-,tān] -n
- either of two isomeric flammable gaseous alkanes C 4H 10obtained usu. from petroleum or natural gas and used as fuels
bu·ta·nol ['byü-tᵊn-,ȯl, -,ōl] -n
- either of two flammable isomeric alcohols C 4H 9OH derived from straight-chain butane
butch ['bu̇ch] -adj, n
- notably or deliberately masculine in appearance or manner
- closely cropped
butch·er ['bu̇-chər] -n
- a person who slaughters animals or dresses their flesh
- a dealer in meat
- one that kills ruthlessly or brutally
- one that bungles or botches
- a vendor esp. on trains or in theaters
butcher ['bu̇ch-riŋ, 'bu̇-chə-] -vt
- to slaughter and dress for market
- to kill in a barbarous manner
- botch
butch·erbird ['bu̇-chər-,bərd] -n
- any of various shrikes
butcher block -n, adj
- a block made with thick strips of usu. laminated hardwood
butch·er·ly ['bu̇-chər-lē] -adj
- resembling a butcher : savage
butcher paper -n
- heavy brown or white paper used esp. for wrapping meats
butch·ery ['bu̇ch-rē, 'bu̇-chə-] -n
- slaughterhouse
- the preparation of meat for sale
- cruel and ruthless slaughter of human beings
- botch
bute ['byüt] -n
- phenylbutazone
bu·tene ['byü-,tēn] -n
- a straight-chain butylene
bu·teo ['byü-tē-,ō] -n
- any of a genus ( Buteo) of hawks with broad rounded wings, relatively short tails, and soaring flight
but for -prep
- except for
but·ler ['bət-lər] -n
- a manservant having charge of the wines and liquors
- the chief male servant of a household who has charge of other employees, receives guests, directs the serving of meals, and performs various personal services
butler's pantry -n
- a service room between kitchen and dining room
butt ['bət] -vb
- to thrust or push headfirst : strike with the head or horns
- to strike or shove with the head or horns
- a blow or thrust usu. with the head or horns
- a large cask esp. for wine, beer, or water
- any of various units of liquid capacity
- a measure equal to 108 imperial gallons (491 liters)
- a backstop (as a mound or bank) for catching missiles shot at a target
- target
- range
- a blind for shooting birds
- limit, bound
- goal
- here is my journey's end, here is my butt -- Shak.
- an object of abuse or ridicule : victim
- the butt of all their jokes
- buttocks often used as a euphemism for ass in idiomatic expressions
- : the large or thicker end part of something:
- a lean upper cut of the pork shoulder
- the base of a plant from which the roots spring
- the thicker or handle end of a tool or weapon
- an unused remainder (as of a cigarette or cigar)
- cigarette
- the part of a hide or skin corresponding to the animal's back and sides
- abut used with on or against
- to place end to end or side to side without overlapping
- to trim or square off (as a log) at the end
- to reduce (as a cigarette) to a butt by stubbing or stamping
butte ['byüt] -n
- an isolated hill or mountain with steep or precipitous sides usu. having a smaller summit area than a mesa
but·ter ['bə-tər] -n, adj
- a solid emulsion of fat globules, air, and water made by churning milk or cream and used as food
- : a buttery substance: as
- any of various fatty oils remaining nearly solid at ordinary temperatures
- a creamy food spread
- one made of ground roasted nuts
- flattery
butter -vt
- to spread with or as if with butter
but·terandeggs [,bə-tər-ᵊn-'egz, -'āgz] -n pl but sing or pl in constr
- a common Eurasian perennial herb ( Linaria vulgaris) of the snapdragon family that has showy yellow and orange flowers and is naturalized in much of No. America called also toadflax
but·ter·ball ['bə-tər-,bȯl] -n
- bufflehead
- a chubby person
butter bean -n
- : lima bean: as
- a dried lima bean
- sieva bean
- wax bean
- a green shell bean esp. as opposed to a snap bean
butter clam -n
- either of two edible clams ( Saxidomus nuttalliiand S. giganteus) of the Pacific coast of No. America
but·ter·cream ['bə-tər-,krēm] -n
- a sweet butter-based mixture used esp. as a filling or frosting
but·ter·cup [-,kəp] -n
- any of a genus ( Ranunculusof the family Ranunculaceae, the buttercup family) of herbs with yellow or white flowers and alternate leaves
but·ter·fat [-,fat] -n
- the natural fat of milk and chief constituent of butter consisting essentially of a mixture of glycerides (as those derived from butyric, capric, caproic, and caprylic acids)
but·ter·fin·gered [-,fiŋ-gərd] -adj, n pl but sing or pl in constr
- apt to let things fall or slip through the fingers : careless
but·ter·fish [-,fish] -n
- any of numerous bony fishes (esp. family Stromateidae) with a slippery coating of mucus
but·ter·fly [-,flī] -n
- any of numerous slender-bodied diurnal lepidopteran insects including one superfamily (Papilionoidea) with broad often brightly colored wings and usu. another superfamily comprising the skippers
- something that resembles or suggests a butterfly
- a person chiefly occupied with the pursuit of pleasure
- a swimming stroke executed in a prone position by moving both arms in a circular motion while kicking both legs up and down
- a feeling of hollowness or queasiness caused esp. by emotional or nervous tension or anxious anticipation
- a defensive move by a goalie in ice hockey executed by dropping to the knees while spreading the lower legs outward
butterfly -vt
- to split almost entirely and spread apart
butterfly bush -n
- buddleia
butterfly chair -n
- a chair for lounging consisting of a cloth sling supported by a frame of metal tubing or bars
butterfly effect -n
- a property of chaotic systems (as the atmosphere) by which small changes in initial conditions can lead to large-scale and unpredictable variation in the future state of the system
but·ter·fly·er ['bə-tər-,flī(-ə)r] -n
- a swimmer who specializes in the butterfly
butterfly fish -n
- any of a family (Chaetodontidae) of small brilliantly colored bony fishes of tropical seas with a narrow deep body and scaled fins
- a small brown freshwater bony fish ( Pantodon buchholziof the family Pantodontidae) of western Africa that has elongate winglike pectoral fins
butterfly valve -n
- a valve consisting of two semicircular clappers hinged to a cross rib that permits fluid flow in only one direction
- a damper or valve in a pipe consisting of a disk turning on a bisecting axis
butterfly weed -n
- a No. American milkweed ( Asclepias tuberosa) with showy orange flowers borne on erect leafy stems
but·ter·head ['bə-tər-,hed] -n
- butter lettuce
butter lettuce -n
- a lettuce (as Bibb or Boston lettuce) with a soft loose head of tender oily mild-flavored leaves
but·ter·milk ['bə-tər-,milk] -n
- the liquid left after butter has been churned from milk or cream
- cultured milk made by the addition of suitable bacteria to sweet milk
but·ter·nut [-,nət] -n
- an eastern No. American tree ( Juglans cinerea) of the walnut family with sweet egg-shaped nuts and light brown wood called also white walnut
- a light yellowish brown
- homespun overalls dyed brown with a butternut extract
- a soldier or partisan of the Confederacy during the American Civil War
butternut squash -n
- a smooth somewhat bottle-shaped buff-colored winter squash ( Cucurbita moschata) with usu. orange flesh
but·ter·scotch [-,skäch] -n
- a candy made from brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and water
- the flavor of such candy
- a moderate yellowish brown
butter up -vt
- to charm or beguile with lavish flattery or praise
but·ter·weed ['bə-tər-,wēd] -n
- : any of several plants having yellow flowers or smooth soft foliage: as
- horseweed
- any of several No. American senecios (as Senecio glabellus)
but·ter·wort [-,wərt, -,wȯrt] -n
- any of a genus ( Pinguicula) of herbs of the bladderwort family with fleshy leaves that produce a viscid secretion serving to capture and digest insects
but·tery ['bə-tə-rē, 'bə-trē] -n
- a storeroom for liquors
- pantry
- a room (as in an English college) stocking provisions for sale to students
- having the qualities (as smoothness or richness) of butter
- containing or spread with butter
- marked by flattery
butt hinge -n
- a hinge usu. mortised flush into the edge of a door and its jamb
butt in -vi
- to meddle in the affairs of others : interfere
butt·in·sky [bət-'in-skē] -n
- a person given to butting in : a troublesome meddler
butt joint -n
- a joint made by fastening the parts together end-to-end without overlap and often with reinforcement
but·tock ['bə-tək also -(,)täk] -n
- the back of a hip that forms one of the fleshy parts on which a person sits
- the seat of the body
- rump
but·ton ['bə-tᵊn] -n, adj
- a small knob or disk secured to an article (as of clothing) and used as a fastener by passing it through a buttonhole or loop
- a usu. circular metal or plastic badge bearing a stamped design or printed slogan
- : something that resembles a button: as
- : any of various parts or growths of a plant or of an animal: as
- bud
- an immature whole mushroom
- button mushroom
- the terminal segment of a rattlesnake's rattle
- a small globule of metal remaining after fusion (as in assaying)
- a guard on the tip of a fencing foil
- push button
- something (as a push button) that has the real or symbolic capability of initiating a catastrophe (as a nuclear attack)
- has his finger on the button
- a hidden sensitivity that can be manipulated to produce a desired response
- knows how to push my button s
- a usu. box-shaped computer icon that initiates a specific software function
- the point of the chin esp. as a target for a knockout blow
button ['bət-niŋ, 'bə-tᵊn-iŋ] -vb, n
- to furnish or decorate with buttons
- to pass (a button) through a buttonhole or loop
- to close or fasten with buttons often used with up
- to close (the lips) to prevent speech
- to close or seal tightly usu. used with up
- button up the house for winter
- to have buttons for fastening
- this dress button s at the back
but·ton·ball ['bə-tᵊn-,bȯl] -n
- plane
but·ton·bush [-,bu̇sh] -n
- a No. American shrub ( Cephalanthus occidentalis) of the madder family with globular flower heads
but·tondown [-,dau̇n] -adj
- having the ends fastened to the garment with buttons
- having a button-down collar
- conservatively traditional or conventional
- adhering to conventional norms in dress and behavior
buttondown -n
- a shirt with a button-down collar
but·tonedup ['bə-tᵊnd-'əp] -adj
- coldly reserved or standoffish
but·ton·hole ['bə-tᵊn-,hōl] -n
- a slit or loop through which a button is passed
- boutonniere
buttonhole [-,hō-lər] -vt, n
- to furnish with buttonholes
- to work with buttonhole stitch
- to detain in conversation by or as if by holding on to the outer garments of
buttonhole stitch -n
- a closely worked loop stitch used to make a firm edge (as on a buttonhole)
but·ton·hook ['bə-tᵊn-,hu̇k] -n, vi
- a hook for drawing small buttons through buttonholes
- an offensive play in football in which the pass receiver runs straight downfield and then abruptly cuts back toward the line of scrimmage
button man -n
- a low-ranking member of a criminal underworld organization
button mushroom -n
- a usu. small white mushroom ( Agaricus bisporussyn. A. brunnescens) in which the pileus has not yet expanded
button quail -n
- any of a family (Turnicidae) of small terrestrial Old World birds that resemble quails and have only three toes on a foot with the hind toe being absent
button snakeroot -n
- blazing star
- any of several usu. prickly herbs (genus Eryngium) of the carrot family
but·ton·wood ['bə-tᵊn-,wu̇d] -n
- plane
butt out -vi
- to cease interference or involvement
- told him to butt out of my affairs
but·tress ['bə-trəs] -n, adj
- a projecting structure of masonry or wood for supporting or giving stability to a wall or building
- : something that resembles a buttress: as
- a projecting part of a mountain or hill
- a horny protuberance on a horse's hoof at the heel
- the broadened base of a tree trunk or a thickened vertical part of it
- something that supports or strengthens
- a buttress of the cause of peace
buttress -vt
- to furnish or shore up with a buttress
- support, strengthen
- arguments buttress ed by solid facts
butt shaft -n
- a target arrow without a barb
butt·stock ['bət-,stäk] -n
- the stock of a firearm in the rear of the breech mechanism
butt weld -n, vt
- a butt joint made by welding
but·ty ['bə-tē] -n
- sandwich
bu·tut [bu̇-'tüt] -n
- see dalasi at
bu·tyl ['byü-tᵊl] -n
- any of four isomeric alkyl radicals C 4H 9 derived from butane
butyl alcohol -n
- any of four flammable alcohols C 4H 9OH (as butanol) used in organic synthesis and as solvents
bu·tyl·at·ed ['byü-tᵊl-,ā-təd] -adj, n
- combined with the butyl radical
butylated hy·droxy·an·i·sole [-(,)hī-,dräk-sē-'a-nə-,sōl] -n
- bha
butylated hy·droxy·tol·u·ene [-'täl-yə-,wēn] -n
- bht
bu·tyl·ene ['byü-tᵊl-,ēn] -n
- any of three isomeric hydrocarbons C 4H 8of the ethylene series obtained usu. by cracking petroleum
butyl nitrite -n
- an oily liquid ester C 4H 9NO 2of butyl alcohol and nitrous acid that is inhaled illicitly esp. as an aphrodisiac
butyl rubber -n
- any of a class of synthetic rubbers that are made by copolymerizing isobutylene with a small amount usu. of isoprene at low temperature
butyr- -comb form
- butyric
bu·tyr·al·de·hyde [,byü-tə-'ral-də-,hīd] -n
- either of two aldehydes C 4H 8O used esp. in making synthetic resins
bu·ty·rate ['byü-tə-,rāt] -n
- a salt or ester of butyric acid
bu·tyr·ic [byü-'tir-ik] -adj
- relating to or producing butyric acid
butyric acid -n
- either of two isomeric fatty acids C 4H 8O 2
- the straight-chain acid of unpleasant odor normally found in perspiration and rancid butter
bu·ty·ro·phe·none [,byü-tə-(,)rō-fə-'nōn] -n
- any of a class of antipsychotic drugs (as haloperidol) used esp. in the treatment of schizophrenia
bux·om ['bək-səm] -adj, adv, n
- obedient, tractable
- offering little resistance : flexible
- wing silently the buxom air -- John Milton
- full of gaiety
- vigorously or healthily plump
- full-bosomed
buy ['bī] -vb, n
- to acquire possession, ownership, or rights to the use or services of by payment esp. of money : purchase
- to obtain in exchange for something often at a sacrifice
- they bought peace with their freedom
- redeem
- bribe, hire
- to be the purchasing equivalent of
- the dollar buy s less today than it used to
- accept, believe often used with into
- to make a purchase
- something of value at a favorable price
- bargain
- it's a real buy at that price
- an act of buying : purchase
buy·back ['bī-,bak] -n
- the act or an instance of buying something back
- the repurchase by a corporation of shares of its own common stock on the open market
buyer's market -n
- a market in which goods are plentiful, buyers have a wide range of choice, and prices tend to be low
buy off -vt
- to induce to refrain (as from prosecution) by a payment or other consideration
- to free (as from military service) by payment
buy·out ['bī-,au̇t] -n
- an act or instance of buying out
- a financial incentive offered to an employee in exchange for an early retirement or voluntary resignation
buy out -vt
- to purchase the share or interest of
- to purchase the entire stock-in-trade and the goodwill of (a business)
buy up -vt
- to buy freely or extensively
- to buy the entire available supply of
buzz ['bəz] -vb
- to make a low continuous humming sound like that of a bee
- murmur, whisper
- to be filled with a confused murmur
- the room buzz ed with excitement
- to make a signal with a buzzer
- to go quickly : hurry
- buzz ed around town in a sports car
- scram usu. used with off
- to feel high esp. from a drug
- to utter covertly by or as if by whispering
- to cause to buzz
- to fly fast and close to
- to summon or signal with a buzzer
- to let in through an electronically controlled entrance used with in or through
- to drink to the last drop
- get some more port whilst I buzz this bottle -- W. M. Thackeray
- a persistent vibratory sound
- a confused murmur
- rumor, gossip
- a flurry of activity
- fad, craze
- speculative or excited talk or attention relating esp. to a new or forthcoming product or event
- one of the few new shows that's getting good buzz -- TV Guide
- an instance of such talk or attention
- their first CD created a huge buzz
- a signal conveyed by buzzer
- a telephone call
- high
buz·zard ['bə-zərd] -n
- buteo
- any of various usu. large birds of prey (as the turkey vulture)
- a contemptible or rapacious person
buzz bomb -n
- an unguided jet-propelled missile used by the Germans against England in World War II
buzz cut -n, adj
- crew cut
buzz·er ['bə-zər] -n
- one that buzzes
- an electric signaling device that makes a buzzing sound
- the sound of a buzzer
buzz·kill ['bəz-,kil] -n
- one that has a depressing or negative effect
buzz saw -n
- circular saw
buzz·word ['bəz-,wərd] -n
- an important-sounding usu. technical word or phrase often of little meaning used chiefly to impress laymen
- a voguish word or phrase called also buzz phrase