Dictionary of "B" LISTINGS of words and links beginning in, B.

bait

bait [bayt]

n (plural baits)

1. angling hunting food for attracting animals: a piece of food attached to the end of a hook or thrown into water to entice a fish into biting it, or placed in a trap to lure an animal in

fishing with live bait

2. enticement: something used to attract somebody or something else into being caught, or used to tempt somebody to do something

vt (past bait·ed, past participle bait·ed, present participle bait·ing, 3rd person present singular baits)

1. angling hunting put food on hook: to put a food attractant on a hook or in a trap

This line’s baited with a minnow.

2. harass somebody: to persecute, tease, or harass somebody

Stop baiting the dog, please.

3. attack animal with dogs: to set dogs onto a chained animal, usually a bear or bull, for sport

[13th century. Noun: from Old Norse beit “food”; verb: from beita “to hunt with dogs,” from bíta “to bite.”]

-bait·er, n

fish or cut bait to do what needs to be done or else step aside and allow somebody else to do it

rise to the bait to react to something, especially to temptation or provocation, in precisely the way that somebody wants you to, for example, by getting angry when somebody teases you

barn

barn [baarn]

(plural barns)

1. large farm outbuilding: a large outbuilding on a farm used to store grain or shelter livestock

2. large building: any large building, especially one that is plain and functional

3. vehicle storage building: a large building for housing railroad cars, trucks, or other vehicles

[Old English ber(e)n “barley house,” from bere “barley” (see barley) + ærn “house, place”]

Old Indiana Barn

ba·ton

ba·ton [bə tón, bátt’n]

(plural ba·tons)

1. music conducting stick: a short thin stick used by a conductor to direct musical performers

2. public administration police stick: a short thick stick used as a weapon, for example, by police

3. sports relay team stick: a short stick or hollow cylinder passed by each runner in a relay team to the next runner

4. drum major’s stick: a long stick with a knob at one or both ends, carried and twirled by a drum major or majorette

5. official staff: a staff carried by an official, for example, a field marshal, as a symbol of office

6. heraldry diagonal line on coat of arms: a shortened narrow diagonal line on a coat of arms, especially one signifying bastardy

[Early 16th century. Via French from, ultimately, late Latin bastum “stick.”]

take up the baton to take responsibility for something from somebody

Cheerleader with baton

bat

bat [bat]

n (plural bats)

1. sports club used in sports: a club used to strike the ball in sports such as baseball and cricket, usually wooden but sometimes made of metal or plastic

2. heavy stick or club: a heavy stick or wooden club

3. baseball batter: a batter in baseball

4. blow from stick: a blow from a stout stick or club

v (past bat·ted, past participle bat·ted, present participle bat·ting, 3rd person present singular bats)

1. vi baseball have turn at batting: to come to bat in sports such as baseball and cricket

2. vt baseball hold stated batting average: in baseball, to have a particular batting average

3. vt baseball advance a runner: in baseball, to advance a runner to the next base by making a base hit

4. vt strike with bat: to strike somebody or something with a bat

[Old English batt , of uncertain origin, possibly influenced by Old French batte ]

be at bat to be the person on whom success or failure depends (informal)

go to bat for somebody to support or assist somebody (informal)

right off the bat immediately (informal)

bat2

bat [bat]

zoology flying mammal: a small nocturnal flying mammal with leathery wings stretching from the forelimbs to the rear legs and tail.

Bats eat fruit or insects, usually hang upside down when resting, and often use echolocation to detect prey and to navigate.

Order: Chiroptera

[Late 16th century. Alteration of Middle English backe , from a Scandinavian word such as Old Swedish natbakka “night bat” or Old Norse leðerblaka “leather flapper.”]

have bats in the belfry to be slightly but harmlessly eccentric (informal)

like a bat out of hell extremely fast (informal)

birth

birth [burth]

n (plural births)

1. event of being born: the emergence of the young of a human or animal from the mother’s womb into the outside world

The father was present at the birth.

articles give birth and death dates

2. process of being born: the process of bringing forth young from a mother’s womb

the growing number of home births

3. time or place of birth: the time or place of birth

4. somebody’s heritage: somebody’s social or national origins

a man of noble birth

Italian by birth

5. origin of something: the origin, beginning, or formation of something

the birth of jazz

6. somebody’s child: the child of a particular mother born at a particular time (archaic)

adj

biologically related as a parent: biologically related to somebody, especially as a parent, rather than related by adoption

Southern U.S. have or deliver infant: to have or deliver a baby

[13th century. From Old Norse byrð , ultimately from an Indo-European word that also produced English bear “to carry.”]

give birth to produce a child or young from the womb to originate or be responsible for creating something

a revolution that gave birth to a free nation

bat·tle

bat·tle [bátt’l]

n (plural bat·tles)

1. military armed fight: a large-scale fight between armed forces involving combat between armies, warships, or aircraft

2. struggle: a drawn-out conflict between adversaries, or against powerful forces

the battle against malaria

v (past bat·tled, past participle bat·tled, present participle bat·tling, 3rd person present singular bat·tles)

1. vti fight: to fight in a battle

2. vi strive: to strive or contend in order to overcome or achieve something

[13th century. Via French bataille from, ultimately, late Latin battualia “military or gladiatorial exercises,” from bat(t)uere “to beat” (source of English battery and batten).]

be half the battle to be an important first part of a difficult task

Shipping the books on time is only half the battle; we have to sell them too

do battle (with somebody or something) to fight or struggle against somebody or something

fight a losing battle to try hard with no prospect of success

This transitive use of battle (with a direct object, instead of battle against or battle with, as in The people of South Carolina have been battling a hurricane.) is a feature of American usage that has begun to enter other Englishes also. This is partly a revival of an older use that died out in the 19th century.

Word Key: Synonyms

See Synonyms at fight

The Latin word bat(t)uere from which battle is derived is also the source of English abate, battalion, battery, battlements, combat, debate, and rebate.

birthmark

birth·mark [búrth mrk]

(plural birth·marks)

blemish on skin: a reddish or brown marking seen on the skin of some newborn babies that typically remains visible for life

birthmark photo

Bis·marck

Bis·marck [bíz mrk]

capital of North Dakota, on the eastern bank of the Missouri River.

Population: 56,234 (2002)

Bismarck Airport

blond

blond [blond]

or blonde [blond]

adj

1. fair: yellowish or golden in color

2. fair-haired and light-skinned: with fair hair and a light-colored skin

a blond little boy

a blond little girl

3. light colored: light-colored, ranging from light yellowish brown to grayish yellow

blond wood

4. bleached: used to describe wood that is light-colored, usually through bleaching

blonde walnut

n (plural blonds) (plural blondes)

fair-haired person: a person with blond hair

[15th century. Via French from, ultimately, medieval Latin blundus “yellow,” of uncertain origin: perhaps ultimately from a prehistoric Germanic word meaning “clouded,” which is also the ancestor of English blend.]

-blond·ness, n

blond or blonde?

When describing the color of somebody’s hair, blond is normally used whether the person is male or female. Jane has blond hair. When used as a noun or adjective to describe somebody directly, blond is used of a man or boy and blonde of a woman or girl. He is blond.Jane is a blonde.

photo

Blonde woman

Bos·ton

Bos·ton [báwstən, bóstən]

capital and largest city of Massachusetts. Situated at the mouth of the Charles River on Boston Bay, it is home to Boston College, Boston University, and Northeastern University, among others.

Population: 589,281 (2002)

-Bos·to·ni·an [baw stṓnee ən, bos stṓnee ən], n adj

photo

City of Boston

bra

bra [braa]

(plural bras)

undergarment for woman’s breasts: an undergarment designed to support and shape a woman’s breasts. Also called brassiere

In modern times, the bra has come to be a fashion necessity designed to elegantly reflect a woman's sense of femininity and sensuality