ballerinas
NOUN a female ballet dancer
ballet
NOUN a type of artistic dancing based on precise steps
[from Italian balletto meaning little dance]
balloon balloons
NOUN 1 a small bag made of thin rubber that you blow into until it becomes larger. Balloons are often used as party decorations.
2 a large, strong bag filled with gas or hot air, that travels through the air carrying passengers in a basket underneath it • They went on a hot air balloon flight over the city.
ballpoint ballpoints
NOUN a pen with a small, metal ball at the writing point
bamboo
NOUN a tall tropical grass with hard, hollow stems used for making furniture
ban bans, banning, banned
VERB 1 If you ban something, you forbid it to be done.
SYNONYMS: forbid, prohibit
NOUN 2 If there is a ban on something, it is not allowed.
banana bananas
NOUN a long, curved fruit with a yellow skin
band bands
NOUN 1 a group of musicians who play jazz or pop music together
2 a group of people who share a common purpose
3 a narrow strip of something used to hold things together • She tied her hair back with an elastic band.
bandage bandages
NOUN a strip of cloth wrapped round a wound to protect it
bang bangs, banging, banged
NOUN 1 a sudden, short, loud noise
2 a hard, painful bump against something
VERB 3 If you bang something, you hit it or put it down violently so that it makes a loud noise.
4 If you bang a part of your body against something, you accidentally bump it.
banish banishes, banishing, banished
VERB 1 If someone is banished, they are sent away and never allowed to return.
2 If you banish something from your thoughts, you try not to think about it.
banishment NOUN
banister banisters
NOUN a rail supported by posts up the side of a staircase
banjo banjos or banjoes
NOUN a musical instrument, like a small guitar with a round body
bank banks, banking, banked
NOUN 1 a business that looks after people’s money
2 the raised ground along the edge of a river or lake
VERB 3 If you bank on something happening, you rely on it. • I know we said we’d go swimming, but don’t bank on it.
banner banners
NOUN 1 a long strip of cloth with a message or slogan on it • We saw banners advertising the fair.
ADJECTIVE 2 A banner headline is a headline printed right across the page of a newspaper.
banquet banquets
NOUN a grand, formal dinner, often followed by speeches
[from Old French banquet, originally meaning little bench]
baptism baptisms
NOUN the ceremony in which someone has water sprinkled on them, or they are immersed in water, as a sign that they have become a Christian
baptize baptizes, baptizing, baptized; also spelt baptise
VERB When a church official baptizes someone, they sprinkle water on them, or immerse them in water, as a sign that they have become a Christian.
bar bars, barring, barred
NOUN 1 a long, straight piece of metal
VERB 2 If you bar someone’s way, you stop them going somewhere by standing in front of them.
NOUN 3 a counter or room where alcoholic drinks are served
4 a piece of something made in a rectangular shape • a bar of soap
barbecue barbecues
NOUN 1 a grill with a charcoal fire on which you cook food, usually outdoors
2 an outdoor party where you eat food cooked on a barbecue
[from a Caribbean word meaning framework]
barber barbers
NOUN a man who cuts men’s hair
bar chart bar charts
NOUN a kind of graph where the information is shown in rows or bars
bar code bar codes
NOUN a pattern of lines and numbers on something that is for sale, so that the price can be read by a machine
bare barer, barest
ADJECTIVE 1 If a part of your body is bare, it is not covered by any clothing. • bare feet
SYNONYMS: naked, uncovered
2 If something is bare, it is not covered or decorated with anything. • bare wooden floors
3 The bare minimum, or the bare essentials, means the very least that is needed.
barely
ADVERB If you barely manage to do something, you only just succeed in doing it.
bargain bargains, bargaining, bargained
NOUN 1 an agreement in which two people or groups discuss and agree what each will do, pay or receive
2 something that is sold at a low price and that is good value • The apples are a bargain at this price.
VERB 3 When people bargain with each other, they discuss and agree terms about what each will do, pay or receive.
barge barges, barging, barged
NOUN
