If you beckon to someone, you make a sign to them with your hand, asking them to come to you.
become becomes, becoming, became, become
VERB If someone or something becomes something else, they start feeling or being that thing. • I became more and more angry.
[from Old English becuman meaning to happen]
bed beds
NOUN 1 a piece of furniture that you lie on when you sleep
2 an area of ground in a garden which has been dug and prepared for planting
3 The bed of the sea or a river is the bottom of it.
bedraggled
ADJECTIVE If a person or animal is bedraggled, they are wet, dirty and messy.
bedroom bedrooms
NOUN a room for sleeping in
bedtime bedtimes
NOUN the time when you go to bed
bee bees
NOUN a winged insect that makes honey. Many types of bee live in large groups.
beech beeches
NOUN a tree with a smooth, grey trunk and shiny leaves
beef
NOUN the meat of a cow, bull or ox
beehive beehives
NOUN a specially designed structure in which bees are kept so that their honey can be collected
been
VERB the past participle of be
beer beers
NOUN an alcoholic drink made from malt and flavoured with hops
beetle beetles
NOUN a flying insect with hard wings that cover its body when it is not flying
[from Old English bitan meaning to bite]
beetroot beetroots
NOUN a round, dark red root vegetable
before
ADVERB, PREPOSITION OR CONJUNCTION If something happens before, it happens earlier than something else. • Can I see you before you go?
ANTONYM: after
beg begs, begging, begged
VERB 1 When people beg, they ask for food or money, because they are very poor.
2 If you beg someone to do something, you ask them very anxiously to do it. • David begged his dad to take him to the cinema.
began
VERB the past tense of begin
begin begins, beginning, began, begun
VERB If you begin something, you start it.
beginner beginners
NOUN someone who has just started to learn something
SYNONYM: learner
beginning beginnings
NOUN The beginning of something is when or where it starts.
begun
VERB the past participle of begin
behalf
PHRASE If you do something on behalf of someone or something, you do it for them or in their name. • We did the sponsored swim on behalf of various charities.
behave behaves, behaving, behaved
VERB 1 If you behave in a particular way, you act in that way. • He knew that he’d behaved badly.
2 If you behave yourself, you act correctly or properly.
behind
PREPOSITION 1 at the back of • The moon disappeared behind a cloud.
2 supporting someone • The whole school was behind him in the competition.
ADVERB 3 If you stay behind, you remain after other people have gone.
4 If you leave something behind, you do not take it with you.
beige
ADJECTIVE a cream-brown colour
being
VERB the present participle of be
belch belches, belching, belched
VERB 1 If you belch, you make a sudden noise in your throat because air has risen up from your stomach.
2 If something belches smoke or fire, it sends it out in large amounts. • Smoke belched from the factory chimneys.
NOUN 3 the noise you make when you belch
belief beliefs
NOUN If you have a belief in something, you are certain that it is right or true.
believe believes, believing, believed
VERB 1 If you believe that something is true, you think that it is true.
2 If you believe someone, you accept that they are telling the truth.
bell bells
NOUN 1 a cup-shaped metal object with a piece inside it called a clapper that hits the side and makes a ringing sound
2 an electrical device that you can ring or buzz to get attention
bellow bellows, bellowing, bellowed
VERB If a human or other animal bellows, they shout very loudly or make a very loud, deep noise like a roar.
belly bellies
NOUN the part of your body, especially your stomach, that holds and digests food
belong belongs, belonging, belonged
