NOUN a plant like a large fern that grows on hills and in woods
bracket brackets
NOUN a pair of written marks, ( ), { } or [ ], placed round a word or sentence that is not part of the main text, or to show that the items inside the brackets belong together
brag brags, bragging, bragged
VERB If you brag, you boast about something.
Braille
NOUN a system of printing for blind people in which letters are represented by raised dots that can be felt with the fingers
brain brains
NOUN the organ inside your head that controls your body and enables you to think and feel
brainstorm brainstorms
NOUN 1 a clever idea that you think of suddenly
2 If you have a brainstorm, you become confused and cannot think clearly.
brainy brainier, brainiest
ADJECTIVE clever and good at learning things
brake brakes, braking, braked
NOUN 1 a device for making a vehicle stop or slow down
VERB 2 When drivers brake, they make a vehicle stop or slow down by using its brakes.
bramble brambles
NOUN a wild, trailing bush with thorns, which produces blackberries
branch branches, branching, branched
NOUN 1 part of a tree that grows out from the trunk
2 A branch of a business or organization is one of its offices or shops.
VERB 3 A road that branches off from another road splits off from it to lead in a different direction.
brand brands
NOUN a particular kind or make of something
brandy
NOUN a strong, alcoholic drink, often drunk after a meal
[from Dutch brandewijn meaning burnt wine]
brass
NOUN OR ADJECTIVE 1 a yellow-coloured metal made from copper and zinc
2 In an orchestra, the brass section consists of instruments such as trumpets and trombones.
brave braver, bravest; braves, braving, braved
ADJECTIVE 1 A brave person is willing to do dangerous things and does not show any fear.
SYNONYMS: courageous, daring
VERB 2 If you brave an unpleasant or dangerous situation, you face up to it in order to do something. • We braved the snow to go to the party.
[from Italian bravo meaning courageous or wild]
brawl brawls, brawling, brawled
NOUN 1 a rough fight
VERB 2 When people brawl, they take part in a rough fight.
bread
NOUN a very common food made from flour, and baked in an oven
breadth breadths
NOUN the distance between two sides of something • I can swim the breadth of the pool.
See width
break breaks, breaking, broke, broken
VERB 1 When an object breaks, or when you break it, it becomes damaged or separates into pieces.
2 If you break a rule or promise, you fail to keep it.
3 To break a record means to do better than the previous recorded best. • She broke the record for the long jump.
NOUN 4 a short period during which you rest or do something different
break down
VERB When a machine or a vehicle breaks down, it stops working.
break up
VERB When schools break up, the term ends. • We break up on Thursday.
breakable
ADJECTIVE easy to break
breakdown breakdowns
NOUN If there is a breakdown in a system, it stops working.
breakfast breakfasts
NOUN the first meal of the day
breast breasts
NOUN A woman’s breasts are the two soft, fleshy parts on her chest, which produce milk after she has had a baby.
breast-feed breast-feeds, breast-feeding, breast-fed
VERB If a woman breast-feeds her baby, she feeds it with milk from her breasts.
breath breaths
NOUN 1 the air you take into your lungs and let out again when you breathe • He took a deep breath before jumping into the pool.
PHRASE 2 If you are out of breath, you are breathing with difficulty after doing something energetic.
breathe breathes, breathing, breathed
VERB When you breathe, you take air into your lungs and let it out again.
breathless
ADJECTIVE If you are breathless, you are breathing very fast or with difficulty. • I was breathless after running to catch the bus.
breathlessly ADVERB
breathlessness NOUN
breed breeds, breeding, bred
NOUN 1 a particular type of animal. For example, an Alsatian is a breed of dog.
VERB 2 Someone who breeds animals or plants keeps them in order to produce more animals or plants with particular qualities. • He used to breed dogs for the police.
3 When animals breed, they produce young.
SYNONYM: reproduce
breeze breezes
NOUN
