bull bulls
NOUN the male of some animal species including cattle, elephants and whales
bulldozer bulldozers
NOUN a powerful tractor with a broad blade in front, which is used for moving earth or knocking things down
bullet bullets
NOUN a small piece of metal fired from a gun
bulletin bulletins
NOUN a short news report on radio or television
bullion
NOUN gold or silver bars
bullock bullocks
NOUN a young male bull that is reared for meat
bully bullies, bullying, bullied
NOUN 1 someone who uses their strength or power to hurt or frighten other people
VERB 2 If someone bullies you into doing something, they make you do it by using force or threats.
[a sixteenth-century word meaning fine fellow or hired ruffian]
bump bumps, bumping, bumped
VERB 1 If you bump into something, you knock into it accidentally.
NOUN 2 a soft noise made by something knocking into something else
3 a raised, uneven part of a surface
SYNONYMS: bulge, lump
bumper bumpers
NOUN a bar on the front or back of a vehicle that protects it if it bumps into something
bumpy bumpier, bumpiest
ADJECTIVE Something that is bumpy has a rough, uneven surface. • a bumpy road
bun buns
NOUN a small, round bread roll or cake
bunch bunches
NOUN a group of things together • a bunch of flowers
bundle bundles, bundling, bundled
NOUN 1 a number of things tied together or wrapped up in a cloth
VERB 2 If you bundle someone or something somewhere, you push them there quickly and roughly.
bungalow bungalows
NOUN a one-storey house
[from Hindi bangla meaning house]
bunk bunks
NOUN a bed fixed to a wall in a ship or caravan
bunk beds
PLURAL NOUN two beds fixed together, one above the other
buoy buoys
NOUN a floating object anchored to the bottom of the sea, marking a channel or warning of danger
buoyancy
NOUN Something that has buoyancy is able to float in liquid or in the air.
buoyant
ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is buoyant is able to float.
2 Someone who is buoyant is lively and cheerful.
burden burdens
NOUN a heavy load
burger burgers
NOUN a flat fried cake of meat, vegetables or cheese, served in a bread roll
burglar burglars
NOUN someone who breaks into buildings and steals things
burgle VERB
burn burns, burning, burned or burnt
VERB 1 If something is burning, it is on fire.
2 To burn something means to damage or destroy it with fire.
3 People often burn fuel, such as coal, to keep warm.
NOUN 4 A burn is an injury caused by fire or by something hot.
burqa burqas; also spelt burka
Said “bur-ka” NOUN a long garment worn by some Muslim women in public, covering everything except the eyes
burrow burrows, burrowing, burrowed
NOUN 1 a tunnel or hole in the ground dug by a small animal
VERB 2 When an animal burrows, it digs a burrow.
burst bursts, bursting, burst
VERB 1 When something bursts, or when you burst it, it splits open suddenly.
2 When you burst into a room, you enter suddenly and with force.
NOUN 3 A burst of something is a sudden short period of it. • a burst of applause
bury buries, burying, buried
VERB 1 If you bury something, you put it in a hole in the ground and cover it with earth.
2 If something is buried under something, it is covered by it. • My trainers were buried under a pile of clothes.
bus buses
NOUN a large motor vehicle that carries passengers
[from Latin omnibus meaning for all]
bush bushes
NOUN 1 a large plant, smaller than a tree and with a lot of woody branches
2 In Australia and South Africa, an uncultivated area outside a town or city is called the bush.
3 In New Zealand, the bush is land covered by rainforest.
bushy bushier, bushiest
ADJECTIVE Bushy hair or fur grows very thickly. • My dad has bushy eyebrows.
business businesses
NOUN 1 work relating to the buying and selling of goods and services
2 an organization that produces or sells goods, or provides a service
SYNONYMS: company, firm, organization
