ADJECTIVE OR PRONOUN
You use both when you are talking about two things or people. He put both books in the drawer.
bother bothers, bothering, bothered
VERB 1 If something bothers you, it annoys you or makes you feel worried.
VERB 2 If you bother about something, you care about it and take trouble over it.
bottle bottles NOUN
A bottle is a container for keeping liquids in. Bottles are usually made of glass or plastic.
bottom bottoms
NOUN 1 The bottom of something is the lowest part of it.
NOUN 2 Your bottom is the part of your body that you sit on.
bought VERB
Bought is the past tense of buy.
boulder boulders NOUN
A boulder is a big rounded rock.
bounce bounces, bouncing, bounced VERB
When something bounces, it springs back in the opposite direction as soon as it hits something hard.
bound bounds, bounding, bounded
VERB 1 When animals or people bound, they move quickly with large leaps.
ADJECTIVE 2 If something is bound to happen, it is sure to happen.
boundary boundaries NOUN
The boundary of an area of land is its outer limit.
bow bows, bowing, bowed
(rhymes with low) NOUN 1 A bow is a kind of knot with two loops used to tie laces and ribbons.
NOUN 2 A bow is also a weapon used for shooting arrows.
NOUN 3 The bow for a stringed musical instrument is a long piece of wood with horsehair stretched along it.
(rhymes with now) VERB 4 When you bow, you bend your body forward.
bowl bowls NOUN
A bowl is an open container used for holding liquid or serving food.
box boxes NOUN
A box is a container with straight sides, made from something stiff, like cardboard, wood or plastic.
boy boys NOUN
A boy is a male child.
bracelet bracelets NOUN
A bracelet is a band or chain which is worn round the wrist or arm as an ornament.
bracket brackets NOUN
Brackets are a pair of written marks ( ) placed round words that are not part of the main text.
See Punctuation on page 270
Braille NOUN
Braille is a form of writing using raised dots that blind people can read by touching the dots with their fingers.
brain brains NOUN
Your brain is inside your head and controls your whole body. It lets you think, feel and remember.
brainy brainier, brainiest ADJECTIVE
Someone who is brainy is clever and good at learning things.
brake brakes NOUN
The brake is the part of a vehicle that slows it down or stops it.
bramble brambles NOUN
A bramble is a wild bush with thorns.
The fruit are called blackberries.
branch branches NOUN
A branch is part of a tree that grows out from the trunk.
brass NOUN
Brass is a yellow metal made from copper and zinc. It is used for making things like ornaments and some musical instruments.
brave braver, bravest ADJECTIVE
If you are brave, you show you can do something even if it is frightening.
bravely ADVERB bravery NOUN
bread NOUN
Bread is a very common food, made with flour and baked in an oven.
See Other foods on page 261
breadth NOUN
The breadth of something is the distance that it measures from one side to the other.
break breaks, breaking, broke, broken
VERB 1 If you break something, it splits into pieces or stops working.
VERB 2 If you break a rule or a promise, you fail to keep it.
breakdown breakdowns NOUN
If someone’s car has a breakdown, it stops working during a journey.
breakfast breakfasts NOUN
Breakfast is the first meal of the day.
breast breasts NOUN
Breasts are the two round parts on the front of a woman’s body, which can produce milk to feed a baby.
breath NOUN
Your breath is the air that you take into and let out of your lungs.
breathe breathes, breathing, breathed VERB
When you breathe, you take air into your lungs through your nose or mouth, and then let it out again.
breed breeds NOUN
A breed of an animal is a particular kind. For example, a labrador is a breed of dog.
breeze breezes NOUN
A breeze is a gentle wind.
brick
