Glossary of 1,500 Common English Words
Browse the glossary using this index
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B |
|---|
baby | ||
|---|---|---|
a newly born creature | ||
back | ||
|---|---|---|
the part behind the front; ad. the other way from forward | ||
bacteria | ||
|---|---|---|
living things that are one cell and can be seen only through a microscope; some cause disease | ||
bad | ||
|---|---|---|
wrong; acting against the law; not good | ||
balance | ||
|---|---|---|
to make two sides or forces equal | ||
ball | ||
|---|---|---|
something round | ||
balloon | ||
|---|---|---|
a device of strong, light material that rises when filled with gas lighter than air | ||
ballot | ||
|---|---|---|
a piece of paper used for voting | ||
ban | ||
|---|---|---|
to not permit; to stop; n. an official restriction | ||
bank | ||
|---|---|---|
an organization that keeps and lends money | ||
bar | ||
|---|---|---|
to prevent or block | ||
barrier | ||
|---|---|---|
anything that blocks or makes an action difficult | ||
base | ||
|---|---|---|
a military center; v. to establish as a fact ("Her research was based on experiments.") | ||
battle | ||
|---|---|---|
a fight between opposing armed forces | ||
be | ||
|---|---|---|
to live; to happen; to exist | ||
beat | ||
|---|---|---|
to hit again and again | ||
beauty | ||
|---|---|---|
that which pleases the eye, ear or spirit | ||
because | ||
|---|---|---|
for the reason that ("He left because he was sick.") | ||
become | ||
|---|---|---|
to come to be | ||
bed | ||
|---|---|---|
a sleeping place | ||
before | ||
|---|---|---|
earlier | ||
begin | ||
|---|---|---|
to do the first part of an action; to start | ||
behind | ||
|---|---|---|
at the back of; in back of | ||
believe | ||
|---|---|---|
to think; to feel sure of; to accept as true; to trust | ||
bell | ||
|---|---|---|
an instrument that makes a musical sound ("a church bell") | ||
belong | ||
|---|---|---|
to be owned by; to be a member of | ||
below | ||
|---|---|---|
lower than | ||
best | ||
|---|---|---|
the most good | ||
betray | ||
|---|---|---|
to turn against; to be false to | ||
better | ||
|---|---|---|
more good than | ||
between | ||
|---|---|---|
in the space or time that separates; from one to the other ("talks between two nations") | ||
big | ||
|---|---|---|
of great size; not small | ||
bill | ||
|---|---|---|
a legislative proposal | ||
biology | ||
|---|---|---|
the scientific study of life or living things in all their forms | ||
bird | ||
|---|---|---|
a creature that flies | ||
bite | ||
|---|---|---|
to cut with the teeth | ||
black | ||
|---|---|---|
dark; having the color like that of the night sky | ||
blame | ||
|---|---|---|
to accuse; to hold responsible | ||
blanket | ||
|---|---|---|
a cloth cover used to keep warm | ||
bleed | ||
|---|---|---|
to lose blood | ||
blind | ||
|---|---|---|
not able to see | ||
block | ||
|---|---|---|
to stop something from being done; to prevent movement | ||
blood | ||
|---|---|---|
red fluid in the body | ||
blow | ||
|---|---|---|
to move with force, as in air ("The wind blows.") | ||
blue | ||
|---|---|---|
having the color like that of a clear sky | ||
boat | ||
|---|---|---|
something built to travel on water that carries people or goods | ||
body | ||
|---|---|---|
all of a person or animal; the remains of a person or animal | ||
boil | ||
|---|---|---|
to heat a liquid until it becomes very hot | ||
bomb | ||
|---|---|---|
a device that explodes with great force; v. to attack or destroy with bombs | ||
bone | ||
|---|---|---|
the hard material in the body | ||
book | ||
|---|---|---|
a long written work for reading | ||
border | ||
|---|---|---|
a dividing line between nations | ||
born | ||
|---|---|---|
to come to life; to come into existence | ||
borrow | ||
|---|---|---|
to take as a loan | ||
both | ||
|---|---|---|
not just one of two, but the two together | ||
bottle | ||
|---|---|---|
a container, usually made of glass, to hold liquid | ||
bottom | ||
|---|---|---|
the lowest part of something | ||
box | ||
|---|---|---|
something to put things into; a container, usually made of paper or wood | ||
boy | ||
|---|---|---|
a young male person | ||
boycott | ||
|---|---|---|
to refuse to take part in or deal with | ||
brain | ||
|---|---|---|
the control center of thought, emotions and body activity of all creatures | ||
brave | ||
|---|---|---|
having no fear | ||
bread | ||
|---|---|---|
a food made from grain | ||
break | ||
|---|---|---|
to divide into parts by force; to destroy | ||
breathe | ||
|---|---|---|
to take air into the body and let it out again | ||
bridge | ||
|---|---|---|
a structure built over a waterway, valley or road so people and vehicles can cross from one side to the other | ||
brief | ||
|---|---|---|
short; not long | ||
bright | ||
|---|---|---|
giving much light; strong and clear in color | ||
bring | ||
|---|---|---|
to come with something | ||
broadcast | ||
|---|---|---|
to send information, stories or music by radio or television; n. a radio or television program | ||
brother | ||
|---|---|---|
a male with the same father or mother as another person | ||
brown | ||
|---|---|---|
having the color like that of coffee | ||
budget | ||
|---|---|---|
a spending plan | ||
build | ||
|---|---|---|
to join materials together to make something | ||
building | ||
|---|---|---|
anything built for use as a house, factory, office, school, store or place of entertainment | ||
bullet | ||
|---|---|---|
a small piece of metal shot from a gun | ||
burn | ||
|---|---|---|
to be on fire; to destroy or damage by fire | ||
burst | ||
|---|---|---|
to break open suddenly | ||
bury | ||
|---|---|---|
to put into the ground and cover with earth | ||
bus | ||
|---|---|---|
a public vehicle to carry people | ||
business | ||
|---|---|---|
one's work; buying and selling to earn money; trade | ||
busy | ||
|---|---|---|
doing something; very active | ||
but | ||
|---|---|---|
however; other than; yet | ||
buy | ||
|---|---|---|
to get by paying something, usually money | ||
by | ||
|---|---|---|
near; at; next to ("by the road"); from ("a play by William Shakespeare"); not later than ("by midnight") | ||