A band is also a narrow strip of material that you put around something.
She wore a band round her hair.
bandage noun bandages
A bandage is a long strip of cloth that you wrap around a part of your body when you have hurt it.
bang noun bangs
A bang is a sudden, loud noise.
The balloon burst with a bang.
bank noun banks
1 A bank is a place where people can keep their money.
He got some money from the bank.
2 A bank is also the ground beside a river.
We walked along the bank.
bar noun bars
A bar is a long, thin piece of wood or metal.
There were bars on the windows.
bare adjective barer, barest
1 If a part of your body is bare, it is not covered by any clothes.
Her feet were bare.
2 If something is bare, it has nothing on top of it or inside it.
The cupboard was bare.
bark verb barks, barking, barked
When a dog barks, it makes a short, loud noise.
barn noun barns
A barn is a big building on a farm where animals and crops are kept.
base noun bases
The base of something is the lowest part of it, or the part that it stands on.
She stood at the base of the stairs.
basket noun baskets
A basket is a container that you use to hold or carry things. It is made from thin strips of material.
bat noun bats
1 A bat is a special stick that you use to hit a ball in some games.
2 A bat is also a small animal that looks like a mouse with wings. Bats come out to fly at night.
bath noun baths
A bath is a long container that you fill with water and sit in to wash yourself.
bathroom noun bathrooms
A bathroom is a room with a bath or shower in it.
battery noun batteries
A battery is a small tube or box for storing electricity. You put batteries in things like toys and radios to make them work.
The clock needs a new battery.
be verb am, is, are, being, was, were, been
1 You use be to say what a person or thing is like.
She is very young.
2 You also use be to say that something is there.
There is a tree in the garden.
beach noun beaches
A beach is the land by the edge of the sea. It is covered with sand or stones.
bead noun beads
A bead is a small piece of glass, wood or plastic with a hole through the middle. You put beads on a string to make necklaces or bracelets.
beak noun beaks
A bird’s beak is the hard part of its mouth.
bean noun beans
A bean is the small seed of some plants that you can eat as a vegetable.
bear noun bears
A bear is a big, strong animal with thick fur and sharp claws.
beard noun beards
A beard is the hair that grows on a man’s chin and cheeks.
beat verb beats, beating, beat, beaten
1 If you beat something, you keep hitting it.
He beat the drum with a stick.
2 If you beat someone in a game or a competition, you do better than they do.
He beat me in the race.
beautiful adjective
If something is beautiful, it is very nice to look at or to listen to.
He painted a beautiful picture.
became
She became very angry.
because
You use because to say why something happens.
I went to bed because I was tired.
become verb becomes, becoming, became, become
If one thing becomes another thing, it starts to be that thing.
The weather became cold.
bed noun beds
A bed is a piece of furniture that you lie on when you sleep.
bedroom noun bedrooms
A bedroom is a room with a bed in it where you sleep.
bedtime noun bedtimes
Your bedtime is the time when you usually go to bed.
My bedtime is at eight o’clock.
bee noun bees
A bee is an insect with wings and black and yellow stripes on its body. Bees live in large groups and make honey.
been
We have always been good friends.
beetle noun beetles
A beetle is an insect with hard wings that cover its body when it is not flying.
before
If one thing happens before another thing, it happens earlier than it.
My birthday is just before his.
began