barer, barest
ADJECTIVE 1 If part of your body is bare, it is not covered by clothes.
ADJECTIVE 2 If something is bare, it has nothing in it or on it. It was winter and the trees were bare.
bargain bargains NOUN
A bargain is something which is sold at a low price, and which you think is good value.
bark barks, barking, barked
VERB 1 When a dog barks, it makes a sudden rough, loud noise.
NOUN 2 Bark is the outside covering of a tree.
barley NOUN
Barley is a cereal that is grown for food and drink.
bar mitzvah NOUN
A Jewish boy’s bar mitzvah is a ceremony that takes place on his 13th birthday. After this he is regarded as an adult.
barn barns NOUN
A barn is a large building where a farmer stores hay and other crops.
barrel barrels NOUN
A barrel is a large wooden, metal or plastic container for holding liquids.
barrier barriers NOUN
A barrier is something like a fence or wall, that stops people getting past.
base bases
NOUN 1 The base is the bottom of something.
NOUN 2 Number bases are a whole pattern of counting. A base ten counting system uses units, tens and hundreds.
basement basements NOUN
The basement of a building is a floor below ground level.
basic
ADJECTIVE 1 Basic is used to describe things like the food and equipment that people really need in their lives.
ADJECTIVE 2 Basic also means the simplest things you need to know about a subject. I’m not good at this yet, but I’ve got the basic idea.
basically ADVERB
basin basins NOUN
A basin is a wide round container which is open at the top.
basket baskets NOUN
A basket is used for holding or carrying things. It is usually made from strips of thin wood or cane.
basketball NOUN
Basketball is a game between two teams of five players. Each team tries to score by throwing a ball through a circular net fixed to a high board.
bat bats, batting, batted
NOUN 1 In some games, like table tennis, you use a wooden bat to hit the ball.
NOUN 2 A bat is also a small animal like a mouse with leathery wings. Bats fly at night, and sleep hanging upside down.
VERB 3 If you are batting, you are having a turn at hitting the ball with a bat in cricket, baseball or rounders.
bath baths NOUN
A bath is a container for water. It is big enough to sit or lie in, so that you can wash yourself all over.
bathroom bathrooms NOUN
The bathroom is the room where the bath or shower is.
battery batteries NOUN
A battery is an object which stores electric power. There are tiny batteries for things like watches, and larger batteries for torches.
battle battles NOUN
A battle is a fight between enemy forces, on land, at sea or in the air.
bawl bawls, bawling, bawled VERB
If a child is bawling, it is crying very loudly and angrily.
bay bays NOUN
A bay is a deep curve in a coastline.
be am, is, are, being, was, were, been
VERB 1 You use be to say what a person or thing is like. She is very young.
VERB 2 You also use be to say that something is there. There is a tree in the garden.
beach beaches NOUN
The beach is the land covered with sand or pebbles that is next to the sea.
bead beads NOUN
A bead is a small piece of glass or plastic with a hole through it. Beads can be threaded together to make a necklace or bracelet.
beak beaks NOUN
A beak is the hard outside part of a bird’s mouth.
beam beams, beaming, beamed
NOUN 1 A beam is a long thick bar of wood, metal or concrete, used to support part of a building.
NOUN 2 A beam is also a line of light from an object such as a torch or the sun.
VERB 3 If you beam, you give a big smile.
bean beans NOUN
A bean is a vegetable. Its outer covering is called a pod, and inside it has large seeds, also called beans.
See Vegetables on page 260
bear bears, bearing, bore
NOUN 1 A bear is a large, strong animal with thick fur and sharp claws.
VERB 2 If you bear something, you put up with it. I can’t bear all this homework.
beard beards NOUN
A beard is the hair which grows on the lower part of a man’s face.
beat beats, beating, beat, beaten
VERB 1 If you beat someone in a race or competition, you do better than they do.
VERB 2 If someone beats another person or an animal, they hit them hard.
VERB 3 If you beat eggs, you stir them very fast.
VERB 4 Your heart beats with a regular rhythm all the time.
beautiful
ADJECTIVE 1 You say something is beautiful if it gives you great pleasure to look at it or listen to it.
ADJECTIVE 2 You say someone is beautiful if they are lovely to look at.
beaver beavers NOUN
A beaver is a furry animal which lives in or near water.
because CONJUNCTION
You say because when you are going to give a reason for something. I left the party because they were playing silly games.
become becomes, becoming, became, become VERB
To become means to start being different in some way. The smell became stronger.
bed beds
NOUN 1 A bed is a piece of furniture to lie down on when you rest or sleep.
NOUN 2 The bed of the sea or of a river is the ground beneath it.
bedroom bedrooms NOUN
Your bedroom is the room where you sleep.
bee bees NOUN
A bee is a flying insect. People keep bees for the honey that they make.
See beehive
See