Collins Primary Illustrated Dictionary

NOUN 1 something that lasts for a short period of time • I had a bout of flu.

2 a boxing or wrestling match

boutique boutiques

NOUN a small shop that sells fashionable clothes

bow bows, bowing, bowed

Rhymes with “now” VERB 1 When you bow, you bend your body or lower your head as a sign of respect or greeting.

NOUN 2 the movement you make when you bow

3 the front part of a ship

Rhymes with “low” NOUN 4 a knot with two loops and two loose ends • The ribbon was tied in a bow.

5 a long, thin piece of wood with horsehair strings stretched along it, used to play some stringed instruments, such as the violin and the cello

6 a long, flexible piece of wood used for shooting arrows

bowel bowels

NOUN the tubes leading from your stomach, through which waste passes before it leaves your body

[from Latin botellus meaning little sausage]

bowl bowls, bowling, bowled

NOUN 1 a round container with a wide, uncovered top, used for holding liquid or for serving food • a bowl of soup

2 the hollow, rounded part of something • a toilet bowl

VERB 3 When you bowl in cricket and rounders, you throw the ball towards the batsman.

bowling

NOUN a game in which you roll a heavy ball down a narrow track towards a set of wooden objects called pins, and try to knock them down

bowls

NOUN a game in which the players try to roll large wooden balls as near as possible to a small ball

box boxes, boxing, boxed

NOUN 1 a container with a firm base and sides, and usually a lid

VERB 2 If someone boxes, they fight according to special rules.

boxer boxers

NOUN 1 a person who boxes

2 a medium-sized, smooth-haired dog with a flat face

Boxing Day

NOUN the day after Christmas Day

boy boys

NOUN a male child

boyfriend boyfriends

NOUN Someone’s boyfriend is the man or boy with whom they are having a romantic relationship.

bra bras

NOUN a piece of underwear worn by a woman to support her breasts

brace braces, bracing, braced

NOUN 1 an object fixed to something to straighten or support it • I wore a brace on my teeth for two years.

PLURAL NOUN 2 Braces are elastic straps worn over the shoulders to hold trousers up.

VERB 3 If you brace yourself, you stiffen your body to steady yourself. • We braced ourselves as the bus went round the corner.

4 If you brace yourself for something unpleasant, you prepare yourself to deal with it.

bracelet bracelets

NOUN a chain or band worn around someone’s wrist as an ornament

[from Old French bracel meaning little arm]

bracken

NOUN a plant like a large fern that grows on hills and in woods

bracket brackets

NOUN a pair of written marks, ( ), { } or [ ], placed round a word or sentence that is not part of the main text, or to show that the items inside the brackets belong together

brag brags, bragging, bragged

VERB If you brag, you boast about something.

Braille

NOUN a system of printing for blind people in which letters are represented by raised dots that can be felt with the fingers

brain brains

NOUN the organ inside your head that controls your body and enables you to think and feel

brainstorm brainstorms

NOUN 1 a clever idea that you think of suddenly

2 If you have a brainstorm, you become confused and cannot think clearly.

brainy brainier, brainiest

ADJECTIVE clever and good at learning things

brake brakes, braking, braked

NOUN 1 a device for making a vehicle stop or slow down

VERB 2 When drivers brake, they make a vehicle stop or slow down by using its brakes.

bramble brambles

NOUN a wild, trailing bush with thorns, which produces blackberries

branch branches, branching, branched

NOUN 1 part of a tree that grows out from the trunk

2 A branch of a business or organization is one of its offices or shops.

VERB 3 A road that branches off from another road splits off from it to lead in a different direction.

brand brands

NOUN a particular kind or make of something

brandy

NOUN a strong, alcoholic drink, often drunk after a meal

[from Dutch brandewijn meaning burnt wine]

brass

NOUN OR ADJECTIVE 1 a yellow-coloured metal made from copper and zinc

2 In an orchestra, the brass section consists of instruments such as trumpets and trombones.

brave braver, bravest; braves, braving, braved

ADJECTIVE 1 A brave person is willing to do dangerous things and does not show any fear.

SYNONYMS: courageous, daring

VERB 2 If you brave an unpleasant or dangerous situation, you face up to it in order to do something. • We braved the snow to go to the party.

[from Italian bravo meaning courageous or wild]

brawl brawls, brawling, brawled

NOUN 1 a rough fight

VERB 2 When people brawl, they take part in a rough fight.

bread

NOUN a very common food made from flour, and baked in an oven

breadth breadths

NOUN the distance between two sides of something • I can swim the breadth of the pool.

See width

break breaks, breaking, broke, broken

VERB 1 When an object breaks, or when you break it, it becomes damaged or separates into pieces.

2 If you break a rule or promise, you fail to keep it.

3 To break a record means to do better than the previous recorded best. • She broke the record for the long jump.

NOUN 4 a short period during which you rest or do something different

break down

VERB When a machine or a vehicle breaks down, it stops working.

break up

VERB When schools break up, the term ends. • We break up on Thursday.

breakable

ADJECTIVE easy to break

breakdown breakdowns

NOUN If there is a breakdown in a system, it stops working.

breakfast breakfasts

NOUN the first meal of the day

breast breasts

NOUN A woman’s breasts are the two soft, fleshy parts on her chest, which produce milk after she has had a baby.

breast-feed breast-feeds, breast-feeding, breast-fed

VERB If a woman breast-feeds her baby, she feeds it with milk from her breasts.

breath breaths

NOUN 1 the air you take into your lungs and let out again when you breathe • He took a deep breath before jumping into the pool.

PHRASE 2 If you are out of breath, you are breathing with difficulty after doing something energetic.

breathe breathes, breathing, breathed

VERB When you breathe, you take air into your lungs and let it out again.

breathless

ADJECTIVE If you are breathless, you are breathing very fast or with difficulty. • I was breathless after running to catch the bus.

breathlessly ADVERB

breathlessness NOUN

breed breeds, breeding, bred

NOUN 1 a particular type of animal. For example, an Alsatian is a breed of dog.

VERB 2 Someone who breeds animals or plants keeps them in order to produce more animals or plants with particular qualities. • He used to breed dogs for the police.

3 When animals breed, they produce young.

SYNONYM: reproduce

breeze breezes

NOUN a gentle wind

breezy ADJECTIVE

brewery breweries

NOUN a place where beer is made, or a company that makes beer

bribe bribes, bribing, bribed

NOUN 1 a gift or money given to an official to persuade them to allow you to do something

VERB 2 If someone bribes someone else, they give them a bribe.

brick bricks

NOUN a rectangular block of baked clay used in building

bride brides

NOUN a woman who is getting married or who has just got married

bridegroom bridegrooms

NOUN a man on or near his wedding day

bridesmaid bridesmaids

NOUN a woman or girl who helps a bride on her wedding day

bridge bridges

NOUN 1 a structure built over a river, road or railway so that vehicles and people can cross

2 a card game for four players

bridle bridles

NOUN a set of straps round a horse’s head and mouth, which the rider uses to control the horse

brief briefer, briefest; briefs, briefing, briefed

ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is brief lasts only a short time. • We only had time for a brief visit.

VERB 2 When you brief someone on a task, you give them all the necessary instructions or information about it.

briefcase briefcases

NOUN a small, flat case for carrying papers

bright brighter, brightest

ADJECTIVE 1 strong and startling • a bright light

SYNONYMS: brilliant, dazzling

2 clever • That’s a bright idea.

SYNONYMS: intelligent, quick

brighten brightens, brightening, brightened

VERB If something brightens, it becomes brighter.

brighten up

VERB If you brighten up something, you make it look brighter and more attractive.

brilliant

ADJECTIVE 1 A brilliant person is extremely clever.

2 INFORMAL Something that is brilliant is extremely good or enjoyable.

3 A brilliant colour or light is extremely bright.

brim brims

NOUN 1 the wide part of a hat that sticks outwards from the head

2 If a container is filled to the brim, it is filled right to the top.

bring brings, bringing, brought

VERB If you bring something or someone with you when you go to a place, you take them with you.

bring up

VERB When someone brings up children, they look after them while they grow up.

brink

NOUN 1 the edge of a deep hole, cliff or ravine

PHRASE 2 If you are on the brink of something, you are about to do it. • They were on the brink of discovering a cure for the common cold.

brisk brisker, briskest

ADJECTIVE 1 quick and energetic • a brisk walk

2 If someone’s manner is brisk, it shows that they want to get things done quickly and efficiently.

briskly ADVERB briskness NOUN

bristle bristles, bristling, bristled

NOUN 1 Bristles are strong animal hairs used to make brushes.

VERB 2 If the hairs on an animal’s body bristle, they rise up because it is frightened.

bristly ADJECTIVE

brittle

ADJECTIVE An object that is brittle is hard but breaks easily.

broad broader, broadest

ADJECTIVE 1 A broad river is wide.

2 The broad outline of a story gives the main points, but no details.

broadband

NOUN a digital system for sending data to and from televisions, computers and telephones • What is the broadband speed like here?

broadcast broadcasts, broadcasting, broadcast

NOUN 1 a programme or announcement on radio or television

VERB 2 When someone broadcasts something, they send it out by radio waves, so that it can be seen on television or heard on radio.

broccoli

NOUN a vegetable with green stalks and green or purple flower buds

brochure brochures

NOUN a booklet that gives information about a product or a service • holiday brochure

broke

VERB 1 the past tense of break

ADJECTIVE 2 If you are broke, you have no money.

broken

ADJECTIVE A broken object is damaged in some way.

bronchitis

NOUN an illness in which the tubes connecting your windpipe to your lungs become infected, making you cough

brontosaurus brontosauruses

NOUN a very large, plant-eating dinosaur

bronze

NOUN a yellowish-brown metal that is a mixture of copper and tin

brooch brooches

Rhymes with “coach” NOUN a piece of jewellery with a pin at the back for attaching to clothes

brood broods, brooding, brooded

NOUN 1 a family of baby birds

VERB 2 If you brood about something, you are worried about it and can’t stop thinking about it.

brook brooks

NOUN a stream

broom brooms

NOUN a long-handled brush

brother brothers

NOUN Your brother is a boy or man who has the same parents as you.

brother-in-law brothers-in-law

NOUN Someone’s brother-in-law is the brother of their husband or wife, or their sister’s husband.

brought

VERB the past tense and past participle of bring

Do not confuse brought with bought.

brown browner, brownest

ADJECTIVE OR NOUN the colour of earth or wood

Brownie Brownies

NOUN a junior member of the Girl Guides

bruise bruises, bruising, bruised

NOUN 1 a purple mark that appears on your skin after something has hit it

VERB 2 If something bruises you, it hits you so that a bruise appears on your skin.

brunette brunettes

NOUN a girl or a woman with dark brown hair

brush brushes, brushing, brushed

NOUN 1 an object with bristles. There are brushes for cleaning things, painting or tidying your hair.

VERB 2 If you brush something, you clean it or tidy it with a brush.

Brussels sprout Brussels sprouts

NOUN a vegetable that looks like a tiny cabbage

brutal

ADJECTIVE Brutal behaviour is violent and cruel.

brutally ADVERB brutality NOUN

bubble bubbles, bubbling, bubbled

NOUN 1 a ball of air in a liquid

VERB 2 When a liquid bubbles, bubbles form in it.

buck bucks, bucking, bucked

NOUN 1 the male of various animals, including deer and rabbits

VERB 2 If a horse bucks, it jumps into the air with all four feet off the ground.

bucket buckets

NOUN a deep, round container with an open top and a handle

buckle buckles, buckling, buckled

NOUN 1 a fastening on the end of a belt or strap

VERB 2 If you buckle a belt or strap, you fasten it.

3 If metal buckles, it crumples up.

bud buds

NOUN a small, tight swelling on a tree or plant, which develops into a flower or leaf

Buddhist

NOUN someone who follows the religious teachings of Buddha, who taught in India in the fifth century. Buddhists believe that the way to end suffering is by overcoming our desires.

Buddhism NOUN

budgerigar budgerigars

NOUN a small, brightly-coloured pet bird. Budgerigars originated in Australia.

[an Australian Aboriginal name, from budgeri + gar meaning good cockatoo]

budget budgets, budgeting, budgeted

NOUN 1 a plan showing how much money will be available and how it will be spent

VERB 2 If you budget for something, you plan how you use your money carefully, so as to be able to afford what you want.

buffalo buffaloes

NOUN 1 a wild animal like a large cow with long curved horns

2 another word for bison

buffet buffets

NOUN 1 a café at a station or on a train

2 a meal at which people serve themselves

bug bugs, bugging, bugged

NOUN 1 a small insect, especially one that causes damage

2 an infection or virus that makes you ill

3 a small error in a computer programme that stops it working properly

VERB 4 If a place is bugged, tiny microphones are hidden there to pick up what people are saying.

build builds, building, built

VERB If you build something, you make it from all its parts.

builder builders

NOUN a person whose job is to build buildings

building buildings

NOUN a structure with walls and a roof

bulb bulbs

NOUN 1 the glass part of an electric lamp

2 an onion-shaped root from which a flower or plant grows. Tulips and daffodils are grown from bulbs.

[from Greek bolbos meaning onion]

bulge bulges, bulging, bulged

VERB 1 If something bulges, it swells out.

NOUN 2 a lump on a normally flat surface

bulk bulks

NOUN 1 a large mass of something

PHRASE 2 If you buy something in bulk, you buy it in large quantities.

bulky bulkier, bulkiest

ADJECTIVE Something that is bulky is large and heavy and sometimes difficult to move.

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.

You can write either burned or burnt as the past form of burn.

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

busker buskers

NOUN someone who sings or plays music in public places for money

bus stop bus stops

NOUN a place where the bus stops regularly for passengers to get on or off, usually marked with a sign

busy busier, busiest

ADJECTIVE 1 If you are busy, you are doing something and are not free to do anything else. • She was too busy to come to the cinema with us.

2 A busy place is full of people doing things or moving about.

but

CONJUNCTION 1 used to introduce an idea that is opposite to what has gone before • I love cooking, but I hate washing up afterwards.

2 used when you apologize for something • Sorry, but I can’t come to play tomorrow.

PREPOSITION 3 except • There was nothing to eat but potatoes.

butcher butchers

NOUN a shopkeeper who prepares and sells meat

butter

NOUN a soft, fatty food made from cream, which is spread on bread and used in cooking

buttercup buttercups

NOUN a wild plant with bright yellow flowers

butterfly butterflies

NOUN a type of insect with large, colourful wings. Butterflies develop from caterpillars.

buttocks

PLURAL NOUN Your buttocks are the part of your body that you sit on.

[from Old English buttuc meaning rounded slope]

button buttons, buttoning, buttoned

NOUN 1 a small, hard round object sewn on to clothing such as shirts • My new jeans fasten with buttons instead of a zip.

2 a small object on a piece of equipment that you press to make it work • You must push the button down to switch the video on.

VERB 3 If you button a garment, you fasten it using its buttons.

buy buys, buying, bought

VERB If you buy something, you get it by paying money for it.

buzz buzzes, buzzing, buzzed

VERB If something buzzes, it makes a humming sound, like a bee.

buzzer buzzers

NOUN a device that makes a buzzing sound. Buzzers are used to attract attention. • I pressed the door buzzer but nobody was home.

by

PREPOSITION 1 used to show who or what has done something • The announcement was made by the head teacher.

2 used to show how something is done • He cheered us up by taking us to the cinema.

3 next to or near to • They live by the park.

4 before a particular time • We should finish by tea time.

PREPOSITION OR ADVERB 5 going past • We drove by her house.

bypass bypasses

NOUN a road that takes traffic around the edge of a town instead of through the middle • The centre of town is much quieter since they built the bypass.

byte bytes

NOUN a unit of storage in a computer