Collins Primary Illustrated Dictionary - Collins Dictionaries 12 стр.


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

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 womans 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

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 horses 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 Thats 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.

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 someones 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 animals 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 cant 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 Someones brother-in-law is the brother of their husband or wife, or their sisters 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.

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