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bid 31 bit shopping on her bicycle. ć He’s learn- ing to ride a bicycle. bid bid /bd/ noun 1. an offer to buy some- thing at a particular price ć His bid for the painting was too low. 2. an attempt to do something ˽ she made a bid for power she tried to seize power í verb to make an offer to buy something at an auction ć He bid £500 for the car. (NOTE: bids – bidding – bid) big big /b/ adjective of a large size ć I don’t want a small car – I want a big one. ć His father has the biggest restaurant in town. ć I’m not afraid of him – I’m big- ger than he is. ć We had a big order from Germany. (NOTE: big – bigger – biggest) bike bike /bak/ noun a bicycle ( informal ) ć He goes to school by bike. ć If the weather’s good, we could go for a bike ride. bill bill /bl/ noun 1. a piece of paper showing the amount of money you have to pay for something ć The total bill came to more than £200. ć Ask the waiter for the bill. ć Don’t forget to pay your gas bill. 2. same as beak ć The bird was picking up food with its bill. 3. a proposal which, if passed by parliament, be- comes law ć Parliament will consider the education bill this week. ć He has drafted a bill to ban the sale of guns. 4. US a piece of paper money ć a 10-dol- lar bill billion billion /bljən/ noun 1. one thousand million ć The government raises bil- lions in taxes each year. 2. one million million ( dated ) 3. a great many ć Bil- lions of Christmas cards are sent every year. (NOTE: In American English billion has always meant one thousand mil- lion, but in British English it formerly meant one million million, and it is still sometimes used with this meaning. With figures it is usually written bn: $5bn say ‘five billion dollars’.) bin bin /bn/ noun 1. a container for putting rubbish in ć Don’t throw your litter on the floor – pick it up and put it in the bin. 2. a container for keeping things in ć a bread bin í verb to throw something away into a rubbish bin ć He just binned the demand for payment. (NOTE: bins – binning – binned) bind bind /band/ verb 1. to tie someone’s hands or feet so they cannot move ć They bound her arms with a rope. 2. to tie something or someone to something else ć Bind the sticks together with strings. ć They bound him to the chair with strips of plastic. 3. to force some- one to do something ć The contract binds him to make regular payments. 4. to put a cover on a book ć The book is bound in blue leather. (NOTE: binds – binding – bound – has bound) biologist biologist /ba  ɒlədst/ noun a scientist who does research in biology biology biology /ba  ɒlədi/ noun the study of living things bird bird /bd/ noun 1. an animal with wings and feathers, most of which can fly 2. a young woman ( informal ; usually used by men and sometimes regarded as offensive by women ) birth birth /bθ/ noun the occasion of being born ć He was a big baby at birth. ˽ by birth according to the country some- one’s parents come from ć He is French by birth. ˽ to give birth to a baby to have a baby ć She gave birth to a boy last week. birthday birthday /bθde/ noun the date on which someone was born ć April 23rd is Shakespeare’s birthday. ć My birth- day is on 25th June. ć What do you want for your birthday? biscuit biscuit /bskt/ noun a small flat, usual- ly sweet, hard cake (NOTE: The US term for a sweet biscuit is cookie) bit bit /bt/ noun 1. a little piece ć He tied the bundle of sticks together with a bit of string. ć Would you like another bit of cake? 2. the smallest unit of information that a computer system can handle í verb  bite ȣ to bits 1. into little pieces 2. very much ć thrilled to bits ȣ to come or fall to bits to fall apart ć The chair has come to bits. ȣ to take some- thing to bits to take something apart in order to repair it ć He’s taking my old clock to bits. ȣ a bit a little ć The paint- ing is a bit too dark. ć She always plays that tune a bit too fast. ć Let him sleep Basic.fm Page 31 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM This is trial version www.adultpdf.com This is trial version www.adultpdf.com bite 32 blanket a little bit longer. ć Can you wait a bit? I’m not ready yet. ć Have you got a piece of wood a bit bigger than this one? ȣ for a bit for a short period of time ć Can you stop for a bit? I’m getting tired. bite bite /bat/ verb 1. to cut someone or something with your teeth ć The dog tried to bite the postman. ć She bit a piece out of the pie. 2. ( of an insect ) to make a small hole in your skin which turns red and itchy ć She’s been bitten by a mosquito. (NOTE: bites – biting – bit / bt/ – has bitten /bt(ə)n/) í noun 1. a small amount of food that you cut with your teeth in order to eat it ć She took a big bite out of the sandwich. ˽ a bite or a bite to eat a small meal 2. a place on someone’s body where it has been bitten bitter bitter /btə/ adjective 1. not sweet ć This black coffee is too bitter. 2. angry because something is not fair ć She was very bitter about the way the company treated her. 3. causing great disappoint- ment or unhappiness ć a bitter winter night ć a bitter wind coming from the Arctic ć Losing her job was a bitter blow. bitterly bitterly /btəli/ adverb strongly ć He bitterly regrets what he said. bitterness bitterness /btənəs/ noun 1. a bitter taste 2. angry feelings ć His bitterness at being left out of the England team was very obvious. black black /blk/ adjective 1. having a very dark colour, the opposite to white ć a black and white photograph ć He has black hair. 2. belonging to a race of peo- ple with dark skin, whose families are African in origin blackboard blackboard /blkbɔd/ noun a dark board which you can write on with chalk, especially on the wall of a class- room (NOTE: now often called a ‘chalk- board’) blade blade /bled/ noun 1. a sharp cutting part ć the blades of a pair of scissors ć Be careful – that knife has a very sharp blade. 2. a thin leaf of grass 3. one of the long flat parts that spin round on some aircraft engines or to keep a helicopter in the air blame blame /blem/ noun criticism for having done something wrong ć I’m not going to take the blame for something I didn’t do. ˽ to get the blame for something to be accused of something ć Who got the blame for breaking the window? – Me, of course! ˽ to take the blame for something to accept that you were re- sponsible for something bad í verb ˽ to blame someone for something, to blame something on someone to say that someone is responsible for some- thing ć Blame my sister for the awful food, not me. ć He blamed the accident on the bad weather. ˽ I don’t blame you I think you’re right to do that ć I don’t blame you for being annoyed, when everyone else got a present and you didn’t. ˽ you have only yourself to blame no one else is responsible for what happened ć You have only yourself to blame if you missed the chance of a free ticket. ˽ to be to blame for to be re- sponsible for something ć The manager is to blame for the bad service. blank blank /blŋk/ adjective not containing any information, sound or writing, e.g. ć She took a blank piece of paper and drew a map. ć Have we got any blank videos left? í noun an empty space, es- pecially on a printed form, for some- thing to be written in ć Just fill in the blanks on the second page – age, occu- pation, etc. ȣ to go blank to be unable to remember something ć I went blank when they asked what I was doing last Tuesday. ć When he asked for my work phone number, my mind just went blank. blank out phrasal verb 1. to cross out or cover a piece of writing ć The sur- name had been blanked out. 2. to try to forget something deliberately ć She blanked out the days or the memory of the days immediately after the car crash. blanket blanket /blŋkt/ noun 1. a thick cover which you put over you to keep warm ć He woke up when the blankets fell off the bed. ć She wrapped the children up in blankets to keep them warm. 2. a thick layer ć a blanket of leaves ć A blanket of snow covered the fields. ć The motorway was covered in a blanket Basic.fm Page 32 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM This is trial version www.adultpdf.com This is trial version www.adultpdf.com blankly 33 blow of fog. 3. a barrier to protect something ć a blanket of secrecy í adjective af- fecting everything or everyone ć a blan- ket ban on smoking blankly blankly /blŋkli/ adverb not showing any reaction or emotion ć When the teacher asked him about his homework he just stared at her blankly. blast blast /blɑst/ noun 1. an explosion ć Several windows were shattered by the blast. 2. a strong current of wind ć an icy blast from the north 3. a sharp loud sound from a signal or whistle ć Three blasts of the alarm means that passen- gers should go on deck. í verb to de- stroy with a bomb or bullets ć The bur- glars blasted their way into the safe. ć They blasted their way out of the police trap. blaze blaze /blez/ verb to burn or shine strong- ly ć The fire was blazing. ć The sun blazed through the clouds. í noun a large bright fire ć The house was burned down in the blaze. bleed bleed /blid/ verb to lose blood ć His chin bled after he cut himself shaving. ć He was bleeding heavily from his wound. (NOTE: bleeds – bleeding – bled / bled/) blend blend /blend/ noun something, especial- ly a substance, made by mixing differ- ent things together ć different blends of coffee í verb 1. to mix things together ć Blend the eggs, milk and flour togeth- er. 2. ( of colours ) to go well together ć The grey curtains blend with the pale wallpaper. bless bless /bles/ verb to make something holy by prayers ć The church was blessed by the bishop. (NOTE: blesses – blessing – blessed / blest/) ȣ to be blessed with to experience happiness or good things ć They were blessed with two healthy children. ȣ bless you said when someone sneezes blew blew /blu/ past tense of blow blind blind /bland/ adjective not able to see ć He went blind in his early forties. (NOTE: Some people avoid this word as it can cause offence and prefer terms such as visually impaired or partially sighted.) í verb to make someone un- able to see, especially for a short time ć She was blinded by the bright lights of the oncoming cars. blindness blindness /blandnəs/ noun the state of not being able to see ć The disease can cause blindness. (NOTE: Some peo- ple avoid this term as it can cause of- fence and prefer visual impairment.) blink blink /blŋk/ noun to close your eyes and open them again very quickly ć The sudden flash of light made him blink. í verb ( of lights ) to go on and off ć The alarm light is blinking. block block /blɒk/ noun 1. a large building ć They live in a block of flats. 2. a large piece ć Blocks of ice were floating in the river. 3. something that prevents some- thing happening ć a block on making payments ˽ to put a block on some- thing to stop something happening 4. same as blockage 1 5. US a section of buildings surrounded by streets ć He lives two blocks away. í verb to prevent something from passing along some- thing ć The pipe is blocked with dead leaves. ć The crash blocked the road for hours. blockage blockage /blɒkd/ noun 1. something which prevents movement ć There’s a blockage further down the drain. 2. the state of being blocked blood blood /bld/ noun the red liquid that flows around the body blossom blossom /blɒs(ə)m/ noun 1. the mass of flowers that appears on trees in the spring ć The hedges are covered with hawthorn blossom. ć The trees are in full blossom. 2. a single flower í verb to produces flowers ć The roses were blos- soming round the cottage door. blouse blouse /blaυz/ noun a woman’s shirt blow blow /bləυ/ verb 1. ( of air or wind ) to move ć The wind had been blowing hard all day. 2. to push air out from your mouth ć Blow on your soup if it’s too hot. (NOTE: blows – blowing – blew – has blown) ˽ to blow your nose to blow air through your nose into a hand- kerchief, especially if you have a cold ć She has a cold and keeps having to blow her nose. í noun 1. a knock or hit with the hand ć He received a blow to the Basic.fm Page 33 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM This is trial version www.adultpdf.com This is trial version www.adultpdf.com blue 34 bodyguard head in the fight. 2. a shock, which comes from bad news ć The election re- sult was a blow to the government. blow away phrasal verb 1. to go away by blowing ć His hat blew away. 2. to make something go away by blowing ć The wind will blow the fog away. blow down phrasal verb 1. to make something fall down by blowing ć Six trees were blown down in the storm. 2. to fall down by blowing ć The school fence has blown down. blow off phrasal verb to make some- thing go away by blowing ć The wind blew his hat off. blow out phrasal verb to make some- thing go out by blowing ć She blew out the candles on her birthday cake. blow over phrasal verb 1. ( of a storm or a difficult situation ) to end ć We hope the argument will soon blow over. 2. to knock something down by blowing ć The strong winds blew over several trees. blow up phrasal verb 1. to make some- thing get bigger by blowing into it ć He blew up balloons for the party. ć Your front tyre needs blowing up. 2. to de- stroy something by making it explode ć The soldiers blew up the railway bridge. 3. to make a photograph bigger ć The article was illustrated with a blown-up picture of the little girl and her stepfa- ther. blue blue /blu/ adjective of the colour of the sky ć He wore a pale blue shirt. ć They live in the house with the dark blue door. í noun the colour of the sky ć Is there a darker blue than this available? ȣ out of the blue suddenly ć Out of the blue came an offer of a job in Australia. blues blues /bluz/ plural noun sad songs from the southern US ć Bessie Smith, the great blues singer. blunder blunder /blndə/ noun a big mistake, often one that causes a lot of embarrass- ment ć A dreadful blunder by the goal- keeper allowed their opponents to score. blunt blunt /blnt/ adjective 1. not sharp ć He tried to cut the meat with a blunt knife. 2. almost rude ć His blunt manner often upset people. bluntly bluntly /blntli/ adverb in a direct way that may upset people blurred blurred /bld/ adjective not clearly seen ć The paper printed a blurred photo- graph of the suspect. blush blush /blʃ/ verb to go red in the face be- cause you are ashamed or embarrassed ć She blushed when he spoke to her. board board /bɔd/ noun 1. a long flat piece of something such as wood ć The floor of the bedroom was just bare boards. 2. a blackboard or chalkboard ć The teacher wrote on the board. boast boast /bəυst/ verb 1. to have something good ć The house boasts a large garden and pond. ć The town boasts an 18-hole golf course. 2. to say how good or suc- cessful you are í noun the act of talking about things that you are proud of ć Their proudest boast is that they never surrendered. boat boat /bəυt/ noun a small vehicle that people use for moving on water ć They sailed their boat across the lake. ć They went to Spain by boat. ć When is the next boat to Calais? ȣ in the same boat in the same difficult situation ć Don’t expect special treatment – we’re all in the same boat. body body /bɒdi/ noun 1. the whole of a per- son or of an animal ć He had pains all over his body. (NOTE: The plural is bod- ies.) 2. the main part of an animal or person, but not the head and arms and legs ć She had scars on the arms and upper part of her body. (NOTE: The plu- ral is bodies.) 3. the body of a dead per- son or animal ć The dead man’s body was found in the river. ć Bodies of in- fected cows were burnt in the fields. 4. the main structure of a vehicle ć The factory used to make car bodies. 5. the main part of something ć You’ll find the details in the body of the report. (NOTE: The plural is bodies.) 6. the thickness of hair ć The shampoo will give your hair body. (NOTE: no plural) bodyguard bodyguard /bɒdiɑd/ noun 1. a per- son who guards someone ć The man was stopped by the president’s body- Basic.fm Page 34 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM This is trial version www.adultpdf.com This is trial version www.adultpdf.com boil 35 booking guards. 2. a group of people who guard someone ć He has a bodyguard of six people or a six-man bodyguard. boil boil /bɔl/ verb 1. ( of water or other liquid ) to form bubbles and change into steam or gas because of being heated ć Put the egg in when you see that the wa- ter’s boiling. ć Don’t let the milk boil. 2. to heat a liquid until it changes into steam ć Can you boil some water so we can make tea? 3. to cook food such as vegetables or eggs in boiling water ć Boil the potatoes in a large pan. í noun an infected swelling ć He has a boil on the back of his neck. boiling boiling /bɔlŋ/ adjective 1. which has started to boil (i.e. for water, at 100°C) ć Put the potatoes in a pan of boiling water. 2. also boiling hot very hot ć It is boiling in this room. bolt bolt /bəυlt/ noun 1. a long piece of metal with a screw, fastened with a round piece of metal called a nut ć The legs of the table are secured to the top with bolts. 2. a long piece of metal which you slide into a hole to lock a door ć She pulled back the bolts. 3. ˽ to make a bolt for it to run away ć When the guards weren’t looking two prisoners tried to make a bolt for it. í verb 1. to run fast suddenly ć The horse bolted. 2. to run away from someone or something ć When the boys saw him coming, they bolted. 3. to fasten something with a bolt ć He bolted the door when he went to bed. ć The tables are bolted to the floor. ȣ to make a bolt for something to rush towards something ć At the end of the show everyone made a bolt for the door. ȣ to make a bolt for it to run away from someone or something ć When the guards weren’t looking two prisoners tried to make a bolt for it. bomb bomb /bɒm/ noun a weapon which ex- plodes, and can be dropped from an air- craft or placed somewhere by hand ć The bomb was left in a suitcase in the middle of the station. ć They phoned to say that a bomb had been planted in the main street. ć Enemy aircraft dropped bombs on the army base. í verb to drop bombs on something ć Enemy aircraft bombed the power station. bombing bombing /bɒmŋ/ noun an occasion when someone attacks a place with a bomb or bombs ć bombings in centre of major cities ć a bombing raid by enemy aircraft bone bone /bəυn/ noun one of the solid pieces in the body, which make up the skeleton ć He fell over and broke a bone in his leg. ć Be careful when you’re eating fish – they have lots of little bones. bonfire bonfire /bɒnfaə/ noun a fire made out- doors bonnet bonnet /bɒnt/ noun 1. the metal cover over the front part of a car, covering the engine ć He lifted up the bonnet and looked at the steam pouring out of the engine. 2. a hat with strings that tie un- der the chin bonus bonus /bəυnəs/ noun 1. extra money ć Sales staff earn a bonus if they sell more than their target. 2. an advantage ć It was a bonus that the plane arrived ear- ly, as we were able to catch an earlier bus home. (NOTE: The plural is bonus- es.) ˽ added bonus an additional ad- vantage ć I prefer this job and it’s an added bonus that I can walk to work. bony bony /bəυni/ adjective 1. thin, so that the bones can be seen easily ć She was riding a bony horse. ć He grabbed her arm with his bony hand. 2. ( of fish ) with many bones ć I don’t like kippers, they’re usually too bony. (NOTE: bonier – boniest) book book /bυk/ noun 1. sheets of printed pa- per attached together, usually with a stiff cover ć I’m reading a book on the history of London. ć He wrote a book about butterflies. 2. sheets of paper to write or draw on, attached together in a cover. ı exercise book, notebook, sketchbook í verb to reserve a place, a seat, a table in a restaurant or a room in a hotel ć We have booked a table for tomorrow evening. ˽ to book someone on or onto a flight to order a plane tick- et for someone else ć I’ve booked you on the 10 o’clock flight to New York. booking booking /bυkŋ/ noun an arrangement to have something such as a seat, hotel room or a table in a restaurant kept for you Basic.fm Page 35 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM This is trial version www.adultpdf.com This is trial version www.adultpdf.com boom 36 bottled boom boom /bum/ noun 1. a sudden increase in the amount of money being earned in a country or region, or by a business ć The economy is improving and everyone is forecasting a boom for next year. 2. a loud deep noise, like the sound of an ex- plosion ć There was such a loud boom that everyone jumped. í verb 1. to in- crease ć The economy is booming. ć Sales to Europe are booming. 2. to make a loud deep noise ć His voice boomed across the square. boot boot /but/ noun a strong shoe which covers your foot and your ankle or the lower part of your leg ć long black rid- ing boots ć walking boots ć ankle boots boot up phrasal verb 1. to make a com- puter start 2. ( of a computer ) to be start- ed up and made ready for use border border /bɔdə/ noun 1. an imaginary line between countries or regions ć They crossed the border into Switzer- land. ć The enemy shelled several bor- der towns. ć He was questioned by the border guards. 2. a pattern around the edge of something ć I don’t like the pink border on the scarf. 3. a patch of soil at the side of a path or an area of grass where flowers or bushes are planted í verb to be along the edge of something ć The path is bordered with rose bushes. ć The new houses border the west side of the park. border on phrasal verb same as bor- der verb bore bore /bɔ/ noun a dull person who is not very interesting ć I don’t want to sit next to him, he’s such a bore. í verb to make a hole in something ć Bore three holes close together. bored bored /bɔd/ adjective not interested in what is happening ć You get very bored having to do the same work every day. ć I’m bored – let’s go out to the club. boredom boredom /bɔdəm/ noun the state of being bored boring boring /bɔrŋ/ adjective not interesting ć I don’t want to watch that TV pro- gramme – it’s boring. born born /bɔn/ verb to come out of your mother’s body and begin to live ć He was born in Scotland. ć She was born in 1989. ć The baby was born last week. borne borne /bɔn/ past participle of bear borrow borrow /bɒrəυ/ verb 1. to take some- thing for a short time, usually with the permission of the owner ć She bor- rowed three books from the school li- brary. ć He wants to borrow one of my CDs. 2. to take money for a time, usual- ly from a bank ć Companies borrow from banks to finance their business. ć She borrowed £100,000 from the bank to buy a flat. Compare lend boss boss /bɒs/ noun the person in charge, es- pecially the owner of a business ć If you want a day off, ask the boss. ć I left be- cause I didn’t get on with my boss. (NOTE: The plural is bosses.) both both /bəυθ/ adjective , pronoun two peo- ple or things together ć Hold onto the handle with both hands. ć Both my shoes have holes in them. ć Both her brothers are very tall. ć She has two brothers, both of them in Canada. ć She and her brother both go to the same school. ć I’m talking to both of you. bother bother /bɒðə/ noun trouble or worry ć We found the shop without any bother. ć It was such a bother getting packed that we nearly didn’t go on holiday. í verb 1. to make someone feel slightly angry, especially by disturbing them ć It both- ers me that everyone is so lazy. ć Stop bothering me – I’m trying to read. 2. ˽ to bother to do something to take the time or trouble to do something ć Don’t bother to come with me to the station – I can find my way easily. bottle bottle /bɒt(ə)l/ noun 1. a tall plastic or glass container for liquids, usually with a narrow part at the top ć He opened two bottles of red wine. ć She drank the wa- ter straight out of the bottle. ć He bought his wife a bottle of perfume on the plane. 2. confidence ( informal ) ć He hasn’t got the bottle to do it. í verb to put in bottles ć The wine is bottled in Germany. ć Only bottled water is safe to drink. bottled bottled /bɒt(ə)ld/ adjective sold in bot- tles Basic.fm Page 36 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM This is trial version www.adultpdf.com This is trial version www.adultpdf.com bottom 37 brain bottom bottom /bɒtəm/ noun 1. the lowest point ć The ship sank to the bottom of the sea. ć Turn left at the bottom of the hill. ć Is there any honey left in the bot- tom of the jar? 2. the far end ć Go down to the bottom of the street and you will see the station on your left. ć The shed is at the bottom of the garden. 3. the part of the body on which you sit ć Does my bottom look big in these trousers? í plural noun bottoms the lower part of a set of clothes ć He was wearing just his track suit bottoms. í adjective lowest ć The jam is on the bottom shelf. ć He was standing on the bottom rung of the lad- der. bought bought /bɔt/ past tense and past partici- ple of buy bounce bounce /baυns/ noun 1. a movement of something such as a ball when it hits a surface and moves away again ć He hit the ball on the second bounce. 2. energy ć She’s always full of bounce. í verb to spring up and down or off a surface ć The ball bounced down the stairs. ć He kicked the ball but it bounced off the post. ć In this game you bounce the ball against the wall. bound bound /baυnd/ noun a big jump í ad- jective 1. very likely ć They are bound to be late. 2. obliged ć He felt bound to help her. ć He is bound by the contract he signed last year. 3. tied up ć a bundle of old letters bound with pink ribbon ć The burglars left him bound hand and foot. í verb to make a big jump, or move fast suddenly ć She bounded into the room. ć He bounded out of his chair. ć The dog bounded into the bushes. ȣ bound for on the way to ć a ship bound for the Gulf boundary boundary /baυnd(ə)ri/ noun an imagi- nary line or physical barrier separating two things ć Their behaviour crossed the boundary between unkindness and cruelty. ć The white fence marks the boundary between the two gardens. bow bow /baυ/ noun 1. the act of bending your body forwards as a greeting or sign of respect ć He made a deep bow to the audience. ˽ to take a bow to stand on a stage and bend forwards to thank the au- dience ć The actors took their bows one after the other. 2. the front part of a ship í verb 1. to bend your body forward as a greeting or sign of respect ć He bowed to the queen. 2. to bend your head for- wards ć She bowed her head over her books. bowl bowl /bəυl/ noun 1. a wide, round con- tainer for something such as food or wa- ter ć Put the egg whites in a bowl and beat them. 2. the food or liquid con- tained in a bowl ć He was eating a bowl of rice. ć A bowl of hot thick soup is just what you need in this cold weather. í verb 1. ( especially in cricket ) to throw a ball to a batsman ˽ to bowl someone (out) to throw the ball to someone and hit his or her wicket 2. ( in a game of bowls ) to roll a bowl along the ground to try to get close to the target box box /bɒks/ noun 1. a container made of wood, plastic, cardboard or metal, with a lid ć The cakes came in a cardboard box. 2. a container and its contents ć He took a box of matches from his pocket. ć He gave her a box of chocolates for her birthday. í verb to fight by punching, especially when wearing special thick gloves ć He learnt to box at a gym in the East End. boxing boxing /bɒksŋ/ noun a sport in which two opponents fight each other in a square area wearing special thick gloves boy boy /bɔ/ noun 1. a male child ć A boy from our school won the tennis match. ć I knew him when he was a boy. 2. a son ć Her three boys are all at university. 3. ˽ the boys men who are friends, or who play sport together ( informal ) boyfriend boyfriend /bɔfrend/ noun a young or older man that someone is having a ro- mantic relationship with ć She’s got a new boyfriend. ć She brought her boy- friend to the party. bra bra /brɑ/ noun a piece of women’s un- derwear worn to support the breasts bracelet bracelet /breslət/ noun a piece of jew- ellery worn around your wrist or arm brain brain /bren/ noun 1. the nerve centre in the head, which controls all the body 2. intelligence ˽ to use your brain to think sensibly ˽ she’s got brains, she’s got a good brain she’s intelligent Basic.fm Page 37 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM This is trial version www.adultpdf.com This is trial version www.adultpdf.com brainy 38 break brainy brainy /breni/ adjective very intelligent ( informal ) (NOTE: brainier – brainiest) brake brake /brek/ noun a part of a vehicle used for stopping or making it go more slowly ć Put the brake on when you go down a hill. ć The brakes aren’t work- ing! í verb to slow down by pressing a vehicle’s brakes ć The driver of the lit- tle white van braked, but too late to avoid the dog. branch branch /brɑntʃ/ noun 1. a thick part of a tree, growing out of the main part ć He hit his head against a low branch. 2. a local office of an organisation ć He’s the manager of our local branch of Lloyds Bank. ć The store has branches in most towns in the south of the coun- try. 3. one part of something larger ć Genetics is a branch of biology. ć I’m not in contact with the Irish branch of my family. 4. a section of a road, railway line or river that leads to or from the main part í verb to divide into two or more parts brand brand /brnd/ noun a product with a name, made by a particular company ć a well-known brand of soap í verb to describe someone or something public- ly as bad ć He was branded as a thief. ć The minister was publicly branded a liar in the newspaper. brand name brand name /brnd nem/ noun the official name of a product brand-new brand-new /brnd nju/ adjective completely new brass brass /brɑs/ noun 1. a shiny yellow metal used for making things such as some musical instruments and door han- dles ć The doctor has a brass name plate on his door. 2. musical instru- ments made of brass, such as trumpets or trombones ć the brass section of the orchestra ć He has composed several pieces of music for brass. brave brave /brev/ adjective not afraid of do- ing unpleasant or dangerous things ć It was very brave of him to dive into the river to rescue the little girl. (NOTE: braver – bravest) í verb to accept un- pleasant or dangerous conditions in or- der to achieve something ć We braved the Saturday crowds in the supermarket because we needed bread and milk. bravely bravely /brevli/ adverb in a brave way bravery bravery /brevəri/ noun the ability to do dangerous or unpleasant things with- out being afraid ć We admired her brav- ery in coping with the illness. ć He won an award for bravery. bread bread /bred/ noun food made from flour and water baked in an oven ć Can you get a loaf of bread from the baker’s? ć She cut thin slices of bread for sand- wiches. breadth breadth /bredθ/ noun 1. a measurement of how wide something is ć The breadth of the piece of land is over 300m. 2. the fact of being full or complete ć His an- swers show the breadth of his knowl- edge of the subject. ȣ the length and breadth of something everywhere in a place ć We walked the length and breadth of the field but found no mush- rooms. break break /brek/ verb 1. to make something divide into pieces accidentally or delib- erately ć He dropped the plate on the floor and broke it. ć She broke her leg when she was skiing. ć Break the choc- olate into four pieces. 2. to divide into pieces accidentally ć The clock fell on the floor and broke. 3. to fail to carry out the terms of a contract or a rule ć The company has broken its agreement. ˽ to break a promise not to do what you had promised to do ć He broke his promise and wrote to her again. 4. ˽ to break it or to break the news to someone to tell someone bad news ć We will have to break it to her as gently as possible. (NOTE: Do not confuse with brake. Note also breaks – breaking – broke / brəυk/ – has broken /brəυkən/.) í noun 1. a short pause or rest ć There will be a 15-minute break in the middle of the meeting. ˽ without a break with- out stopping ć They worked without a break. ˽ to take a break to have a short rest ć We’ll take a break now, and start again in fifteen minutes. 2. a short holi- day ć a winter break ȣ to break your journey to stop travelling for a while before going on ć We’ll break our jour- ney in Edinburgh. break down phrasal verb 1. ( of a ma- chine ) to stop working ć The lift has Basic.fm Page 38 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM This is trial version www.adultpdf.com This is trial version www.adultpdf.com breakable 39 breeze broken down again. ć The car broke down and we had to push it. 2. to show all the items that are included in a total separately ć Can you break down this invoice into travel costs and extras? 3. to become upset and start crying ć When she got her results she just broke down. 4. to separate a substance into small parts, or to become separated ć Enzymes break down the food. 5. to fail ć Their relationship quickly broke down when he lost his job. ć The discus- sions seem likely to break down over the amount of money being offered. break in phrasal verb 1. ˽ to break in, to break into a building to use force to get into a building ć Burglars broke into the office during the night. 2. to in- terrupt something that is happening ć I’m sorry to break in, but I need to speak to Mr McGregor urgently. break into phrasal verb to start doing something ć When they saw the photos, they broke into laughter. break off phrasal verb 1. to make something come off by breaking ć He broke a piece off his pie and gave it to the dog. 2. to come off by breaking ć The handle broke off the cup in the dish- washer. ć Several branches broke off in the wind. 3. to stop something suddenly ć He broke off in the middle of his story. ć They broke off the discussions. ˽ to break it off to end a relationship ć They were going to get married, but she broke it off. break out phrasal verb 1. to start ć War broke out between the countries in the area. 2. to escape ć Three prisoners broke out of jail. break up phrasal verb 1. to divide into pieces ć The oil tanker was breaking up on the rocks. 2. ( of a meeting ) to end ć The meeting broke up at 3 p.m. breakable breakable /brekəb(ə)l/ adjective that can break easily breakdown breakdown /brekdaυn/ noun 1. a sit- uation in which someone cannot contin- ue to live normally any more because they are mentally ill or very tired 2. a situation in which a machine or vehicle stops working ć We had a breakdown on the motorway. ć A breakdown truck came to tow us to the garage. breakfast breakfast /brekfəst/ noun the first meal of the day ć I had a boiled egg for breakfast. ć She didn’t have any break- fast because she was in a hurry. ć The hotel serves breakfast from 7.30 to 9.30 every day. breast breast /brest/ noun 1. one of two parts on a woman’s chest which produce milk 2. meat from the chest part of a bird ć We bought some chicken breasts to make a stir-fry. breath breath /breθ/ noun air which goes into and out of the body through the nose or mouth ć We could see our breath in the cold air. ˽ out of breath, gasping for breath having difficulty in breathing ć He was out of breath after running all the way to the station. ˽ to hold your breath to keep air in your lungs, e.g. in order to go under water ć She held her breath under water for a minute. ˽ to take a deep breath to breathe in as much air as you can ȣ to take some- one’s breath away to surprise some- one very much ć The beautiful view just took our breath away. ȣ under your breath quietly ć He swore under his breath. ȣ don’t hold your breath don’t expect it to happen ć He said he’ll pay us next month, but don’t hold your breath! breathe breathe /brið/ verb to take air into the lungs or let it out ć Relax and breathe in and then out slowly. ˽ to breathe deep- ly to take a lot of air into the lungs ˽ breathing down someone’s neck al- ways watching and judging what some- one is doing breathless breathless /breθləs/ adjective finding it difficult to breathe breed breed /brid/ noun a group of animals or plants specially developed with features that make it different from others of the same type í verb 1. to produce young animals ć Rabbits breed very rapidly. 2. to keep animals which produce young ones ć They breed sheep for the meat and the wool. (NOTE: breeds – breed- ing – bred / bred/) breeze breeze /briz/ noun a slight wind ć A cool breeze is welcome on a hot day like Basic.fm Page 39 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM This is trial version www.adultpdf.com This is trial version www.adultpdf.com brick 40 brown this. í verb to walk around looking very pleased with yourself ć He breezed into the meeting carrying a cup of coffee. breeze through phrasal verb to do something without any difficulty ć She breezed through the tests in an hour. brick brick /brk/ noun a hard block of baked clay used for building bride bride /brad/ noun a woman who is get- ting married or has just married bridge bridge /brd/ noun 1. a road or path built over a road or river so that you can walk or drive from one side to the other 2. a connection or helpful link between two things ć A shared interest can be a bridge between old and young. brief brief /brif/ adjective short ć He wrote a brief note of thanks. ć The meeting was very brief. ȣ in brief in a few words, or without giving details ć We have food for only a few days; in brief, the situa- tion is very serious. briefcase briefcase /brifkes/ noun a case for carrying papers or documents briefly briefly /brifli/ adverb 1. for a short time 2. in a few words, or without giving de- tails bright bright /brat/ adjective 1. full of light or sunlight ć a bright day ć a bright room ˽ bright sunshine or sunlight strong clear light from the sun 2. ( of a colour ) very strong ć They have painted their front door bright orange. 3. a young person who is bright is intelligent ć Both children are very bright. ć She’s the brightest student we’ve had for many years. 4. clear and sunny ć There will be bright periods during the after- noon. 5. happy and pleasant ć She gave me a bright smile. brightly brightly /bratli/ adverb 1. in a strong clear light or colour ć A children’s book with brightly painted pictures. ć The streets were brightly lit for Christmas. 2. cheerfully ć She smiled brightly as she went into the hospital. brightness brightness /bratnəs/ noun 1. strong clear light 2. strong colour brilliant brilliant /brljənt/ adjective 1. extreme- ly clever ć He’s the most brilliant stu- dent of his year. ć She had a brilliant idea. 2. ( of light ) strong and clear ć She stepped out into the brilliant sunshine. 3. very good ( informal ) ć The way the information is displayed on this website is brilliant. bring bring /brŋ/ verb to come with someone or something to this place ć She brought the books to school with her. ć He brought his girlfriend home for tea. ć Are you bringing any friends to the par- ty? (NOTE: brings – bringing – brought / brɔt/) bring up phrasal verb 1. to look after and educate a child ć He was born in the USA but brought up in England. ć He was brought up by his uncle in Scot- land. 2. to mention a problem ć He brought up the question of the noise. brink brink /brŋk/ noun the brink the time when something is about to happen ˽ on the brink of (doing) something about to achieve something ć The company is on the brink of collapse. ć She was on the brink of a nervous breakdown. British British /brtʃ/ adjective relating to the United Kingdom ć a British citizen ć the British army ć The British press re- ported their death in a plane crash in Africa. ć The ship was flying a British flag. broad broad /brɔd/ adjective very wide ć a broad river ı breadth broadcast broadcast /brɔdkɑst/ noun a radio or TV programme ć The broadcast came live from the award ceremony. broke broke /brəυk/ adjective with no money ( informal ) í past tense of break broken broken /brəυkən/ adjective 1. in pieces ć She tried to mend the broken vase. 2. not working ć We can’t use the lift be- cause it’s broken. brooch brooch /brəυtʃ/ noun a piece of jewel- lery fixed onto clothes with a pin (NOTE: The plural is brooches.) brother brother /brðə/ noun a boy or man who has the same mother and father as some- one else ć My brother John is three years older than me. ć She came with her three brothers. brought brought /brɔt/ past tense and past parti- ciple of bring brown brown /braυn/ adjective 1. with a colour like earth or wood ć She has brown hair Basic.fm Page 40 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM This is trial version www.adultpdf.com This is trial version www.adultpdf.com . week. birthday birthday /bθde/ noun the date on which someone was born ć April 23 rd is Shakespeare’s birthday. ć My birth- day is on 25 th June. ć What do you want for your birthday? biscuit biscuit /bskt/. keep them warm. 2. a thick layer ć a blanket of leaves ć A blanket of snow covered the fields. ć The motorway was covered in a blanket Basic.fm Page 32 Friday, January 16, 20 04 3:10 PM This. body- Basic.fm Page 34 Friday, January 16, 20 04 3:10 PM This is trial version www.adultpdf.com This is trial version www.adultpdf.com boil 35 booking guards. 2. a group of people who guard someone