see a sample letter. - University of Dayton Publishing

see a sample letter. - University of Dayton Publishing

bad
baby grand ❚ (noun) A small grand piano. ✑piano de
media cola
B
b
b [biː] (noun) The second letter of the alphabet: The name
‘Bruce’ begins with a ‘B’. ✑b
b. [abbreviation for born] Referring to a date when some‑
body came into the world: Mary Smith (b. 8 November
1979, Dublin). ✑nacido
B [biː] [plural Bs, B's] (noun) The seventh musical note of
the scale of C major. ✑(nota musical) si 㐀 See page 860
BA, B.A. [ˌbiː'eiː] [abbreviation for Bachelor of Arts]
(noun) A first university degree in arts, literature etc (but
not in the exact sciences). ✑licenciatura en una carrera
de Humanidades o Ciencias Sociales
babble ['bæbl] ❚ (verb) 1 To talk indistinctly or fool‑
ishly: What are you babbling about now? ✑murmullar,
murmurar, barbotar 2 To make a continuous and indis‑
tinct noise: The stream babbled over the pebbles.
✑murmullar ❚ (noun) 3 Such talk or noises. ✑murmu­
llo, barboteo
babe [beib] (noun) 1 A baby: a babe in arms (= a small
baby not yet able to walk). ✑bebé 2 See baby ✑bebé
baboon [bə'buːn, (American) ba‑] (noun) A kind of large
monkey with a dog‑like face. ✑mandril
baby ['beibi] [plural 'babies] ❚ (noun) 1 A very young
child: Some babies cry during the night; [also adjective] a
baby boy. ✑bebé 2 (informal) [especially American, often
babe] A girl or young woman. ✑ nena || (baby) buggy,
baby carriage [American] A pram. ✑cochecito de bebé
'baby‑sit ❚ (verb) To remain in a house to look after a
child while its parents are out: She baby‑sits for her
friends every Saturday. ✑cuidar niños, hacer de canguro
'baby‑sitter ❚ (noun) ✑niñera, canguro
'baby‑sitting ❚ (noun) ✑cuidado de niños
'babyish ❚ (adjective) Like a baby; not mature: a baby‑
ish child that cries every day at school. ✑infantil, pegado
a las faldas de su madre
bachelor ['bætʃələ] (noun) An unmarried man: He's a
confirmed bachelor; [also adjective] a bachelor flat (= a
flat suitable for one person). ✑soltero
Bachelor of Arts See BA, B.A. ✑licenciatura en una
carrera de Humanidades o Ciencias Sociales
Bachelor of Education See BEd, B.Ed. ✑licenciatura
en Magisterio
Bachelor of Engineering See BE, B.E. ✑licenciatura
en Ingeniería
Bachelor of Fine Arts See BFA, B.F.A. ✑licenciatura
en Bellas Artes
Bachelor of Science See BSc ✑ licenciatura en
­Ciencias
back [bæk] ❚ (noun) 1 In people, the part of the body from
the neck to the bottom of the spine: She lay on her back,
thinking. ✑espalda 2 In animals, the upper part of the
body: She put the saddle on the horse's back. ✑lomo 3
That part of anything opposite to or furthest from the
front: the back of the house; She sat at the back of the hall.
✑parte trasera, fondo 4 In football, hockey etc a player
who plays behind the forwards and the midfield. ✑de­
fensa ❚ (adjective) 5 Of or at the back: the back door; Let's
go in the back way. ✑de detrás, trasero ❚ (adverb) 6 To,
or at, the place or person from which a person or thing
came: I went back to the shop; He gave the car back to its
owner; When are you coming back to Madrid?; Did you get
your CDs back? ✑de vuelta 7 Away (from something); not
near (something): Move back! Let the ambulance get to the
injured man; Keep back from me or I'll hit you! ✑hacia
atrás, para atrás 8 Towards the back (of something): Sit
back in your chair. ✑hacia atrás, para atrás 9 In return;
in response to: When the teacher is telling you off, don't
answer back. ✑de vuelta 10 To, or in, the past: Think
back to your first day at school. ✑atrás ❚ (verb) 11 To
(cause to) move backwards: She backed (her car) out of the
garage. ✑dar marcha atrás, mover hacia atrás 12 [often
with up] To help or support: Will you back me against the
others?; Yes, I will back you up. ✑apoyar 13 To bet or
gamble on: I backed your horse to win. ✑apostar a || back
of [American] Behind: He parked back of the store. ✑de­
trás de || have one's back to the wall To be in a very diffi‑
cult or desperate situation: He certainly has his back to the
wall as he has lost his job and cannot find another one.
✑estar entre la espada y la pared
∙ back down To give up one's opinion, claim etc. ✑echar­
se/volverse atrás
∙ back on to (Of a building etc) to have its back next to
(something): My house backs on to the racecourse.
✑dar a
∙ back (something) out 1 To move out backwards: He
opened the garage door and backed (his car) out. ✑salir
marcha atrás 2 To withdraw from a promise etc: You
promised to help ‑ you mustn't back out now! ✑echarse/
volverse atrás
∙ back (someone/something) up 1 To support or encour‑
age: The new evidence backed up my arguments. ✑soste­
ner 2 To make a copy of the information stored on the
computer or disk. ✑hacer una copia de seguridad
backache ❚ (noun) A pain in the back: Yesterday I had
a terrible backache. ✑dolor de espalda
'backbite ❚ (verb) To criticize a person when they are
not present. ✑criticar
'backbiting ❚ (noun) Constant backbiting by her col‑
leagues led to her resignation. ✑murmuración
'backbone ❚ (noun) 1 The spine: the backbone of a fish.
✑espina dorsal 2 The chief support: The manager says
that the older employees are the backbone of the company.
✑piedra angular, sostén
'backbreaking ❚ (adjective) (Of a task etc) very difficult
or requiring very hard work: Digging the garden is a back‑
breaking job. ✑demoledor, pesado
'backer ❚ (noun) A person who supports someone or
something, especially with money: the backer of the new
theatre. ✑financiador, patrocinador
back'date ❚ (verb) 1 To put an earlier date on (a
'
cheque etc): He should have paid his bill last month and
so he has backdated the cheque. ✑poner fecha anterior a
2 To make payable from a date in the past: Our rise in pay
was backdated to April. ✑tener efecto retroactivo
back'fire ❚ (verb) 1 (Of a motor‑car etc) to make a loud
'
bang because of unburnt gases in the exhaust system:
The car backfired. ✑petardear 2 (informal) (Of a plan etc)
to have unexpected results, usually the opposite to the
intended results: His scheme backfired (on him), and he
lost money. ✑salir el tiro por la culata
'background ❚ (noun) 1 The space behind the principal
or most important figures or objects of a picture etc: He
always paints ships against a background of stormy skies;
The trees in the background of the picture are very dark;
Who is that in the background of the photo? ✑fondo [Compare with foreground (that part of a view which is closest to
the viewer).] 2 Happenings that go before, and help to
explain, an event etc: the background to a situation.
✑antecedentes, contexto 3 A person's origins, educa‑
tion, professional experience etc: She was ashamed of her
humble background; What's your background? What were
your previous jobs? ✑orígenes, historial, experiencia
'backhand ❚ (noun) In tennis etc, a stroke or shot with
the back of one's hand turned towards the ball: a won‑
derful backhand; His backhand is very strong. ✑revés
backing ❚ (noun) Help or support: Our team has a lot of
backing and they say it helps them to play better. ✑apoyo
'backlog ❚ (noun) A pile of uncompleted work etc which
has collected: a backlog of orders because of the strike.
✑atrasos, trabajo acumulado
back‑'number ❚ (noun) An out‑of‑date copy or issue
'
of a magazine etc: He collects back‑numbers of comics.
✑número atrasado
'backpack ❚ (noun) [especially American] A rucksack; a
bag that walkers, people who go on trips, or students
carry on their backs. ✑mochila || 'backpacking: go back‑
packing To go on trips or go camping carrying a back‑
pack. ✑viajar de mochila
'backpacker ❚ (noun) ✑mochilero
'backside ❚ (noun) The bottom or buttocks: He sits on
his backside all day long and does no work. ✑trasero,
nalgas
'backslash ❚ (noun) The sign \. ✑barra invertida
'backstroke ❚ (noun) In swimming, a stroke made
when lying on one's back in the water: Tricia is good at
backstroke. ✑(estilo de natación) espalda
'backup ❚ (noun) 1 Additional people who provide help
when it is needed: The police officer requested some back‑
up when the shooting began. ✑refuerzo, ayuda 2 A copy
of a computer file that can be used in case the original is
destroyed: Make sure you make a backup. ✑copia de se­
guridad 3 [also adjective] A piece of equipment, a system
etc that can be used when there is a problem with the
original one: a backup plan; We have a backup generator
in case the power fails. ✑recambio; de reserva
'backwash ❚ (noun) 1 A backward current eg that fol‑
lowing a ship's passage through the water: the backwash
of the steamer. ✑corriente de expulsión 2 The uninten‑
tional results of an action, situation etc: The backwash
of that firm's financial troubles affected several other firms.
✑consecuencia, repercusión
'backwater ❚ (noun) 1 A stretch of river not in the main
stream. ✑remanso 2 A place not affected by what is hap‑
pening in the world outside: That village is rather a back‑
water. ✑remanso, lugar apartado
back'yard ❚ (noun) [especially American] A garden or
'
space at the back of a house etc: He grows vegetables in
his backyard. ✑patio trasero
backward ['bækwəd] ❚ (adjective) 1 Aimed or directed
backwards: She left without a backward glance. ✑hacia
atrás 2 Less advanced in mind or body than is normal
for one's age: a backward child. ✑retrasado 3 Late in
developing a modern culture, mechanization etc: That
part of Britain is still very backward; the backward peoples
of the world. ✑atrasado
'backwardness ❚ (noun) ✑atraso
'backwards ❚ (adverb) 1 Towards the back: She glanced
backwards. ✑hacia atrás 2 With one's back facing the
direction one is going in: The child walked backwards
into a lamp‑post. ✑de espaldas a 3 In the opposite way
to that which is usual: Can you count from 1 to 10 back‑
wards? (= starting at 10 and counting to 1). ✑al revés
|| backwards and forwards In one direction and then in the
opposite direction: The dog ran backwards and forwards
across the grass. ✑de un lado para otro || bend/fall over
backwards To try very hard: He bent over backwards to
get us tickets for the concert. ✑hacer lo imposible (por),
desvivirse (por)
bacon ['beikən] (noun) The flesh of the back and sides of
a pig, salted and dried, used as food. ✑beicon, tocino
bacteria [bak'tiəriə] [PRON. The e is pronounced like the i
in did.] [singular bac'terium [‑əm]] ❚ (noun plural) Organ‑
isms not able to be seen except under a microscope,
found in rotting matter, in air, in soil and in living bod‑
ies, some being the germs of disease: a throat infection
caused by bacteria. ✑bacteria 㐀 See page 849
bacterial ❚ (adjective) Referring to bacteria. ✑bacte­
riano
bac teri'ology [‑'olədʒi] ❚ (noun) The study of bacteria.
'
✑bacteriología
bac terio'logical ['lo‑] ❚ (adjective) ✑bacteriológico
bac'teri'ologist ❚ (noun) ✑bacteriólogo
'
bactrian
See camel ✑camello
bad [bæd] [comparative worse, superlative worst] ❚ (adjec‑
tive) 1 Not good; not efficient; without skill or quality:
He is a bad driver; Her eyesight is bad; They are bad at
tennis (= they play tennis badly); a bad film. ✑malo 2
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Immoral; wicked: a bad man; She has done some bad
things. ✑malo 3 Unpleasant, not welcome: I have some
bad news; a bad idea. ✑malo 4 (Food) that has started
to decompose; rotten: This meat is bad. ✑(una comida)
malo, podrido 5 Causing harm or injury: Smoking is bad
for your health. ✑malo, perjudicial, nocivo, pernicioso 6
(Of a part of the body) painful, or in a weak state: She
has a bad heart; I have a bad head (= headache) today.
✑(una parte del cuerpo) que duele; enfermo 7 Unwell: I
am feeling quite bad today. ✑mal 8 Serious or severe: a
bad accident; He made a bad mistake. ✑grave 9 (Of a
debt) not likely to be paid: The firm loses money every
year from bad debts. ✑incobrable || bad hair day (comic)
A day when everything appears to go wrong. ✑día de
perros; mal día || feel bad (about something) To feel upset
or ashamed about something: I feel bad about forgetting
to telephone you. ✑sentirse mal || go from bad to worse To
get into an even worse condition etc than before. ✑ir de
mal en peor || not bad Quite good: «‑How are you? ‑Not
bad, and you?». ✑nada mal, bien || too bad Unfortunate:
It's too bad that he has left. ✑una pena ■ See box below
baddy or baddie ❚ (noun) A bad person in a film or in
a book: The baddy finished in prison at the end of the film.
✑el malo de la película
'badly [comparative worse; superlative worst] [We say to
do something badly. It is incorrect *to do something bad.] ❚
(adverb) 1 Not well, efficiently or satisfactorily: She plays
tennis very badly; I sing very badly; I'm sorry, I explained
that very badly. ✑mal 2 To a serious or severe extent: He
badly needs a haircut; The shirt is badly stained; She
wants that job so badly. ✑seriamente, desesperadamen­
te; muy || badly off In a bad situation, especially because
of not having much money: We can't go on holiday, we are
too badly off. ✑andar mal de dinero
'badness ❚ (noun) ✑maldad ■ See box below
bade Past tense of bid (pedir, rogar).
badge [bædʒ] (noun) A mark, emblem or ornament show‑
ing rank, occupation, or membership of a society, team
etc usually made of cloth or metal: a school badge on a
blazer; an anti‑war badge. ✑chapa, insignia, distintivo
badger ['bædʒə] ❚ (noun) 1 A burrowing animal of the
weasel family. ✑tejón ❚ (verb) 2 To annoy or worry: He
badgered the authorities until they gave him a new pass‑
port. ✑importunar, ponerse pesado
bad/badly
Bad is an adjective, it gives detail about the
noun it accompanies.
• I have a bad feeling about this.
Tengo un mal presentimiento sobre esto.
• Sue gave such a bad impression.
Sue dio una muy mala impresión.
Badly is an adverb, so it describes how
something is done. It modifies the word it
accompanies.
• He drives badly.
Él conduce muy mal.
• Timmy behaved badly.
Timmy se portó mal.
bald
badminton ['bædmintən] ❚ (noun) 1 A game played on
a court with a shuttlecock and rackets. ✑bádminton ❚
(adjective) 2 a badminton match; a badminton court. ✑de
bádminton
baffle ['bæfl] ❚ (verb) To puzzle (a person): I was baffled
by her attitude towards her husband. ✑desconcertar
baffling ❚ (adjective) a baffling crime. ✑desconcertante
bag [bæg] ❚ (noun) 1 A container made of soft material
(eg cloth, animal skin, plastic etc): She carried a heavy
bag; Where did I leave my bag?; What's in your bag?; a
shopping bag. ✑bolsa; bolso ■ See picture at containers
2 A quantity of fish or game caught: Did you get a good
bag today? ✑partida (caza), cacería, captura ❚ (verb)
[past tense, past participle bagged] 3 To put into a bag.
✑ensacar, embolsar 4 (informal) To move quickly and
get something before someone else: Quick! See if you can
bag a seat. ✑pillar 5 To kill (fish or game): He bagged
three trout. ✑cazar || in the bag As good as done, or com‑
plete (in the desired way): Your appointment as school
captain is in the bag. ✑en el bote || old bag (offensive)
Woman, especially an old woman. ✑vieja, bruja ■ See
picture opposite
'baggy [comparative baggier, superlative baggiest] ❚ (ad‑
jective) Loose, like an empty bag: He wears baggy trou‑
sers; I prefer baggy clothes, not tight clothes. ✑ancho,
suelto, holgado
'bag lady ❚ (noun) A homeless woman who carries
around with her all her belongings, often in shopping
bags. ✑mujer indigente || bags of A large amount of: He's
got bags of money; We've got bags of time. ✑montones
de, pila de || bags under the eyes Swollen skin under the
eyes. ✑ojeras
bagel (noun) A round sweet bread, often filled to make
a sandwich: a smoked salmon and cheese bagel. ✑bollo
de pan dulce
baggage ['bægidʒ] [PRON. The last a is pronounced like
the i in did.] ❚ (noun) Luggage: He sent his baggage on in
advance. ✑equipaje || 'baggage cart ❚ (noun) [American]
[also luggage cart, in British trolley] A cart used by pas‑
sengers at an airport etc to carry their luggage. ✑carrito
portaequipajes
bagpipes ['bægpaips] (noun plural) A wind instrument
consisting of a bag fitted with pipes, played in Scotland,
Galicia etc: He wants to learn to play the bagpipes. ✑gaita
bail1 [beil] ❚ (noun) A sum of money which is given to a
court of law to get an untried prisoner out of prison until
the time of their trial, and which acts as security for
their: bail of £500. ✑fianza
∙ bail (someone/something) out 1 To set (a person) free
by giving such money to a court of law: He was bailed out
by his father. ✑pagar fianza 2 To rescue economically (a
company, bank or country): The government bailed out
the bank. ✑rescatar 3 [American] To parachute from a
plane in an emergency. ✑lanzarse en paracaídas
bailout ❚ (noun) A rescue of a company, bank or country
that has severe economic problems: The government have
asked the EU for a bailout. ✑rescate (económico)
bail2 [beil] (noun) One of the cross‑pieces laid on the top
of the wicket in cricket. ✑palito corto
bail3 See bale2 ✑baldear
bailey (noun) The outer wall of a castle. ✑muralla exte­
rior ■ See picture at castle
bait [beit] ❚ (noun) 1 Food used to attract fish, animals
etc which one wishes to catch, kill etc: Before he went
fishing he dug up some worms for bait. ✑cebo, carnada,
carnaza ❚ (verb) 2 To put bait on or in (a hook, trap etc):
He baited the mousetrap with cheese. ✑poner el cebo
baize [beiz] (noun) A type of coarse woollen cloth, often
green, usually used for covering card‑tables etc. ✑bayeta
bake [beik] ❚ (verb) 1 To cook in an oven: I'm going to
bake (bread) today; She baked the ham. ✑cocer al horno
2 To dry or harden by heat: The sun is baking the ground
dry. ✑ resecar 3 To reach a very high temperature
(weather): I'm baking! I'm going for a swim; It's really bak‑
ing today. ✑asar
baked [PRON. The e is not pronounced, and the first part
rhymes with make.] ❚ (adjective) baked fish; freshly baked
bread. ✑cocido; horneado || baked beans [This is a typical
food in the UK and North America.] White beans in a to‑
mato sauce (in a can): I'm going to have fried egg and
baked beans. ✑alubias en salsa de tomate (enlatadas)
'baker ❚ (noun) A person who bakes: He is a qualified
baker; She is a good baker. ✑panadero
baker's ❚ (noun) A shop that sells bread and cakes.
✑panadería || a baker's dozen Thirteen. ✑docena de frai­
le, trece
'bakery [plural 'bakeries] ❚ (noun) A place where baking
is done and/or where bread, cakes etc are sold: I bought
some cakes at the bakery. ✑panadería
'baking ❚ (noun) The act or art of cooking bread, cakes
etc or of making pots. ✑pastelería, pasteles, hornada
|| baking powder A powder used to make cakes etc rise:
This sponge cake is very flat ‑ you can't have used enough
baking powder. ✑polvos de levadura
balance ['bæləns] ❚ (noun) 1 A weighing instrument.
✑balanza 2 A state of physical steadiness: The boy was
walking along the wall when he lost his balance and fell;
Julie has a good sense of balance. ✑equilibrio 3 State of
mental or emotional steadiness: The balance of his mind
was disturbed. ✑equilibrio 4 The giving appropriate or
fair weight to different aspects or sides: It's important to
achieve a balance between work and play; Her account of
the conflict lacks balance. ✑equilibrio 5 The amount by
which the two sides of a financial account (money spent
and money received) differ: I have a balance (= amount
remaining) of £100 in my bank account; a large bank bal‑
ance. ✑saldo ❚ (verb) 6 (Of two sides of a financial ac‑
count) to make or be equal: I can't get these accounts to
balance. ✑equilibrar, igualar 7 To make or keep steady:
She balanced the jug of water on her head; The girl bal‑
anced on her toes. ✑mantener(se) en equilibrio 8 To give
the appropriate or fair weight to different aspects or
sides: Parents have to balance their work and home re‑
sponsibilities; You must balance the pros and cons before
taking the decision. ✑mantener un equilibrio, buscar el
equilibrio || balance sheet A paper showing a summary
and balance of financial accounts. ✑balance || in the bal‑
ance In an undecided or uncertain state: Her fate is
(hanging) in the balance. ✑pendiente de un hilo || off bal‑
ance Not steady, vulnerable or in an unprepared mo‑
ment: He hit me while I was off balance. ✑sin equilibrio,
por sorpresa || on balance Having taken everything into
consideration: On balance I think Miss Smith is a better
tennis player than my sister. ✑considerándolo todo, to­
mando todo en consideración
balcony ['bælkəni] [plural 'balconies] (noun) 1 A platform
built out from the wall of a building: Many hotel rooms
have balconies; You can see the tower from my balcony.
✑balcón ■ See picture at house 2 In theatres etc, an up‑
per floor: We sat in the balcony of the cinema; [also adjec‑
tive] balcony seats. ✑paraíso
bald [boːld] [PRON. bal is pronounced like the word ball.] ❚
(adjective) 1 (Of people) with little or no hair on the
head: a bald head; He is going bald (= becoming bald).
✑calvo ■ See picture at hair 2 (Of birds, animals) with‑
out feathers, fur etc: a bald patch on the dog's back.
✑(animal, pájaro) pelado 3 Bare or plain: a bald state‑
ment of the facts. ✑escueto, sencillo
bAG
rucksack
toilet bag
handbag
briefcase
travel bag
suitcase
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'baldness ❚ (noun) ✑calvicie
'balding ❚ (adjective) Becoming bald. ✑parcialmente
calvo, que está quedándose calvo
'baldly ❚ (adverb) In a plain or bare way: He answered
her questions baldly. ✑escuetamente, sencillamente
bale1 [beil] (noun) A large bundle of goods or material
(cloth, hay etc) tied together: a bale of cotton. ✑fardo
bale2 [beil] (verb) [also bail] To clear (water out of a boat
with buckets etc): Several gallons of water were baled out
of the boat. ✑baldear
∙ bale out To parachute from a plane in an emergency.
✑lanzarse/saltar en paracaídas
baleful ['beilful] ❚ (adjective) (literary) Evil or harmful:
a baleful influence. ✑siniestro, vil
'balefully ❚ (adverb) ✑siniestramente, vilmente
ball1 [boːl] ❚ (noun) 1 Anything roughly round in shape:
a ball of wool. ✑bola; esfera; ovillo 2 A round object
used in games: Do you have any tennis balls?; Throw me
the ball; The goalkeeper jumped in the air and caught the
ball. ✑ pelota, balón || on the ball Quick, alert and
up‑to‑date or ready to take advantage of any opportu‑
nity: The new manager is really on the ball. ✑estar al
tanto, estar alerta, ser espabilado || start/set, keep the ball
rolling To start or keep something going, especially a
conversation: He can be relied on to start the ball rolling
at parties. ✑poner en marcha, emprender; mantener en
marcha
ball‑'bearings ❚ (noun plural) In machinery etc, small
'steel balls that help the revolving of one part over an‑
other. ✑cojinete
'ballcock ❚ (noun) A valve in a cistern. ✑llave de bola,
llave de flotador
'ballpoint (pen) ❚ (noun) A pen having a tiny ball as
the writing point. ✑bolígrafo, esferográfica
ball2 [boːl] ❚ (noun) A formal dance: a ball at the palace.
✑baile || have a ball (informal) To have a fantastic time,
enjoy yourself a lot: We had a ball on Saturday; I hear you
had a ball at the party. ✑pasarlo muy bien, pasarlo pipa
'ballroom ❚ (noun) 1 A large room for a formal dance.
✑salón de baile ❚ (adjective) 2 ballroom dancing. ✑de
salón
ballad ['bæləd] (noun) A slow, sentimental, song: My aunt
prefers ballads to pop music. ✑balada
ballerina [bælə'riːnə] (noun) A female (often principal)
ballet‑dancer: Pavlova was a famous ballerina. ✑bai­
larina
ballet ['bælei, (American) bæ'lei] [PRON. The t is not pronounced.] ❚ (noun) 1 A theatrical performance of dancing
with set steps and mime, often telling a story: Swan Lake
is my favourite ballet. ✑ballet 2 The art of dancing in
this way: She is taking lessons in ballet; [also adjective] a
ballet class. ✑ballet
'ballet‑dancer ❚ (noun) ✑bailarín de ballet He is a very
good ballet dancer.
ballistic missile [bə'listik 'misail] (noun) A missile
guided for part of its course but falling like an ordinary
bomb. ✑misil balístico
balloon [bə'luːn] [Be careful with the translation of this
word (balón in Spanish = ball in English).] (noun) A large
bag, made of light material and filled with a gas lighter
than air: They decorated the dance‑hall with balloons; Can
you help me blow up the ballons? ✑globo
ballot ['bælət] (noun) A method of voting in secret by
marking a paper and putting it into a box: They held a
bar
ballot to choose a new chairman; The question was de‑
cided by ballot. ✑votación
ballyhoo [bæli'huː, (American) 'bælihuː] (noun) 1
(old‑fashioned, informal) A lot of noise and activity, ap‑
parently for no good reason: What's all the ballyhoo
about? ✑escándalo, bullicio 2 [American] Noisy or sen‑
sational advertising or publicity: a lot of ballyhoo about
the filmstar's visit. ✑bombo, propaganda estrepitosa
balm [baːm] ❚ (noun) Something that soothes: The music
was balm to my ears. ✑bálsamo
'balminess ❚ (noun) ✑suavidad
'balmy ❚ (adjective) A balmy evening. ✑balsámico, muy
agradable, muy suave
balsa ['boːlsə] (noun) 1 [also balsa tree] A tropical Amer‑
ican tree. ✑balsa 2 [often 'balsa‑wood] Its very light‑
weight wood: His model aeroplane is made of balsa.
✑balsa
balsam ['boːlsəm] (noun) A pleasant‑smelling substance
obtained from certain trees: She inhaled balsam when he
had a bad cold. ✑bálsamo
bamboo [bæm'buː] (noun, adjective) (Of) a type of gigan‑
tic grass with hollow, jointed, woody stems: furniture
made of bamboo; bamboo furniture; bamboo shoots.
✑bambú
bamboozle [bæm'buːzl] (verb) To confuse completely:
The motorist was completely bamboozled by the
road‑signs. ✑engatusar, confundir
ban [bæn] ❚ (noun) 1 An order that a certain thing cannot
not be done: a ban on smoking. ✑prohibición, veda ❚
(verb) [past tense, past participle banned] 2 To forbid: The
government banned publication of his book; He has been
banned from (entering) that pub. ✑prohibir [Compare with
forbid (to tell somebody that you do not allow them to do
something)] ■ See box at prohibit
banana [bə'naːnə] ❚ (noun) The long curved fruit, yel‑
low‑skinned when ripe, of a type of very large tropical
tree. ✑plátano, banana
banana tree ❚ (noun) A plant which produces bananas
and has very large leaves. ✑bananero
band1 [bænd] (noun) 1 A strip of material to put round
something: a rubber band. ✑banda, tira, faja 2 A stripe
of a colour etc: a skirt with a band of red in it. ✑franja,
lista 3 In radio etc, a group of frequencies or wave‑
lengths: the medium waveband. ✑banda
band2 [bænd] ❚ (noun) 1 A number of persons forming a
group: a band of robbers. ✑banda 2 A group of people
who play music: Colin plays drums in a band; Do you want
to join our band?; a brass band. ✑banda, grupo, orques­
ta, charanga ❚ (verb) 3 To unite or gather together for a
purpose: They banded together to oppose the building of
the garage. ✑unirse, juntarse, aliarse
bandage ['bændidʒ] [PRON. The last a is pronounced like
the i in did.] ❚ (noun) 1 (A piece of) cloth for binding up
a wound, or a broken bone: She had a bandage on her
injured finger. ✑ venda, vendaje ❚ (verb) 2 To cover
with a bandage: The doctor bandaged the boy's foot.
✑vendar
Band‑Aid® ['band eid] (noun) [American] (A piece of)
sticking plaster with a dressing used to cover a wound
etc: You should put a Band‑Aid on that cut. ✑tirita®
bandit ['bændit] (noun) An outlaw or robber, especially
as a member of a gang: They were attacked by bandits in
the mountains. ✑bandido
bandy ['bændi] ❚ (adjective) (Of legs) bent outwards at
the knee: She wears long skirts to hide her bandy legs.
✑zambo
bandy‑'legged [‑legid] ❚ (adjective) ✑zambo
bang [bæŋ] ❚ (noun) 1 A sudden loud noise: The door shut
with a bang. ✑portazo, golpe estrepitoso 2 A blow or
knock: a bang on the head from a falling branch. ✑golpe
(violento), golpetazo ❚ (verb) 3 To close with a sudden
loud noise: He banged the door shut. ✑batir, dar un por­
tazo 4 To hit or strike violently, often making a loud
noise: The child banged his drum; She banged the book
down angrily on the table. ✑batir, golpear 5 To make a
sudden loud noise: We could hear the fireworks banging
in the distance. ✑estallar, detonar
banger ❚ (noun) 1 An explosive firework: The little child
was frightened by the bangers at the firework display.
✑petardo 2 (informal) A sausage: It's bangers and mash
for tea. ✑salchicha
old banger ❚ (noun) (often comic) A very old car, usu‑
ally one that has seen better days: Melanie's car is a real
old banger: bits fall off it all the time. ✑cacharro, tartana
bangs ❚ (noun plural) [American] A fringe. ✑flequillo
bangle ['bæŋgl] (noun) A bracelet worn on the arm or leg:
gold bangles. ✑brazalete, esclava
banish ['bæniʃ] ❚ (verb) To send away (usually from a
country), especially as a punishment: He was banished
(from the country) for treason. ✑desterrar
'banishment ❚ (noun) ✑destierro
banister ['bænistə] (noun) 1 [often plural] The handrail
of a staircase and the posts supporting it. ✑barandilla,
pasamanos 2 One of the posts supporting the handrail.
✑balaustre
banjo ['bændʒou] [plural 'banjo(e)s] (noun) A stringed mu‑
sical instrument similar to the guitar: He plays the banjo;
Play me a tune on the banjo. ✑banjo
bank1 [bæŋk] ❚ (noun) 1 A mound or ridge (of earth etc):
Let's climb the bank and pick some blackberries. ✑terra­
plén, loma, banco 2 The ground at the edge of a river,
lake etc: The river overflowed its banks; He sat on the bank
waiting for the fish to bite. ✑ribera, orilla 3 A raised area
of sand under the sea: a sand‑bank. ✑banco ❚ (verb) 4
[often with up] To form into a bank or banks: The earth
was banked up against the wall of the house. ✑amontonar
5 To tilt (an aircraft etc) while turning: The plane banked
steeply. ✑ladearse
bank2 [bæŋk] ❚ (noun) 1 A place where money is lent or
exchanged, or put for safety and/or to acquire interest:
She has a lot of money in the bank; I must go to the bank
today. ✑banco 2 A place for storing other valuable ma‑
terial: A blood bank. ✑banco ❚ (verb) 3 To put into a
bank: He banks his wages every week. ✑depositar/ingre­
sar en el banco || bank book A book recording money de‑
posited in, or withdrawn from, a bank. ✑libreta de aho­
rros || bank holiday A public holiday (and day on which
banks are closed): Monday is a bank holiday. ✑día fes­
tivo || data‑bank See database (under data) ✑ base de
datos
∙ bank on To rely on: Don't bank on me ‑ I'll probably be too
late. ✑contar con
'banker ❚ (noun) A person who owns or manages a
bank. ✑banquero || banker's card [also cheque card] A
card issued by a bank guaranteeing payment of the hold‑
er's cheques. ✑tarjeta de identidad bancaria
banking ❚ (noun) The activity of directing a bank.
✑banca
('bank‑)note ❚ (noun) A piece of paper issued by a
bank, used as money. ✑billete de banco
bank3 [bæŋk] (noun) A collection of rows (of instruments
etc): The modern pilot has banks of instruments. ✑hilera
bankrupt ['bæŋkrapt] ❚ (adjective) 1 Not having enough
money to pay your debts: He has been declared bankrupt.
✑quebrado, insolvente ❚ (noun) 2 A person who is un‑
able to pay his debts. ✑quebrado ❚ (verb) 3 To make
bankrupt. ✑hacer quebrar, arruinar
'bankruptcy ❚ (noun) ✑quiebra, insolvencia
banner ['bænə] ❚ (noun) 1 A military or group flag.
✑bandera, estandarte 2 A large strip of cloth bearing a
slogan etc: Many of the demonstrators were carrying ban‑
ners. ✑pancarta 3 [also banner ad] A piece of publicity
that appears at the top of a web page. ✑banner
banner headlines ❚ (noun) Big titles in a newspaper,
magazine etc. ✑titulares
banquet ['bæŋkwit] (noun) A feast or ceremonial dinner
at which speeches are often made. ✑banquete
bantam ['bæntəm] (noun) A small variety of domestic
fowl: She keeps bantams; [also adjective] a bantam cock.
✑gallinilla de Bantam
banter ['bæntə] (noun) The exchange of funny com‑
ments, often at the expense of the other: The sick boy was
cheered up by the noisy banter of his friends. ✑bromas,
vacile
banyan ['bænjən] (noun) A tree that grows on wet land,
with branches that have hanging roots that grow down
and start new trunks. ✑higuera de Bengala
baptize, baptise [bæp'taiz] ❚ (verb) To dip (a person)
in water, or sprinkle (someone) with water, and give
them a name: She was baptized Mary but calls herself
Jane. ✑bautizar
'baptism [‑tizəm] ❚ (noun) (An act of) baptizing: the
baptism of the baby. ✑bautismo
bap'tismal ❚ (adjective) ✑bautismal
bar [baː] ❚ (noun) 1 A piece of metal in the form of a stick
or rail: iron bars on the windows. ✑barra, tableta, barro­
te, reja 2 An oblong piece (especially of a solid sub‑
stance): a gold bar; a bar of chocolate; a bar of soap.
✑barra, tableta 3 A broad line or band: The blue mate‑
rial had bars of red running through it. ✑barra, franja 4
A piece of metal used to block a door: Put the bar on the
door. ✑tranca 5 A counter at which or across which ar‑
ticles of a particular kind are sold: a snack bar; Your
whisky is on the bar. ✑barra, mostrador 6 A pub: Let's go
to the bar for a coffee; a bar stool. ✑bar 7 A measured
division in music: Sing the first ten bars. ✑(en música)
compás 㐀 See page 860 8 Something which prevents
(something): His carelessness is a bar to his promotion.
✑impedimento, obstáculo 9 The rail at which the pris‑
oner stands in court: The prisoner at the bar collapsed
when she was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment. ✑(en
un juicio) banquillo ❚ (verb) [past tense, past participle
barred] 10 To maintain closed with a bar: Bar the door.
✑ atrancar 11 To prevent from entering: He's been
barred from the club. ✑prohibir, negar el paso/la entrada,
excluir de 12 To prevent (from doing something): Noth‑
ing bars me from doing an Erasmus year abroad, but I
can't decide about it. ✑impedir, imposibilitar ❚ (preposi‑
tion) 13 Except: All bar one of the family had measles;
Everyone must leave the area now, everyone bar none.
✑excepto, con excepción de || 'bar code ❚ (noun) A code
in the form of parallel lines printed on goods from which
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the computer reads information about their price etc.
✑código de barras
'barman, 'barmaid ❚ (noun) [American 'bartender] A
person who serves at the bar of a pub or hotel. ✑cama­
rero, camarera
barb [baːb] ❚ (noun) 1 A backward‑facing point on an
arrowhead, fishing‑hook etc. ✑lengüeta 2 A hurtful re‑
mark. ✑alfilerazo, pulla
barbed ❚ (adjective) a barbed arrow/remark. ✑incisivo,
mordaz || barbed wire Wire with sharp points at intervals:
I tore my skirt on that barbed wire; [also adjective, with
hyphen] a barbed‑wire fence. ✑alambre de espinas
barbarous ['baːbərəs] ❚ (adjective) 1 Uncultured and
uncivilized: barbarous habits. ✑bárbaro 2 Brutal: a bar‑
barous assault. ✑bárbaro
bar'barian [‑'beəriən] ❚ (noun) 1 (In history) a member
of a group of people from a culture considered to be
primitive, violent and less advanced: the barbarian
hordes. ✑bárbaro 2 An uncultured and uncivilized per‑
son. ✑bruto, burro ❚ (adjective) 3 barbarian customs.
✑bárbaro
'barbarousness ❚ (noun) ✑barbarie
barbecue ['baːbikjuː] [PRON. The ue is pronounced as you.]
❚ (noun) 1 A framework for grilling meat etc over a char‑
coal fire: He cooked the steak on a barbecue; We are going
to have a barbecue on Saturday. ✑barbacoa 2 A party in
the open air, at which food is barbecued. ✑barbacoa ❚
(verb) 3 To cook on a barbecue: She barbecued a chicken.
✑asar en la barbacoa
barber ['baːbə] ❚ (noun) A person who cuts men's hair,
shaves their beards etc. ✑barbero [Compare with hair‑
dresser (a person who cuts and arranges hair).]
barber's ❚ (noun) The place where a barber works.
✑barbería
bare [beə] ❚ (adjective) 1 Uncovered or naked: bare skin;
bare chest; bare floors. ✑desnudo, descubierto 2 Empty:
lots of bare shelves. ✑ vacío 3 Of trees etc, without
leaves. ✑desnudo, pelado 4 Worn thin because of much
use: The carpet is a bit bare. ✑desgastado, usado 5 Ba‑
sic; essential: the bare necessities of life. ✑básico, esen­
cial ❚ (verb) 6 To uncover: The dog bared its teeth and
growled, and we stepped back; We talked for hours and she
bared her soul to me. ✑mostrar, descubrir
'bareback ❚ (adverb, adjective) Without a saddle: I enjoy
riding bareback. ✑a pelo
'barefaced ❚ (adjective) Openly impudent: a barefaced
lie. ✑descarado
'barefoot(ed) ❚ (adjective, adverb) Not wearing shoes or
socks etc: The children go barefoot on the beach. ✑descalzo
bare'headed ❚ (adjective, adverb) Not wearing a hat
'
etc. ✑con la cabeza descubierta, sin sombrero
'barely ❚ (adverb) Scarcely or only just: We have barely
enough food; Let's wait a little longer, it's barely six o'clock.
✑apenas
'bareness ❚ (noun) ✑desnudez
bargain ['baːgin] [PRON. The ain is pronounced in.] ❚
(noun) 1 Something bought cheaply and giving good
value for money: This coat was a real bargain; Did you
find any bargains? ✑ganga 2 An agreement made be‑
tween people: I'll make a bargain with you. ✑pacto, trato
❚ (verb) 3 To argue about or discuss a price etc: I bar‑
gained with him and finally got the price down. ✑regatear
∙ bargain for To expect or take into consideration: I didn't
bargain for everyone arriving at once. ✑esperarse
barge [baːdʒ] ❚ (noun) 1 A flat‑bottomed boat for carry‑
ing goods etc. ✑barcaza 2 A large power‑driven boat.
✑barcaza, gabarra ❚ (verb) 3 To move (about) clumsily:
He barged about the room. ✑ moverse a trompicones,
trastabillar 4 To bump (into): He barged into me; She
barged past. ✑chocar contra, dar contra, abrir paso a
empujones 5 [with in(to)] To push one's way (into) rude‑
ly: She barged in without knocking. ✑irrumpir en
baritone ['bæritəun] [PRON. The o is long, as in go.] (noun)
(A singer with) a deep male voice between bass and ten‑
or. ✑barítono
bark1 [baːk] ❚ (noun) 1 The short, sharp cry of a dog, fox
etc. ✑ladrido ❚ (verb) 2 To make this sound: The dog
barked at the stranger. ✑ladrar 3 To speak abruptly and
loudly: She barked a reply. ✑ladrar, berrear, vociferar
bark2 [baːk] ❚ (noun) 1 The covering of the trunk and
branches of a tree: He stripped the bark off the branch.
✑corteza ❚ (verb) 2 To take the skin off (part of the
body) by accident: I barked my shin on the table. ✑raspar
barley ['baːli] (noun) A type of grain used for food and for
making beer and whisky: The farmer has harvested his
barley. ✑cebada || barley sugar A kind of hard sweet made
by melting and cooling sugar. ✑azúcar cande/candi
barmaid, barman See bar ✑camarero, camarera
barmy UK: [ˈbɑː.mi] US: [ˈbɑːr‑] [comparative barmier,
superlative barmiest] (adjective) (informal) Mad, crazy:
He's a little barmy. ✑loco, chiflado
barn [baːn] (noun) A building in which grain, hay etc are
stored: The farmer keeps his tractor in the barn. ✑granero
barnacle ['baːnəkl] [PRON. The second a is pronounced as
in ago and the cle as in circle.] (noun) A kind of small shell‑
fish that sticks to rocks and the bottoms of ships: For
many Spanish people, barnacles are a delicacy. ✑percebe
barometer [bə'romitə] ❚ (noun) An instrument which
indicates changes of weather: The barometer is falling ‑ it
is going to rain. ✑barómetro
barometric [bærə'metrik] ❚ (adjective) barometric pres‑
sure. ✑barométrico
baron ['bærən] [feminine 'baroness] (noun) 1 A nobleman:
He was made a baron; Baron Rothschild. ✑barón; baro­
nesa 2 An important, powerful person: a newspaper
baron. ✑magnate
barracks ['bærəks] (noun singular or plural) A building
or buildings for housing soldiers: confined to barracks (=
not allowed to leave the barracks). ✑cuartel
barrage ['bæraːʒ, (American) bə'raːʒ] (noun) 1 Something
that keeps back an enemy: a barrage of gunfire. ✑barre­
ra, cortina de fuego 2 An overwhelming number: a bar‑
rage of questions. ✑aluvión, avalancha 3 A man‑made
barrier across a river. ✑presa
barrel ['bærəl] (noun) 1 A container of curved pieces
of wood or of metal: The barrels contain beer. ✑barril
2 A long, hollow, cylindrical shape, especially the
tube‑shaped part of a gun: The bullet jammed in the bar‑
rel of the gun. ✑cañón || have someone over a barrel (in‑
formal) Have someone in a position where they have no
option about what they do: He has got us over a barrel:
I'm afraid that we have to pay the increase. ✑tener a al­
guien con el agua al cuello
barren ['bærən] ❚ (adjective) Not able to produce crops,
fruit, young etc: barren soil; a barren fruit‑tree; The doctor
says that the illness has made her barren. ✑estéril, baldío
(tierra), infértil
'barrenness ❚ (noun) ✑esterilidad
barricade [bæri'keid] ❚ (noun) 1 A barrier put up to
block a street etc: There were barricades keeping back the
crowds. ✑barricada ❚ (verb) 2 To block something (eg a
street) with a barricade. ✑cerrar con barricadas
barrier ['bæriə] (noun) 1 Something put up as a defence
or protection: a barrier between the playground and the
busy road. ✑barrera 2 Something that causes difficulty:
His deafness was a barrier to promotion. ✑barrera, obs­
táculo
barrister ['bæristə] (noun) A lawyer qualified to present
cases in court. ✑abogado
barrow ['bærəu] (noun) 1 A wheelbarrow. ✑carretilla 2
A small (usually two‑wheeled) cart. ✑carro de dos rue­
das 3 A mound of earth piled up over the graves of im‑
portant people in prehistoric times. ✑túmulo
bartender See 'barman (under bar) ✑camarero
barter ['baːtə] ❚ (verb) 1 To trade by giving (one thing)
in exchange (for another): The bandits bartered gold for
guns. ✑trocar, intercambiar ❚ (noun) 2 Goods used in
bartering: Some tribes use sea‑shells as barter. ✑trueque
basalt ['bæsoːlt] (noun) Any of certain types of dark‑col‑
oured rock. ✑basalto 㐀 See page 840
base1 [beis] ❚ (noun) 1 The foundation, support, or low‑
est part (of something), or the surface on which some‑
thing is standing: the base of the statue; the base of the
triangle; the base of the tree. ✑base, pie 㐀 See pages 844
and 863 2 The main ingredient of a mixture: This paint
has oil as a base. ✑ base 3 A headquarters, start‑
ing‑point etc: an army base. ✑base, sede ❚ (verb) 4 [often with on] To use as a foundation, starting‑point etc: I
base my opinion on evidence; Our group was based in
Paris. ✑basar, establecer
'baseless ❚ (adjective) Without foundation or reason: a
baseless claim. ✑infundado, sin fundamento
base2 [beis] ❚ (adjective) (literary) Without morals, wick‑
ed: base motives. ✑bajo, vil, despreciable
'basely ❚ (adverb) ✑vilmente
'baseness ❚ (noun) ✑bajeza, vileza
baseball ['beisboːl] (noun) An American game played
with bat and ball: to go to a baseball match. ✑béisbol
basement ['beismənt] [PRON. base rhymes with face.]
(noun) The lowest floor of a building, usually below
ground level: She lives in a basement; [also adjective] a
basement flat. ✑sótano
bash [bæʃ] ❚ (verb) 1 [sometimes with in] To beat or smash
(in): The soldiers bashed in the door. ✑echar abajo, forzar
a golpes ❚ (noun) 2 A heavy blow: a bash with his foot.
✑porrazo 3 A dent: a bash on the car's nearside door.
✑abolladura 4 (informal) A party: She's having a big
bash to celebrate. ✑ fiesta, quedada || have a bash at
­(informal) To make an attempt at: It's a difficult rock to
climb, but we are going to have a bash at it; I'll have a bash
at fixing your PC, if you want. ✑intentar, probar
∙ bash on/ahead (with) To go on doing something espe‑
cially in a careless or inattentive way: In spite of his fa‑
ther's advice he bashed on with the painting. ✑continuar
haciendo de manera negligente
bashful ['bæʃful] ❚ (adjective) Shy: a bashful girl; a bash‑
ful smile. ✑tímido, ruboroso
bashfully ❚ (adverb) ✑tímidamente
'bashfulness ❚ (noun) ✑timidez
basic ['beisik] ❚ (adjective) 1 Of, or forming, the main
part or foundation of something: Your basic idea is good,
but you need to develop certain parts. ✑básico, funda­
mental 2 Restricted to a fundamental level, elementary:
a basic knowledge of French. ✑básico, elemental
'basically ❚ (adverb) Fundamentally: She seems strict,
but basically (= in reality) she's very nice; Her job, basi‑
cally, is to deal with foreign customers. ✑básicamente, en
el fondo
basil UK: [ˈbæzəl] US: [ˈbeɪzəl] (noun) An aromatic herb
used to add flavour to food: Italians use basil in the to‑
mato sauce on their pasta. ✑albahaca
basin ['beisn] (noun) 1 A bowl for washing oneself in: a
wash‑hand basin. ✑palangana, jofaina 2 A wide, open
dish for preparing food in: a pudding‑basin. ✑cuenco,
bol 3 The area drained by a river: the basin of the Nile.
✑cuenca 4 The deep part of a harbour: There were four
yachts anchored in the harbour basin. ✑dársena
basis ['beisis] [plural 'bases [‑siːz]] (noun) 1 That on
which a thing rests or is founded: This idea is the basis
of my argument. ✑base, cimientos, piedra angular 2 A
way or system of doing something (work, a task): We
check on a daily basis. ✑base (de trabajo)
bask [baːsk] (verb) To be in a relaxed position taking
pleasure in something (especially warmth, sunshine or
attention): The seals basked in the warm sun. ✑tumbarse
plácidamente al sol; disfrutar plácidamente del calor
basket ['baːskit] ❚ (noun) 1 A container made of strips of
wood, rushes etc woven together: She carried a large bas‑
ket. ✑cesta, capazo, canasta 2 In basketball, a success‑
ful attempt to put the ball through the hoop: To score a
basket. ✑canasta || Moses basket A portable cradle for a
baby. ✑moisés ■ See picture at bed
'basketball ❚ (noun) 1 A game in which goals are
scored by throwing a ball into a net on a high post: Do
you play basketball?; Spain played really well in their last
basketball match. ✑baloncesto ❚ (adjective) 2 a basket‑
ball court. ✑de baloncesto
'basketry ❚ (noun) Basketwork. ✑cestería
'basketwork ❚ (noun) 1 Articles made of plaited rush‑
es etc. ✑cestería ❚ (adjective) 2 a basketwork chair. ✑de
mimbre
bass1 [beis] [PRON. It rhymes with face.] [plural 'basses] ❚
(noun) (A singer having) a male voice of the lowest pitch.
✑bajo
bass drum ❚ (noun) A large drum with a low pitch: The
bass drum is often used to mark or keep time. ✑bombo
bass guitar ❚ (noun) A guitar that makes a deep sound.
✑bajo
bass2 [bæs] [plural bass (rare 'basses).] (noun) A type of
fish of the perch family. ✑róbalo, lubina
bassoon [bə'suːn, (American) ba‑] (noun) A woodwind
musical instrument which gives a very low sound.
✑fagot
bastion ['bæstjən, (American) 'bastʃən] (noun) A person,
place or thing which acts as a defence: He's one of the last
bastions of the old leisurely way of life. ✑ bastión, ba­
luarte
bat1 [bæt] ❚ (noun) 1 A shaped piece of wood etc for strik‑
ing the ball in cricket, baseball, table‑tennis etc. ✑bate,
pala, raqueta ❚ (verb) [past tense, past participle batted] 2
To use a bat: He bats with his left hand. ✑utilizar un bate/
una pala/una raqueta 3 To strike (the ball) with a bat:
She batted the ball. ✑golpear con un bate/una pala/una
raqueta || off one's own bat Completely by oneself (with‑
out help): He wrote the letter to the newspaper off his own
bat. ✑por iniciativa propia, motu proprio
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'batsman ['bæts‑] ❚ (noun) A person who bats in cricket.
✑bateador
bat
2
[bæt] ❚ (noun) A mouse‑like animal which flies, usu‑
ally at night. ✑murciélago
'batty ❚ (adjective) Crazy: a batty old man. ✑tarado,
chiflado
batch [bætʃ] (noun) A number of things made, delivered
etc, all at one time: a batch of bread; The letters were sent
out in batches. ✑hornada; lote
bated ['beitid] (adjective) || with bated breath Breathing
only slightly, due to anxiety, excitement etc: The crowd
watched the rescue of the child with bated breath. ✑conte­
niendo la respiración
bath [baːθ] [plural baths [baːðz]] ❚ (noun) 1 A large con‑
tainer for holding water in which to wash the whole
body: I'll fill/run the bath for you; Lying in the bath. ✑ba­
ñera 2 An act of washing in a bath: I had a bath last
night. ✑baño [Compare with swim (an act of swimming in
the beach, swimming-pool...).] 3 A container of liquid etc
in which something is immersed: a bird bath. ✑baño,
pila ❚ (verb) 4 To wash in a bath: I'll bath the baby. ✑ba­
ñar
bath'chair ❚ (noun) A kind of wheeled chair for an
'invalid. silla de ruedas
✑
'bathroom ❚ (noun) 1 A room in a house etc which con‑
tains a bath. ✑cuarto de baño/de aseo 2 [especially American] A lavatory. ✑lavabo, aseo ■ See picture opposite
and see picture at house
'bathtub ❚ (noun) A bath (for washing in). ✑bañera
bathe [beiθ] [PRON. ba rhymes with say.] ❚ (verb) 1 To put
into water (part of the body): He bathed his feet; I'll bathe
your wounds. ✑bañar; limpiar 2 To go swimming: She
bathes in the sea every day. ✑bañarse, darse un baño ❚
(noun) 3 An act of swimming: a midnight bathe. ✑baño
'bather ❚ (noun) ✑bañista
'bathing ❚ (noun) ✑baño
batik ['bætik] (noun) A method of dyeing patterns on
cloth by waxing certain areas so that they remain uncol‑
oured. ✑batik
baton ['bæton, (American) bæ'taːn] (noun) 1 A short, heavy
stick, carried by a policeman as a weapon. ✑bastón 2 A
light, thin stick used when conducting an orchestra or
choir: The conductor raised his baton. ✑batuta
batsman See bat1 ✑bateador
battalion [bə'tæljən] (noun) A large body of foot soldiers
forming part of a brigade. ✑batallón
batten ['bætn] (noun) A piece of wood used for keeping
other pieces in place: These strips are all fastened togeth‑
er with a batten. ✑alfarjía
batter1 ['batə] ❚ (verb) 1 To beat with blow after blow: He
was battered to death with a large stick. ✑dar una paliza
❚ (noun) 2 (In cricket, baseball etc) the person who hits
the ball. ✑bateador
battered ❚ (adjective) 1 (A person) that has been cru‑
elly hit many times. ✑maltratado 2 (An object) that has
received many blows or shows the effects of much use:
A battered old car; A face battered by the elements. ✑es­
tropeado
batter2 ['batə] (noun) A mixture of flour, eggs and milk
or water used in cooking: Fry the fish in batter; pancake
batter. ✑mezcla culinaria a base de harina, huevos y le­
che o agua
battery ['bætəri] [plural 'batteries] (noun) 1 A series of
two or more electric cells arranged to produce, or store,
a current: I need to recharge the battery of my mobile; a
torch battery. ✑pila, batería 2 An arrangement of cages
in which laying hens etc are kept. ✑criadero 3 A group
of large guns (and the people manning them). ✑batería
4 A long series: a battery of questions. ✑retahíla
battle ['bætl] ❚ (noun) 1 A fight between opposing armies
or individuals: the last battle of the war. ✑batalla ❚ (verb)
2 To fight. ✑luchar, batirse, combatir
'battlefield ❚ (noun) The place where a battle is, or
was, fought: dead bodies covered the battlefield. ✑campo
de batalla
'battlements ❚ (noun plural) A wall around a castle
with openings for bows or guns to shoot through. ✑al­
menas ■ See picture at castle
'battleship ❚ (noun) A heavily armed and armoured
warship. ✑acorazado
batty See bat2 ✑tarado, chiflado
bauxite (noun) (specialized) ✑bauxita 㐀 See page 840
bawdy ['boːdi] (adjective) Vulgar and coarse: bawdy
jokes. ✑verde, obsceno
bawl [boːl] (verb) To shout or cry loudly: He bawled some‑
thing rude; The baby has bawled all night. ✑berrear, chi­
llar, desgañitarse
bay1 [bei] (noun) A wide inward bend of a coastline: an‑
chored in the bay; Botany Bay. ✑bahía
bay2 [bei] (noun) A separate compartment, area or room
etc (usually one of several) set aside for a special pur‑
pose: a bay in a library. ✑reservado || bay window A win‑
dow jutting out from a room. ✑ventana salediza
bay3 [bei] ❚ (adjective) 1 (Of horses) reddish‑brown in
colour. ✑bayo ❚ (noun) [bei] 2 [also bay tree] The laurel
tree, the leaves of which are used for seasoning and in
victory wreaths. ✑laurel ❚ (verb) [bei] 3 (Especially of
large dogs) to bark: The hounds bayed at the fox. ✑ladrar
bayonet ['beiənit] (noun) A knife‑like instrument of steel
fixed to the end of a rifle barrel. ✑bayoneta
bazaar [bə'zaː] (noun) 1 An Eastern market place. ✑ba­
zar 2 A sale of goods of various kinds, especially
home‑made or second‑hand. ✑ mercado de segunda
mano
BC [ˌbiː gsiː] [abbreviation for Before Christ] Used in dates:
in (the year) 470 BC. ✑a.C., antes de Cristo
be [biː] [present tense am [am] are [aː], is [iz]; past tense
was [woz], were [wəː]; present participle 'being; past participle been [biːn, (American) bin]; subjunctive were [wəː];
short forms I'm [aim] (I am), you're [juə] (you are), he's
[hiːz] (he is), she's [ʃiːz] (she is), it's [its] (it is), we're [wiə]
(we are), they're [θeə] (they are); negative short forms isn't
['iznt] (is not), aren't [aːnt] (are not), wasn't ['woznt] (was
not), weren't [wəːnt] (were not)] ❚ (verb) 1 Used with a
present participle to form the progressive or continuous
tenses: I'm reading; She is sleeping now; I am being fol‑
lowed; What were you saying? ✑ estar (+ gerundio) 2
Used with a present participle to form a type of future
tense: I'm going to London next week; We are going to see
them on Sunday. ✑ir a (+ infinitivo) 3 Used with a past
participle to form the passive voice: He was injured in the
accident; The new building will be finished next month.
✑ser 4 Used with an infinitive to express several ideas,
eg necessity or obligation (When am I to leave?), purpose
(The letter is to tell us he's coming), a possible future hap‑
pening (If he were to lose, I'd win) etc. ✑deber (+ infiniti­
vo), tener como propósito 5 Used in giving or asking for
information about something or someone: I am Spanish;
bATHROOM
shower
cabinet
mirror
toothpaste
toothbrush
soap
razor
socket
tap
cream
washbasin
cistern
towel
hair brush
hairdryer
bath
stool
plug
toilet
bath mat
toilet brush
curtain
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Is he alive?; She wants to be an actress; The money will be
ours; They are being silly; She is a very funny person.
✑ser, estar 6 Used to talk about location or distance: It
is near Oxford; She is in the living room; It is five miles from
here. ✑estar, quedar 7 Used to talk about measurement:
The table is one and a half metres wide; He is nearly two
metres tall. ✑ser 8 Used to talk about when something
occurs: The test is this afternoon; When is the wedding?;
Their next concert will be in May. ✑ ser, tener lugar 9
[Careful! We don't say to have years. We say I am twenty years
old.] Used in talking about age: It is very old; How old are
you?; She is twenty five; I am fifteen; «‑How old is the baby?
‑It is six months old». ✑ser, tener 10 To feel something:
I am tired; She is happy; Are you worried?; We were bored
at first. ✑estar, ser 11 To experience a sensation (cold,
hunger, thirst etc): I am hungry; Are you thirsty?; I am
cold: can we turn the heating up? ✑tener 12 To get some‑
where with a particular timing: I'm sorry I am late; I
wanted to be early, but with all this traffic we are going to
be late. ✑llegar (pronto/tarde) || be as well to To be advis‑
able or sensible: It would be as well to go by train ‑ the
roads are flooded. ✑ser mejor || be just as well To be for‑
tunate; to be no cause for regret: It's just as well (that) you
didn't go ‑ the meeting was cancelled. ✑menos mal (que
no...) || be up and about To be awake or well, and out of
bed: I've been up and about for hours; Is she up and about
again after her accident? ✑estar en pie; haberse repues­
to || be up to 1 To be busy or occupied with (an activity
etc), to do: What is she up to now? Is she still working in
the old company?; We'd better go and see what the children
are doing. ✑hacer; estar ocupado con algo, traerse algo
entre manos, tramar algo 2 To be capable of: He isn't quite
up to the job. ✑ser capaz, poder (hacer algo) 3 To reach
the standard of: This work isn't up to your best. ✑estar a
la altura (de) 4 To be the responsibility or privilege of:
It's up to you to decide; The final choice is up to him. ✑es­
tar en las manos de alguien, ser cosa de alguien || the
be‑all and end‑all The final aim apart from which nothing
is of any real importance: This job isn't the be‑all and
end‑all of existence. ✑serlo todo
∙ be (all) for To be (completely) in favour of something:
I'm all for it; Maureen is all for banning smoking every‑
where. ✑estar (completamente) a favor de
∙ be down with To be or become ill with: The children all
went down with measles. ✑estar con algo
∙ be down to To be the responsibility, decision or result
of: It's not down to me, you have to ask your class teacher;
It's all down to you: you've got to score the penalty. ✑de­
pender de
∙ be in for To (be about to) receive or experience some‑
thing unpleasant or dramatic, in the very near future:
Look at those clouds! We're in for a storm I think, and soon;
You'll be in for it if he catches you! ✑ir a tener; cobrar
∙ be up to 1 To be the decision or responsibility of someone,
depend on someone: It's not up to me, you have to ask your
parents; It's up to you: you decide. ✑depender de (una de­
cisión), ser la decisión de 2 To be planning or doing some‑
thing (mischief or): Laura is up to something, I can tell: she
has that look in her eyes; What are those two up to now, the
little monsters! ✑estar tramando, hacer 3 [+ ing form] To
be strong enough or well enough (eg after an illness) to do
something: Are you up to going out today or do you want to
continue convalescing?; Are you up to driving? ✑sentirse
con fuerzas (para hacer), estar preparado
because
'being ❚ (noun) 1 Existence: When did the Roman Empire
come into being? ✑ existencia 2 Any living person or
thing: beings from outer space; human beings. ✑ser
BE, B.E. ['biː giː] [abbreviation for Bachelor of Engineer‑
ing] (noun) First degree in Engineering. ✑licenciatura en
Ingeniería
beach [biːtʃ] ❚ (noun) 1 The sandy or stony shore of a
sea or lake: Let's go to the beach; Dogs love playing on the
beach. ✑playa ❚ (verb) 2 To drive or pull (a boat etc) up
on to a beach: We'll beach the boat here and continue on
foot. ✑varar
beacon ['biːkən] (noun) 1 A type of light, fire etc that
warns of danger, eg the light in a lighthouse. ✑almena­
ra, faro 2 A radio station or transmitter that sends out
signals to guide shipping or aircraft. ✑radiofaro 3 (liter‑
ary) A source of hope and inspiration. ✑rayo de luz,
faro
bead [biːd] ❚ (noun) A little ball of glass etc strung with
others in a necklace etc: She's wearing two strings of
wooden beads. ✑(en un collar) cuenta
'beady ❚ (adjective) (Of eyes) small and bright: the
beady eyes of the bird. ✑(ojos) como cuentas, pequeño y
brillante
beak [biːk] (noun) The hard, horny (usually pointed) part
of a bird's mouth: The bird had a worm in its beak. ✑pico
beaker ['biːkə] (noun) 1 A large drinking‑glass or mug:
a beaker of hot milk. ✑vaso 2 A deep glass container
used in chemistry. ✑vaso de precipitación
beam [biːm] ❚ (noun) 1 A long straight piece of wood,
often used in ceilings. ✑viga 2 A ray of light etc: a beam
of sunlight. ✑rayo 3 The greatest width of a ship or boat.
✑manga ❚ (verb) 4 To smile broadly: She beamed with
delight. ✑sonreír de oreja a oreja, desplegar una sonrisa
luminosa 5 To send out (rays of light, radio waves etc):
This transmitter beams radio waves all over the country.
✑emitir (rayos, ondas...)
bean [biːn] (noun) 1 Any one of several kinds of
pod‑bearing plant or its seed: black beans; green beans;
red beans. ✑ judía, habichuela, haba, alubia 2 The
bean‑like seed of other plants: coffee beans. ✑grano || to
not have a bean (old‑fashioned, informal) To have no mon‑
ey: I don't have a bean, I'm afraid. ✑estar sin pelas, no
tener un duro
bear1 [beə] [PRON. It is pronounced like air.] [past tense
bore [boː]; past participle borne [boːn]] ❚ (verb) 1 [usually
with cannot, could not etc] To put up with or to resist: I
can't bear this heat/that noise/the tension!; How can you
bear it?; I couldn't bear it if he left. ✑aguantar, soportar
2 To be able to support: Will the table bear my weight?
✑aguantar 3 [past participle in passive born [boːn]] To
produce (children): She has borne (him) several children;
She was born on 7th July. ✑dar a luz, parir 4 To carry: He
was borne shoulder‑high after his victory. ✑cargar, llevar
5 To have, carry (mark, seal, signature etc): The cheque
bore her signature. ✑llevar 6 To turn or fork: The road
bears left here. ✑desviarse, girar || bear fruit To produce
fruit. ✑dar fruto
∙ bear down on 1 To approach quickly and often threaten‑
ingly: The angry teacher bore down on the child. ✑avan­
zar hacia alguien amenazadoramente 2 To exert pressure
on: The weight is bearing down on my chest. ✑ pesar
sobre
∙ bear (something) out To support or confirm (an idea,
statement etc): This bears out what you said. ✑confirmar
∙ bear up To keep up courage, strength etc (under strain):
She's bearing up well after her shock. ✑llevar con entere­
za, resistir
∙ bear with To be patient with (someone): Bear with me for
a minute, and you'll see what I mean. ✑tener paciencia,
dar un minuto
'bearable ❚ (adjective) Able to be endured. ✑sopor­
table
'bearer ❚ (noun) A person or thing that brings or car‑
ries: the bearer of bad news. ✑portador
'bearing ❚ (noun) 1 Manner, way of standing etc: a
military bearing. ✑porte 2 [usually in plural, sometimes
short for ˌball‑'bearings] A part of a machine that has
another part moving in or on it. ✑cojinete
'bearings ❚ (noun plural) Location, place on a map etc:
The island's bearings are West 10º, North 24º. ✑coorde­
nadas || find/get one's bearings To find one's position with
reference to eg a known landmark: If we can find this hill,
I'll be able to get my bearings. ✑orientarse || lose one's
bearings To become uncertain of one's position: He's con‑
fused me so much that I've lost my bearings completely.
✑desorientarse
bear2 [beə] [PRON. It is pronounced like air.] ❚ (noun) A
large heavy animal with thick fur and hooked claws:
There are bears in the Pyrenees. ✑oso 㐀 See page 846
'bearskin ❚ (noun, adjective) (Of) the skin of a bear.
✑piel de oso
beard [biəd] [PRON. The ea is pronounced like the i in big.]
❚ (noun) 1 The hair that grows on the chin: a man's
beard; a goat's beard. ✑barba 2 A group of hair‑like
tufts on an ear of corn: the beard on barley. ✑arista
'bearded ❚ (adjective) bearded men. ✑con barba, bar­
budo
beast [biːst] [PRON. bea is pronounced like the verb be.] 1
A four‑footed (especially large) animal: beasts of the jun‑
gle; The lion is the king of the beasts. ✑bestia, animal 2
A cruel, brutal person: Don't be a beast! ✑bestia, bruto
3 (offensive) An unpleasant person (because they don't
do what you want): Arthur is a beast for refusing to come!
✑antipático
'beastly ❚ (adjective) 1 Like a beast. ✑bestial 2 (infor‑
mal) Disagreeable: What a beastly thing to do! ✑desagra­
dable, maleducado, descortés
'beastliness ❚ (noun) ✑bestialidad, brutalidad
beat [biːt] [past tense beat; past participle 'beaten] ❚ (verb)
1 To strike or hit repeatedly: Beat the drum. ✑batir, gol­
pear, percutir 2 [Careful! We say to beat a rival and to win a
match.] To win against an opponent: She beat me in the
contest; I will beat her next time; Spain beat Italy in the
final. ✑derrotar, vencer ■ See box at gain 3 To mix thor‑
oughly: to beat an egg. ✑batir 4 To move in a regular
rhythm: My heart is beating faster than usual. ✑latir, pul­
sar 5 To mark or indicate (musical time) with a baton
etc: A conductor beats time for an orchestra. ✑marcar,
llevar (el compás) ❚ (noun) 6 A regular stroke or its
sound: Follow the beat; I like the beat of that song. ✑com­
pás, ritmo 7 A regular or usual course: a policeman's
beat. ✑ ronda || beat about the bush (informal) To ap‑
proach a subject in an indirect way, without coming to
the point or making any decision: Stop beating about the
bush! ✑ir con rodeos, ir por las ramas || beat a (hasty)
retreat To go away in a hurry: The children beat a hasty
retreat when he appeared. ✑retirarse precipitadamente,
salir pitando
∙ beat down 1 [Often with on] (Of the sun) to give out
great heat: The sun's rays beat down on us. ✑ (el sol)
picar, calentar mucho 2 To (force to) lower a price by
bargaining: We beat the price down; We beat him down
to a good price. ✑ conseguir un buen precio (rega­
teando)
∙ beat it To go away: Beat it, or I'll hit you!; She told her lit‑
tle brother to beat it. ✑largarse
∙ beat (someone/something) off To succeed in stopping
an attack on yourself or your position: The old man beat
off the youths who attacked him; He beat the attack off eas‑
ily. ✑repeler
∙ beat (someone) up To punch, kick or hit (a person) se‑
verely and repeatedly: He beat up a smaller child. ✑mo­
ler a palos, dar una paliza
'beater ❚ (noun) ✑batidor
'beating ❚ (noun) ✑golpeo, batida, paliza, derrota con­
tundente
'beaten ❚ (adjective) 1 Overcome; defeated: the beaten
team; He looked tired and beaten. ✑derrotado 2 Mixed
thoroughly: beaten egg. ✑batido || off the beaten track
Away from main roads, centres of population, or places
where tourists usually go: My aunt and uncle like to go off
the beaten track on their holidays. ✑ lugar apartado,
­aislado
beautician [bjuːgtiʃən] (noun) [American] A person who
gives cosmetic treatment usually in a beauty salon. ✑es­
teticista
beauty ['bjuːti] [plural 'beauties] ❚ (noun) 1 A quality
very pleasing to the eye, ear etc: Her beauty is undenia‑
ble. ✑belleza 2 A woman or girl having such a quality:
She was a great beauty in her youth. ✑belleza 3 Some‑
thing or someone remarkable: His new car is a beauty!
✑belleza, monada || beauty queen A girl or woman who
is voted the most beautiful in a contest. ✑reina de la
belleza || 'beauty salon ❚ (noun) [also American beauty
parlor, beauty shop] A place where customers have cos‑
metic treatment. ✑salón de belleza || beauty spot 1 A
place of great natural beauty: a famous beauty spot.
✑lugar de excepcional belleza natural 2 A mark (often
artificial) on the face, intended to emphasize beauty.
✑lunar postizo
'beautiful ❚ (adjective) [When we use beautiful for people, this is usually to talk about girls and women. For men we
usually say handsome or good‑looking] a beautiful woman;
Those roses are beautiful; a beautiful view. ✑bonito, her­
moso, bello
'beautifully ❚ (adverb) ✑hermosamente
'beautify [‑fai] ❚ (verb) To make beautiful: She beauti‑
fied the room with flowers. ✑embellecer
beaver ['biːvə] ❚ (noun) 1 An animal with strong front
teeth, noted for its skill in damming streams. ✑castor
2 Its fur. ✑piel de castor
∙ beaver away ❚ [often with at] To work at something with
energy and for a long period: She has been beavering
away at her project all morning. ✑aplicarse (a una tarea),
trabajar duro, trabajar con ímpetu
became [bɪˈkeɪm] Past tense of become (convertirse, lle‑
gar a ser).
because [bi'koz] (conjunction) For the reason that: I can't
go because I am ill; She is very happy because she heard
that she has passed the test. ✑porque || because of On
account of: I can't walk because of my broken leg. ✑a cau­
sa de, debido a
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beck [bek] (noun) || at someone's beck and call Always
bed
cot
moses basket
single bed
twin beds
double bed
bunk bed
ready to carry out someone's wishes: He has servants at
his beck and call. ✑a disposición de
beckon ['bekən] (verb) To summon (someone) by making
a sign with the fingers. ✑llamar por señas
become [bi'kam] [past tense became [bi'keim]; past participle be'come] ❚ (verb) 1 To grow to be or to start to be:
Her coat has become badly torn; He became famous over‑
night after the competition; She has become even more
beautiful; When I saw the pollution in the river I became
very angry. ✑volverse, ponerse, convertirse, llegar a ser
2 To qualify or take a job as: She became a doctor. ✑ha­
cerse, llegar a ser 3 [with of] To happen to: What became
of Emma? ✑ser de, pasar con 4 (old‑fashioned) To suit:
That dress really becomes her. ✑sentar bien, quedar bien
be'coming ❚ (adjective) Attractive: a very becoming
dress. ✑favorecedor
be'comingly ❚ (adverb) ✑convenientemente
bed [bed] ❚ (noun) 1 A piece of furniture, or a place, to
sleep on: I'm going to bed; Sonia is in bed ‑ she doesn't feel
very well; a bed of straw. ✑cama 2 The channel (of a river)
or floor (of a sea) etc: on the sea bed. ✑lecho (de un río,
mar...) 3 A plot in a garden: a bed of flowers. ✑macizo,
lecho 4 Layer: a bed of chalk below the surface. ✑capa,
estrato || bed and breakfast Lodging for the night, and
breakfast only (not lunch or dinner), or the place offering
this. ✑alojamiento y desayuno; pensión || bed of roses An
easy or comfortable place, job etc: Life is not a bed of roses.
✑de color de rosa, camino de rosas || go to bed [We say go
to bed, we don't say *go to the bed (I went to bed at eleven).] To
get into bed: I'm sleepy ‑ I think I'll go to bed now; What time
do you usually go to bed? ✑acostarse, ir a dormir
'bedbug ❚ (noun) A small blood‑sucking insect that
lives in houses, especially in beds. ✑chinche
'bedclothes [‑kləuðz, (American) ‑kləuz] ❚ (noun plural)
Sheets, blankets etc. ✑ropa de cama
'bedcover ❚ (noun) A top cover for a bed: to remove the
bedcover. ✑colcha
‑bedded ❚ Having (a certain number or type of) bed(s):
a double‑bedded room. ✑de (dos/tres...) camas
'bedding ❚ (noun) Mattress, bedclothes etc. ✑ropa de
cama
'bedridden ❚ (adjective) In bed for a long period be‑
cause of age or sickness: She has been bedridden since the
car accident. ✑postrado en cama
'bedroom ❚ (noun) A room for sleeping in. ✑dormitorio
■ See pictures at house and room
bedrock ❚ (noun) A solid layer of rock lying under loose
earth and sand: The archaeologists got down to the gran‑
ite bedrock. ✑lecho de roca
'bedside ❚ (noun) The place or position next to a per‑
son's bed: He was at her bedside when she died. ✑lado de
la cama
bedside table ❚ (noun) Table next to a bed, usually
with a lamp: My bedside table is very untidy. ✑mesilla de
noche ■ See picture at room
bedsit, bedsitter ❚ () A room for both living and sleep‑
ing in. ✑estudio
'bedspread ❚ (noun) A top cover for a bed: Please re‑
move the bedspread before you get into bed. ✑cubrecama
■ See picture at room
'bedtime ❚ (noun) The time at which one normally goes
to bed: Nine o'clock is the children's bedtime; [also adjec‑
tive] a bedtime story. ✑hora de acostarse
BEd, B.Ed. [ˌbiː 'ed, ˌbiː iː 'diː] [abbreviation for Bachelor
of Education] (noun) A first university degree in education
or teaching. ✑licenciatura en Magisterio
bedlam ['bedləm] (noun) (old‑fashioned) (A place of)
noise, confusion or uproar: Their house is bedlam. ✑ma­
nicomio, gallinero
bee [biː] ❚ (noun) 1 A four‑winged insect that makes
honey: He was stung by a bee. ✑abeja 2 [especially American] A meeting for combined work and enjoyment: a
knitting bee. ✑trabajo colectivo || a bee in one's bonnet
An idea which has become fixed in one's mind: She has
a bee in her bonnet about going to America. ✑tener algo
metido entre ceja y ceja || make a bee‑line for To take the
most direct way to; to go immediately to: Fred always
makes a bee‑line for the prettiest girl at a party. ✑ir en
línea recta; ir directo
'beehive ❚ (noun) A box in which bees are kept, and
where they store their honey. ✑colmena
'beeswax ['biːzwæks] ❚ (noun) The yellowish solid sub‑
stance produced by bees for making their cells, used in
polishing wood. ✑cera de abeja
beech [biːtʃ] (noun) 1 [also beech tree] A kind of forest
tree with smooth silvery bark and small nuts: That tree
is a beech; [also adjective] a beech forest. ✑haya (árbol)
2 Its wood. ✑haya (madera)
beef [biːf] ❚ (noun) The flesh of a bull, cow or ox, used as
food: I'll have the roast beef. ✑carne de vaca
beefburger ❚ (noun) A round flat piece of meat. ✑ham­
burguesa
beefy ❚ (adjective) 1 Of or like beef: a beefy taste. ✑de
carne de vaca 2 (informal) Having a lot of fat or muscle:
a beefy man. ✑fornido, corpulento
beehive See bee ✑colmena
been Past participle form of be (ser, estar).
beeper ['biːpə(r)] (noun) A small electronic device used
by the person carrying it for receiving short messages.
✑localizador, busca
beer [biə] [PRON. the ee is pronunced like the i in big.]
(noun) A type of alcoholic drink made from malted barley
flavoured with hops: I'm going to have a beer. ✑cerveza
|| small beer Something unimportant: This is small beer
compared with his usual work. ✑insignificancia, bagatela
beeswax See bee ✑cera de abeja
beet (noun) [American] A beetroot. ✑remolacha
beetle ['biːtl] (noun) An insect with four wings. ✑esca­
rabajo, coleóptero 㐀 See page 847
beetroot [ˈbiː.truːt] (noun) [American beet] A plant that
has a round dark red root which can be eaten as a vegeta‑
ble: Yesterday I only had a beetroot salad for lunch. ✑re­
molacha
befall [bi'foːl] [past tense befell [bi'fel]; past participle
be'fallen.] (verb) (literary) To happen to (a person or
thing): A disaster has befallen her. ✑acontecer
befallen Past participle form of befall (acontecer).
befell Past tense of befall (acontecer).
before [bi'foː] ❚ (preposition) 1 Earlier than: Diana ar‑
rived five minutes before you; before the war; He'll come
before very long. ✑antes (de) 2 In front of: She was be‑
fore me in the queue. ✑delante (de), antes (de/que) 3
Rather than: Justice before wealth. ✑antes que ❚ (adverb)
4 Earlier: I've seen you before. ✑antes ❚ (conjunction) 5
Earlier than the time when: Before I go, I must phone my
parents; Before taking the final decision, I want to talk to
my friends. ✑antes (de que)
be'forehand [‑hand] ❚ (adverb) Before the time when
something else is done: If you're coming, let me know be‑
forehand. ✑de antemano, previamente, por adelantado
befriend [bi'frend] (verb) To take as a friend. ✑ofrecer
amistad, amparar
beg [beg] [past tense, past participle begged] ❚ (verb) 1 To
ask (someone) for (money, food etc): The old man was so
poor that he had to beg in the street; He begged (me) for
money. ✑pedir 2 To ask (someone) desperately or ear‑
nestly: I beg you not to do it. ✑suplicar, rogar || beg to
differ (formal) To disagree: You may think that he should
get the job but I beg to differ. ✑estar en desacuerdo
'beggar ❚ (noun) 1 A person who lives by begging: The
beggar asked for money for food. ✑mendigo ❚ (verb) 2
(old‑fashioned) To make very poor: He was beggared by
the collapse of his firm. ✑arruinar, reducir a la miseria
|| beggar description To be so great in some way that it
cannot be described: Her beauty beggars description.
✑superar cualquier descripción
began [bɪˈgæn] Past tense of begin (empezar, comenzar).
beggar See beg ✑mendigo
begin [bi'gin] [present participle be'ginning; past tense be‑
gan; past participle begun] ❚ (verb) [+ ‑ing form or + to infinitive] To come or bring into being, to start: She began
to talk; The baby began crying again; The meeting began
early; Let's begin! ✑empezar, comenzar || to begin with 1
At first: I didn't like him to begin with, but now he's one of
my best friends. ✑al principio 2 Firstly: There are many
reasons why I don't like her ‑ to begin with, she doesn't tell
the truth. ✑para empezar, en primer lugar
be'ginner ❚ (noun) Someone who is just learning how
to do something: «‑Does she play the trumpet well? ‑She's
not bad for a beginner». ✑principiante
be'ginning ❚ (noun) We have made a good beginning;
The beginning of the film is very slow; In the beginning I
didn't like that style, but now I think it's great. ✑principio,
comienzo, inicio
begonia [bi'gəuniə] (noun) A tropical plant with pink
flowers and often coloured leaves. ✑begonia
begrudge [bi'gradʒ] (verb) To envy (someone some‑
thing): I begrudge him his success. ✑envidiar
beguile [bi'gæil] ❚ (verb) 1 [American] To occupy (time)
pleasantly: He beguiled the time with gardening. ✑pasar
mi/tu... tiempo, dedicar el tiempo a 2 To charm or amuse
(a person): She beguiled the children with stories. ✑cauti­
var; entretener
be'guiling ❚ (adjective) Charming: a beguiling smile.
✑encantador, embelesador
be'guilingly ❚ (adverb) ✑con encanto
begun Past participle form of begin (empezar, comen‑
zar).
behalf [bi'haːf] (noun) || on behalf of (someone) For, or in
the interests of: on behalf of all our members; She's ill, so
her son received the award on her behalf; I'm collecting on
behalf of the blind. ✑en nombre de; en beneficio de; en
favor de
behave [bi'heiv] ❚ (verb) 1 To act in a suitable way, to
conduct oneself (well): If you come, you must behave
(yourself); My little brother always behaves (himself) at his
grandmother's. ✑comportarse 2 To act or react: She be‑
haved as if nothing had happened; Metals behave in dif‑
ferent ways when heated. ✑comportarse
be'haviour [‑jə] [American be'havior] ❚ (noun) 1 Way of
behaving: as a reward for your good behaviour; his behav‑
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iour in class today was very bad. ✑comportamiento; con­
ducta 2 Actions or reactions: the behaviour of rats; the
behaviour of metals in acids. ✑comportamiento
well/ badly‑ be'haved ❚ (adjective) Good/bad in
'
'
manners or conduct: badly‑behaved children. ✑bien/mal
educado
beheld Past tense and past participle forms of behold
(ver, contemplar).
behind [bi'haind] ❚ (preposition) 1 At the back of, or to‑
wards the back of: It's behind the door; The girl behind me
in the photo is Pam. ✑detrás de ■ See picture at position
2 Remaining after: The tourists left their litter behind
them. ✑tras 3 In support: We're right behind her on this
point. ✑con (alguien), de acuerdo con (alguien) ❚ (ad‑
verb) 4 At the back: They are following behind. ✑detrás
5 [also be'hindhand] Not up to date, not as advanced as
you should be (with an activity, task): He is behind with
his work. ✑atrasado, retrasado ❚ (noun) 6 The buttocks:
a smack on the behind. ✑trasero || behind someone's back
Without someone's knowledge or permission: He some‑
times bullies his sister behind his mother's back. ✑a es­
paldas de
behold [bi'h əuld] [past tense, past participle beheld
[bi'held]] (verb) (literary) To see: What a sight to behold!
✑ver, contemplar
beige [beiʒ] ❚ (noun) 1 A pale pinkish‑yellow colour, like
a biscuit. ✑beige ❚ (adjective) 2 a beige hat. ✑beige
being See be ✑existencia, ser
belated [bi'leitid] ❚ (adjective) Happening etc, late or too
late: a belated birthday card; belated thanks. ✑con retra­
so, atrasado
be'latedly ❚ (adverb) ✑con retraso
belch [beltʃ] ❚ (verb) 1 To give out air noisily from the
stomach through the mouth: He belched after eating too
much. ✑eructar 2 [often with out] (Of a chimney etc) to
throw (out) violently: factory chimneys belching (out)
smoke. ✑arrojar, echar (humo, llamas...) ❚ (noun) 3 An
act of belching. ✑eructo
beleaguered [bi'liːgəd] (adjective) Under attack: a be‑
leaguered castle; The city was beleaguered. ✑ sitiado,
asediado
belfry ['belfri] [plural 'belfries] (noun) The part of a
(church) tower in which bells are hung. ✑campanario
belie [bi'lai] [present participle be'lying; past participle
be'lied] (verb) (formal) To give a false idea or impression
of (something): His innocent face belies his cunning. ✑es­
conder; desmentir
belief See believe ✑creencia, confianza
believe [bi'liːv] ❚ (verb) 1 To consider or regard (some‑
thing) as true: I believe his story; I don't believe it; She
believes it could happen. ✑creer 2 To trust (a person),
accepting what they say as true, or accepting their capa‑
bilities: I believe you; Don't believe everything you hear; I
know you can do it: believe in yourself. ✑creer 3 To think
(that): I believe he's ill. ✑creer, pensar || believe so To say
that you consider or regard (something) as true (usually
when you answer someone): «‑Is George coming to the
training tomorrow? ‑I believe so»; «‑Will the shop be open
later? ‑I believe so». ✑creer que sí
∙ believe in To accept the existence or recognize the value
of (something): Do you believe in ghosts?; He believes in
capital punishment. ✑creer en
be'lief [‑f] ❚ (noun) 1 Faith or trust: I have no belief in
his ability to do it. ✑confianza, fe 2 [often in plural] Some‑
bereaved
thing believed: religious beliefs; It's my belief that the
situation will improve. ✑creencia
be'lievable ❚ (adjective) ✑creíble
be'liever ❚ (noun) A person who has (especially reli‑
gious) beliefs or who trusts in someone or something: a
true believer; I'm a great believer in saying what you feel.
✑creyente, partidario
belittle [bi'litl] (verb) To make to seem unimportant
(usually by harsh criticism): She belittled his achieve‑
ments. ✑menospreciar, minimizar, subestimar
bell [bel] ❚ (noun) 1 A hollow object, usually of metal,
which gives a ringing sound when struck by the clapper
inside: church bells. ✑campana 2 Any other mechanism
for giving a ringing sound: Did you ring the bell?; Our
doorbell is broken. ✑timbre, campanilla ■ See picture at
bicycle || as clear as a bell (An explanation, instructions
etc) very clear: «‑Is it clear what you have to do? ‑As clear
as a bell». ✑(explicación, instrucciones) muy claro, tan
claro como el agua || give someone a bell ❚ (informal) To
phone someone: Give me a bell when you have more news.
✑dar un toque (a alguien); llamar || ring a bell ❚ (infor‑
mal) Sound familiar, produce a partial memory: «‑Her
name rings a bell ‑Was she Mark's girlfriend for a while?».
✑sonar (a alguien)
bellicose ['belikəus] (adjective) Warlike or quarrelsome:
a bellicose nation. ✑belicoso
belligerent [bi'lidʒərənt] ❚ (adjective) 1 Unfriendly;
hostile: a belligerent stare; She is very belligerent and
quarrelsome. ✑enemigo, agresivo 2 Aggressive, wanting
to make war: belligerent nations. ✑beligerante
bel'ligerence ❚ (noun) ✑beligerancia
bel'ligerently ❚ (adverb) ✑agresivamente
bellow ['beləu] ❚ (verb) 1 To roar like a bull: The head‑
master bellowed at the pupils. ✑bramar ❚ (noun) 2 An act
of roaring. ✑bramido
bellows ['beləuz] (noun plural) An instrument for mak‑
ing a current of air. ✑fuelle
belly ['beli] [plural 'bellies] ❚ (noun) The part of the body
between the breast and the thighs, containing the bow‑
els: the horse's belly; I've a pain in my belly; a beer belly.
✑barriga, vientre
'bellyache1 ❚ (noun) Stomach pain. ✑dolor de barriga
'bellyache2 ❚ (verb) (informal) To complain a lot with‑
out a good reason; to grumble: Stop bellyaching, we're all
doing our share! ✑quejarse constantemente (de)
belly‑button ❚ (noun) (informal) The small hollow in
the middle of the stomach where the cord attaching a
baby to its mother used to be. ✑ombligo
'belly‑dance ❚ (verb) To do this dance: Maureen is
learning how to belly‑dance. ✑bailar la danza del vientre
'bellyflop ❚ (noun) A bad jump into water in which the
front of your body crashes flat against the water. ✑plan­
chazo
'belly‑laugh ❚ (noun) A loud, deep laugh: the bel‑
ly‑laughs of the rugby players in the bar. ✑carcajada, ri­
sotada
belong [bi'loŋ] ❚ (verb) 1 [with to] To be the property of:
That e‑book belongs to me. ✑pertenecer, ser propiedad
(de) 2 [with to] To be a member etc of: I belong to the
school choir; Terry belongs to the sailing club; Do you be‑
long to the local library? ✑ser miembro, formar parte de
3 To feel part of something (place, group, event): Dee
says she doesn't belong here, for her this town is too big.
✑sentir parte de, sentir que pertenece, sentir que es tu
sitio 4 [with with] To go together with: This shoe belongs
with that shoe. ✑ir con
be'longings ❚ (noun plural) Personal possessions: She
can't have gone away ‑ all her belongings are still here.
✑pertenencias
beloved [bi'lavid] ❚ (adjective) 1 Much loved: my beloved
country. ✑adorado ❚ (noun) 2 A person very dear to one:
My beloved left me for another. ✑amado, amor
below [bə'ləu] ❚ (preposition) 1 Lower in position, rank,
standard etc than something: She hurt her leg below the
knee; His work is below standard; Vicky was below her best
today. ✑debajo (de); por debajo ❚ (adverb) 2 In a lower
place: We looked at the houses (down) below. ✑de abajo
■ See box at under
belt [belt] ❚ (noun) 1 A long (narrow) piece of leather,
cloth etc worn round the waist: a leather belt; He tight‑
ened his belt; Fasten your safety belt. ✑cinturón ■ See
picture at clothes 2 A similar object used to set wheels in
motion: the belt of a vacuum‑cleaner. ✑correa 3 A zone
of land with a special characteristic, especially around
a town or city: a belt of trees; an industrial belt; the green
belt. ✑faja; cinturón ❚ (verb) 4 [often with up] To fasten
with a belt: She belted up her trousers. ✑ponerse el cin­
turón 5 To strike (with or without a belt): He belted the
disobedient dog. ✑pegar, dar una paliza 6 (informal)
[with for, towards, along] To run to or to go very fast:
When it started to rain heavily, they belted for shelter; belt‑
ing along the motorway. ✑apresurarse a alcanzar, correr
hacia, ir a gran velocidad
'belted ❚ (adjective) ✑atado con cinturón
bemused [bi'mjuːzd] (adjective) Bewildered or greatly
puzzled: a bemused look. ✑perplejo, estupefacto
bench [bentʃ] (noun) 1 A long (usually wooden) seat: to
sit on a park bench. ✑banco 2 A work‑table for a carpen‑
ter etc: tools on the workbench. ✑banco de trabajo, mesa
de trabajo
bend [bend] [past tense, past participle bent [bent]] ❚ (verb)
1 To make, become, or be, angled or curved: Bend your
arm; She bent down to pick up the coin; The road bends to
the right; He could bend an iron bar. ✑doblar(se), curvar 2
To force (someone) to do what one wants: He bent me to his
will. ✑doblegar, obligar ❚ (noun) 3 A curve or angle: a tight
bend in the road. ✑curva || bend someone's ear (informal)
To speak to someone at length about something, usually
something you feel strongly about or are worried about:
I'm sorry I bent your ear about the team selection, I needed
to speak to someone about it. ✑dar la lata a alguien, marear
a alguien (con un tema) || bent on Determined on: She is bent
on winning. ✑(estar) decidido/resuelto || the bends Agoniz‑
ing pains, especially in the joints, affecting divers when
they surface too quickly. ✑apoplejía
bender ❚ (noun) A long drinking session: to go on a
bender. ✑juerga; (to go on a bender = salir de juerga y
beber mucho)
beneath [bi'niːθ] ❚ (preposition) 1 In a lower position
than; under; below: beneath the floorboards; beneath her
coat. ✑bajo, debajo (de) 2 Not worthy of: It is beneath
my dignity to do that. ✑indigno ❚ (adverb) 3 Below or
underneath: They watched the boat breaking up on the
rocks beneath. ✑de abajo || beneath contempt Complete‑
ly contemptible: He is beneath contempt. ✑despreciable
■ See box at under
benediction [benə'dikʃən] (noun) A prayer giving bless‑
ing. ✑bendición
benefactor
['benəfæktə] (noun) A person who gives
friendly help, often in the form of money: the benefactor
of the school. ✑bienhechor, benefactor
beneficial [benə'fiʃəl] ❚ (adjective) Having good effects:
Fresh air is beneficial to your health. ✑beneficioso
bene'ficiary [‑ʃ ə ri, (American) ‑ʃieri] [plural
'
ˌbene'ficiaries] ❚ (noun) A person who receives a gift etc
(usually in a will). ✑beneficiario
benefit ['benəfit] ❚ (noun) 1 Something good to receive,
an advantage: She is very good, and she has the benefit of
experience; the benefits of fresh air and exercise; What's
the benefit in doing this? ✑beneficio, provecho, ventaja
■ See box below 2 Money given to help people unem‑
ployed or with low wages etc: They receive/get/gain ben‑
efits. ✑subsidio, ayuda ❚ (verb) [past tense, past participle
'benefited] 3 [usually with from or by] To gain advantage:
He benefited from the advice. ✑aprovecharse, beneficiar­
se 4 To do good to someone: The long rest benefited her.
✑hacer bien (a) || give (someone) the benefit of the doubt
To assume that someone is telling the truth (or acted
correctly etc) because you cannot be sure that the person
is wrong. ✑dar a uno el beneficio de la duda
benevolence [bi'nevələns] ❚ (noun) Generosity and de‑
sire to do good. ✑benevolencia
be'nevolent ❚ (adjective) a benevolent old man. ✑benévolo
be'nevolently ❚ (adverb) ✑con benevolencia
benign [bi'nain] ❚ (adjective) 1 Kind, well‑wishing: a be‑
nign smile. ✑benigno, bondadoso 2 Not fatal: a benign
tumour. ✑benigno
be'nignly ❚ (adverb) smiling benignly. ✑benignamente
bent1 (adjective) Twisted, not straight (often, that should
be straight): a bent spoon. ✑torcido, doblado
bent2 [bent] (noun) A natural inclination: a bent for math‑
ematics. ✑inclinación
bent3 [bent] Past tense and past participle forms of bend
(doblar, doblegar).
bequeath [bi'kwiːð] ❚ (verb) To leave (personal belong‑
ings) by will: She bequeathed her art collection to the
town. ✑legar, ceder
bequest [bi'kwest] ❚ (noun) Something left to someone
in a will: I received a bequest in my uncle's will. ✑legado
bereaved [bi'riːvd] ❚ (adjective) Having lost, through
death, someone dear: a bereaved mother. ✑afligido
benefit/profit
Benefit is a good effect, something helpful.
• One benefit of travelling around the world is
that you get to know different cultures.
Uno de los beneficios de viajar alrededor del
mundo es que conoces diferentes culturas.
• What are the health benefits of fiber?
¿Cuáles son los beneficios de la fibra?
Profit means an economic benefit. Money earned
in business.
• Our profits increased by 30% this year.
Nuestras ganancias aumentaron en un 30% este
año.
• There is profit in every labour.
En toda labor hay ganancias.
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be'reavement ❚ (noun) The family has suffered two be‑
reavements recently. ✑pérdida
bereft [bi'reft] (adjective) [with of] Having had something
taken away: bereft of speech. ✑privado de
beret ['berei, (American) bə'rei] [PRON. The t is not pronounced and re is pronounced rei.] (noun) A round flat cap
made of soft cloth, as worn eg by soldiers: Paratroopers
wear red berets. ✑boina
Bermuda shorts, Bermudas (noun plural) A pair
of shorts that go to the knees: Where are my Bermuda
shorts? I'm going to the beach. ✑bermudas
berry ['beri] [plural 'berries] (noun) A kind of small (often
juicy) fruit: holly berry; ripe strawberries; Those berries
are poisonous. ✑baya
berth [bəːθ] ❚ (noun) 1 A sleeping‑place in a ship etc.
✑camarote 2 A place in a port etc where a ship can be
moored. ✑amarradero ❚ (verb) 3 To moor (a ship): The
ship berthed last night. ✑atracar, amarrar (una embarca­
ción) || give someone a wide berth To keep away from
someone (because they are angry, you owe them some‑
thing etc). ✑evitar encontrarse con alguien
beryl (noun) (specialized) ✑berilo 㐀 See page 839
beseech [bi'siːtʃ] [past tense, past participles besought
[bi'soːt], be'seeched] (verb) To beg: Don't kill him ‑ I be‑
seech you! ✑suplicar, implorar
beset [bi'set] [past tense, past participle be'set] (verb) To
attack on all sides: beset by thieves. ✑cercar, asediar
beside [bi'said] ❚ (preposition) 1 By the side of or near:
beside the window; She sat beside her sister. ✑junto a, al
lado de ■ See box below 2 Compared with: She looks ugly
beside her sister, but actually she is quite pretty. ✑al lado
de || be beside oneself (with) To be in a state of very great,
uncontrolled emotion: She was beside herself with excite‑
ment as her holiday approached; He was beside himself
with rage. ✑no caber en sí mismo, estar fuera de sí || be
beside the point To be irrelevant: You have to go. Wheth‑
er you want to go is beside the point. ✑no venir al caso
be'sides ❚ (preposition) 1 In addition to: Is anyone com‑
ing besides John? ✑aparte de, además de ❚ (adverb) 2
Also: These shoes are expensive ‑ besides, they're too
small; She has two cars and a motorbike besides. ✑ade­
más ■ See box below
besiege [bi'siːdʒ] (verb) 1 To surround (eg a town) with
beside/besides
Beside means next to.
• The swan was beside the lake.
El cisne estaba junto al lago.
• I like to sit beside Tony.
Me gusta sentarme junto a Tony.
Besides means in addition, also or more over.
• I’m not in the mood for going to the cinema,
besides, I’m quite tired.
No me apetece ir al cine, además estoy muy
cansado.
• It’s a nice day to go out for a walk, besides,
I need to do some exercise.
Hace un buen día para salir a dar un paseo,
además, necesito hacer ejercicio.
Bible
an army. ✑sitiar, asediar 2 [with with] To overwhelm
with: The reporters besieged me with questions about the
plane crash. ✑asediar
besought Past tense and past participle forms of be‑
seech (suplicar, implorar).
best [best] ❚ (adjective, pronoun) 1 The superlative form
of good : the best book on the subject; the best (that) I can
do; She is my best friend; Which method is (the) best?; The
flowers are at their best just now. ✑mejor ❚ (adverb) 2
The superlative form of well2: She sings that song best (of
all). ✑mejor ❚ (verb) 3 (formal) To defeat: He was bested
in the argument. ✑vencer || best man The bridegroom's
attendant at a wedding. ✑padrino de boda || do one's
best To try as hard as possible: He'll do his best to be here
on time; I did my best to persuade her. ✑hacer lo posible
|| for the best Intended to have the best results possible.
✑con la mejor intención, por el bien de alguien || get the
best of To win, or get some advantage from (a fight, argu‑
ment etc). ✑salir ganando || make the best of it To do all
one can to turn a failure or undesirable situation into
something positive: She is disappointed at not getting
into university but she'll just have to make the best of it and
find a job. ✑tomarse algo lo mejor posible, ver el lado
bueno de algo || the best part of Most of; nearly (all of):
I've read the best part of five books on the subject. ✑la
mayoría (de), casi
best'seller ❚ (noun) Something (usually a book) which
'sells very many copies: J.K. Rowling has written several
bestsellers. ✑best seller, éxito de ventas
bestow [bi'stəu] ❚ (verb) (formal) [with on] To give (espe‑
cially a title, award etc) to someone: The Queen bestowed
a knighthood on him. ✑otorgar, conceder
be'stowal ❚ (noun) ✑otorgamiento, concesión
bet [bet] [past tense, past participles bet, 'betted] ❚ (verb)
1 [often with on] To put money (or other prize) on the
result of something: I'm betting on that horse in this race;
I bet you fifty pence that Angela wins the match. ✑apostar
2 To say that you are sure that something will happen,
or that something is the case: I bet you he doesn't remem‑
ber to bring the money. ✑apostar ❚ (noun) 3 An act of
betting: I won my bet. ✑apuesta 4 A sum of money bet‑
ted: Place your bets. ✑apuesta || an even bet An equal
chance. ✑ igual probabilidad de ganar que de perder
|| take a bet [often with on] To bet: Are you willing to take a
bet on whether he'll come or not? ✑apostarse algo || you
bet Certainly; of course: «‑Do you want to go to the theme
park this afternoon? ‑You bet!». ✑¡ya lo creo!, ¡por su­
puesto!
betray [bi'trei] ❚ (verb) 1 To act disloyally or treacher‑
ously towards (especially a person who trusts you): He
betrayed his own brother (to the enemy). ✑traicionar 2 To
give away (a secret etc): Never betray a confidence! ✑re­
velar, delatar 3 To show (signs of): Her pale face betrayed
her fear. ✑revelar, delatar
be'trayal ❚ (noun) ✑traición
be'trayer ❚ (noun) ✑traidor
betroth [bi'trəuð, (American) bi'trəuθ] ❚ (verb) (formal) To
promise in marriage: She was betrothed to her husband
at the age of twenty. ✑prometer en matrimonio (a)
be'trothal ❚ (noun) ✑desposorios
be'trothed ❚ (noun) (formal) The person to whom one
is betrothed: May I introduce you to my betrothed?
✑prometido
better ['betə] [We say He is better today (not *He is more
better). However, He is much better is correct. We also say You
had better come/You'd better come (not *You better come).] ❚
(adjective) 1 The comparative form of good : Her new car
is better than her old one; I have a better idea; We are bet‑
ter than them. ✑mejor 2 Stronger in health; recovered
(from an illness): I feel better today; She's better now.
✑mejor, mejorado, recuperado 3 Preferable: Better to do
it now than later. ✑mejor, más vale ❚ (adverb) 4 The
comparative form of well2: He sings better now than he did
before; I study better in the morning. ✑mejor ❚ (pronoun)
5 Someone or something which is good to a greater ex‑
tent than the other (of two people or things): Caroline is
the better of the two. ✑el/la/lo mejor de ❚ (verb) 6 To
improve (on): He has bettered all previous records; The
situation has bettered a little. ✑mejorar || better off Rich‑
er; happier in some way: He'd be better off working as an
electrician; You'd be better off without him, he's so imma‑
ture. ✑en mejor situación || get the better of To overcome;
to win (against): She got the better of her opponent/the
argument. ✑ superar, vencer || had better Used to say
what you think someone should do: You had better go, or
you will be late; I'd better do it now, before I forget. ✑más
vale que; sería mejor que || the better part of Most of: He
talked for the better part of an hour. ✑buena parte de,
cerca de, casi
between [bi'twiːn] [Be careful! between is usually used for
two and among is usually used for more than two.] (preposi‑
tion) 1 In, to, through or across the space dividing two
people, places, times etc: between the car and the pave‑
ment; She is between Jane and Dennis in the photo; be‑
tween 2 o'clock and 2.30; between meals; He is in between
jobs. ✑ entre 2 Concerning the relationship of two
things or people: the difference between right and wrong.
✑entre 3 By the combined action of; working together:
They managed it between them. ✑entre 4 Part to one
(person or thing), part to (the other): Divide the chocolate
between you. ✑entre || between you and me/between our‑
selves In confidence: Between you and me, I think he's
really nice. ✑entre nosotros ■ See box below ■ See picture at among
bevel ['bevəl] ❚ (noun) A slanting edge (rather than a
sharp corner): A chisel has a bevel on its cutting edge.
✑bisel
'bevelled ❚ (adjective) bevelled glass. ✑biselado
beverage ['bevəridʒ] (noun) A drink, especially tea, cof‑
fee, or other non‑alcoholic drink. ✑bebida (sin alcohol)
beware [bi'weə] [It is used mostly in the imperative and the
infinitive.] (verb) 1 [Usually with of] To be careful (of): Be‑
ware of the dog. ✑cuidado/atención (con) 2 (formal) To
be careful: He told them to beware. ✑tener cuidado
bewilder [bi'wildə] ❚ (verb) To amaze or puzzle: She was
bewildered when her husband suddenly left her; We are
bewildered by the instructions. ✑desconcertar, aturdir
be'wilderment ❚ (noun) ✑desconcierto, confusión
bewitch [bi'witʃ] ❚ (verb) To cast a spell on, to charm:
She bewitched us with her smile. ✑hechizar
be'witching ❚ (adjective) ✑hechicero, encantador
beyond [bi'jond] (preposition) 1 On the farther side of:
My house is just beyond those trees. ✑más allá de 2 Far‑
ther on than (something) in time or place: I cannot plan
beyond tomorrow. ✑más allá de 3 Out of the range, pow‑
er, comprehension etc of: He is beyond help; I don't un‑
derstand nuclear physics, it's beyond me. ✑fuera de, im­
posible para 4 Other than: What is there to say beyond
what has already been said? ✑más de, algo más de, más
allá de || beyond a joke (informal) Something which is
beyond a joke is not tolerable any more, has become se‑
rious. ✑el colmo || beyond compare Having no equal: Her
achievements are beyond compare; My Dad's paella is be‑
yond compare, it's the best! ✑incomparable || beyond ex‑
pectation [usually in plural] Much more or much better
than expected: The plan succeeded beyond all expecta‑
tions; The hotel was beyond our expectations. ✑mejor de
lo esperado || beyond one's means Too expensive(ly): A
painting by Picasso is beyond my means; He lives well be‑
yond his means (= he spends more money than he earns).
✑por encima de las posibilidades de uno
BFA, B.F.A. [ˌbiː ef 'ei] [abbreviation for Bachelor of Fine
Arts] First degree in Fine Arts. ✑licenciatura en Bellas
Artes
bi‑annual [bai'ænjuəl] ❚ (adjective) Happening twice a
year: a bi‑annual event; The dinner is bi‑annual, not an‑
nual. ✑semestral
bi‑'annually ❚ (adverb) ✑dos veces al año
' ['baiəs] ❚ (noun) 1 Favouring
bias
of one or other (side in
an argument etc) rather than remaining neutral. ✑par­
cialidad, prejuicio 2 A weight on or in an object (eg a
bowl for playing bowls) making it move in a particular
direction. ✑desviación 3 (In statistics) Weighted in a
particular way. ✑sesgo ❚ (verb) [past tense, past participle
'bias(s)ed] 4 To influence (usually unfairly): He was bi‑
ased by the report in the newspapers. ✑influenciar, pre­
disponer
bib [bib] (noun) 1 A cloth etc tied under a child's chin to
catch spilt food etc. ✑babero 2 The top part of an apron
or overalls, covering the chest. ✑peto
Bible ['baibl] [PRON. Bi is pronounced like the word by.] ❚
(noun) 1 [with the] The sacred writings of the Christian
Church, consisting of the Old and New Testaments. ✑Bi­
blia 2 The Jewish Scriptures (the Old Testament). ✑Bi­
blia
biblical ['biblikəl] ❚ (adjective) [often with capital] Of or
like the Bible: biblical references. ✑bíblico
among/between
We use between when we talk about choices that
involve individuals and different items, even if
there are more than two of them.
• It’s difficult for me to choose between apples,
oranges and pineapples.
Es difícil para mí decidir entre manzanas,
naranjas y piñas.
• Penny was indecisive between a puppy, a
kitten or a bunny.
Penny estaba indecisa entre un cachorrito, un
gatito o un conejito.
Among is used when we talk about things that
are not individuals or different items, they are
part of a group.
• I work among men.
Trabajo entre hombres.
• Susie is happy to swim among dolphins.
A Susie le gusta nadar entre delfines.
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bind
bibliography [bibli'ogrəfi] [plural bibli'ographies] (noun)
A list of books. ✑bibliografía
bicarbonate (noun) (specialized) A salt of carbonic
acid that contains the ion HCO3: sodium bicarbonate.
✑bicarbonato 㐀 See page 855
bicellular (adjective) Having two cells: bicellular pollen;
a bicellular microbe. ✑bicelular
bicentenary [baisen'tiːnəri, (American) bai'sentəneri] [plural bicen'tenaries, bicentennial [baisen'teniəl]] (noun) A
two‑hundredth anniversary: the bicentenary of American
independence. ✑bicentenario
biceps ['baiseps] [PRON. bi is pronounced like the word by
and the c like an s.] (noun plural) The large muscles in the
front of the upper arm: The boxer has enormous biceps.
✑bíceps 㐀 See page 859
bickie (noun) (informal) Biscuit: Can I have another bick‑
ie? ✑galleta
bicycle ['baisikl] ❚ (noun) 1 [often abbreviated to bike
[baik]] A pedal‑driven vehicle with two wheels and a seat.
✑bicicleta ❚ (verb) 2 [usually abbreviated to 'cycle] To
ride a bicycle: He bicycled slowly up the hill. ✑ir/montar
en bicicleta
bid [bid] ❚ (verb) 1 [past tense, past participle bid (pujar)]
To offer (an amount of money) at an auction: Jake bid
($1,000) for the painting. ✑ pujar, hacer una oferta 2
[with for] [past tense, past participle bid (pujar)] To give a
proposal and a price (for a contract): My mum's firm is
bidding for the contract for the new road. ✑ hacer una
oferta de adquisición, hacer una licitación 3 (formal)
[past tense bade [bæd] , past participle 'bidden] To tell
(someone) to (do something): She bade me enter. ✑pedir,
rogar 4 (formal) [past tense bade [bæd], past participle
'bidden] To express a greeting etc (to someone): He bade
me farewell. ✑ decir (adiós); dar (los buenos días) ❚
(noun) 5 An offer of a price, an offer for a contract: a bid
of $20; Are you going to make a bid? ✑oferta, puja 6 An
attempt (to obtain): He maid a bid for freedom. ✑intento,
tentativa (de conseguir)
'bidder ❚ (noun) ✑postor, pujador, licitador
'bidding ❚ (noun) ✑puja, oferta
'biddable ❚ (adjective) Obedient: a biddable child.
✑obediente
bide [baid] (verb) || bide one's time To wait for a good op‑
portunity: I'm just biding my time until he makes a mis‑
take. ✑esperar el momento oportuno
biennial [bai'eniəl] (adjective) (Of plants etc) lasting for
two years: Wallflowers are biennial; a biennial plant.
✑bienal
bifocal [bai'fəukəl] (adjective) (Of lenses) having two
points of focus, which help people to see things close at
hand and things far away. ✑bifocal
big [big] [comparative bigger, superlative biggest] ❚ (adjec‑
tive) 1 Large in size: a big car; Manchester is a big city;
Our house is big, but Val's is bigger. ✑grande 2 Impor‑
tant: a big event. ✑gran, importante ■ See box opposite
big game ❚ (noun) Large animals (usually lions, tigers
etc) that are hunted: He hunts big game in Africa; a big
game hunter. ✑caza mayor
bighead ❚ (noun) Someone who has too high an opinion
of themselves: Amanda is such a bighead. ✑engreído
bigmouth ❚ (noun) Someone who tells things that they
should not tell (secrets, private information etc): Henry's
such a bigmouth, you can't tell him anything. ✑bocazas
big toe ❚ (noun) The largest toe on the foot. ✑dedo
gordo del pie
bigamy ['bigəmi] ❚ (noun) Marriage to two wives or two
husbands at once (a crime in some countries): He's been
charged with committing bigamy. ✑bigamia
bicycle
handlebars
gears
bell
handbrake
saddle
headlight
mudguard carrier
down tube
spoke
rear light
crossbar
seat tube
fork
chain
tyre
tyre valve
pedal
rim
kickstand
reflector
'bigamist ❚ (noun) ✑bígamo
'bigamous ❚ (adjective) ✑bígamo
bigot ['bigət] ❚ (noun) A person who constantly and stub‑
bornly holds a particular point of view etc. ✑fanático,
intolerante
'bigoted ❚ (adjective) ✑fanático, intolerante
'bigotry ❚ (noun) Bigoted attitude or behaviour. ✑fana­
tismo, intolerancia
bike [baɪk] [short form of bicycle.] ❚ (noun) 1 A pedal‑driv‑
en vehicle with two wheels and a seat: I'm going round
to Jackie's house on my bike, OK?; Can I have a go on your
bike?; The brakes on my bike don't work. ✑bici, bicicleta
❚ (verb) 2 [more common cycle] To ride a bicycle: I'm go‑
ing to bike over to Ed's house. ✑ir/montar en bicicleta
bikini [bi'kiːni] (noun) A brief two‑piece swimming cos‑
tume for women. ✑ biquini, bikini ■ See picture at
clothes
bilateral [bai'lætərəl] (adjective) Affecting, signed, or
agreed, by two sides, countries etc: a bilateral agreement.
✑bilateral
bilberry ['bilbəri] [plural bilberries] (noun) A dark‑blue
berry; the bush it grows on. ✑arándano
bile [bail] ❚ (noun) 1 A yellowish thick bitter fluid in the
liver. ✑bilis, hiel 2 Anger or irritability. ✑mal genio
bilious ['biljəs] ❚ (adjective) Of, or affected by, too much
bile: a bilious attack. ✑bilioso; biliar
'biliousness ❚ (noun) ✑mal genio; trastornos biliares
bilingual [bai'liŋgwəl] [PRON. bi is pronounced like the
word by.] (adjective) 1 Written or spoken in two languag‑
es: a bilingual dictionary. ✑bilingüe 2 Speaking two lan‑
guages equally well: a bilingual waiter. ✑bilingüe
bill1 [bil] (noun) A bird's beak: a bird with a yellow bill.
✑pico
bill2 [bil] ❚ (noun) 1 An account of money owed for goods
or services etc: an electricity bill; Our last gas bill was very
high. ✑factura, cuenta 2 An amount of money owed for
a hotel room or for a restaurant meal: Could we have the
bill please? ✑cuenta 3 [American; British English note] A
banknote: a five‑dollar bill. ✑billete (de banco) 4 A post‑
er used for advertising. ✑cartel, póster 5 A proposed
law that is presented for discussion in parliament.
✑proyecto ley ❚ (verb) 6 To send an account (to some‑
one): We'll bill you next month for your purchases. ✑factu­
rar || fill the bill To be suitable; to be exactly what is re‑
quired: We are looking for a new car and this will fit the
bill. ✑servir, cumplir los requisitos
'billboard ❚ (noun) A large board on which advertising
posters are displayed: He stuck posters on the billboard.
✑valla publicitaria
'billfold ❚ (noun) [American] A wallet: a billfold full of
dollars. ✑billetero, cartera
billet ['bilit] ❚ (noun) 1 A private house etc where sol‑
diers are given food and lodging. ✑alojamiento, acuar­
telamiento ❚ (verb) [past tense, past participle 'billeted] 2
To give lodging to (eg soldiers). ✑alojar, acuartelar
billiards ['biljədz] (noun singular) A game played with
long thin sticks (cues) and balls, on a table. ✑billar
billion ['biljən] ❚ (noun) 1 [plural 'billion] Usually in the
United Kingdom, the number 1,000,000,000,000; in
the United States, and sometimes in the United King‑
dom, the number 1,000,000,000: a billion; several bil‑
lion; [also adjective] a few billion stars. ✑billón; millardo
(Estados Unidos) 2 [plural 'billions] A billion pounds or
dollars: The sum involved amounts to several billion(s).
✑billón; millardo (Estados Unidos) ❚ (adjective) 3 [plurals 'billion, 'billions] Usually in the United Kingdom,
1,000,000,000,000 in number; in the United States and
sometimes in the United Kingdom, 1,000,000,000 in
number: a few billion stars; two billion dollars. ✑billón;
millardo (Estados Unidos)
billionaire [ˌbiljə'neə(r)] ❚ (noun) A very rich person
who has more than a billion dollars, pounds etc: He's not
just a millionaire, he's a billionaire! ✑multimillonario
'billionth ❚ (noun) One of a billion equal parts. ✑billo­
nésimo
billow ['biləu] ❚ (noun) A large wave. ✑oleada || billow
out To move in a way similar to large waves: The sails
billowed out in the strong wind; Her skirt billowed out in
the breeze. ✑ondear, ondular, extenderse (con el viento)
'billowy ❚ (adjective) ✑de oleaje
billy UK: [ˈbɪl.i] [plural billies] (noun) A metal cooking pot
with lid for use outdoors: The hunters cooked soup in the
billy. ✑cacerola; cazo
billy‑goat ['biligəut] (noun) A male (usually adult) goat.
✑macho cabrío
bi‑monthly [baimanθli] (adjective, adverb) 1 (Happen‑
ing) once in every two months. ✑bimestral 2 (Happen‑
ing) twice a month. ✑bimensual
bin [bin] (noun) 1 A container (usually metal or plastic,
often large) in which rubbish is collected: Throw it in the
waste‑paper bin; A dustbin is a large bin for the rubbish
you have in your house. ✑cubo (de la basura), papelera
■ See picture at kitchen 2 A container (often large) in
which dry goods are stored: a corn bin. ✑cubo
binary ['bainəri] || the binary system The system of writ‑
ing and calculating with numbers which uses only two
digits (0 and 1) and has 2 as a base (101 = 1 four, 0 twos,
1 unit = 5). ✑binario
bind [baind] [past tense, past participle bound [baund]] ❚
(verb) 1 To tie up: The doctor bound up the patient's leg
with a bandage; The robbers bound up the bank manager
with rope. ✑atar, amarrar 2 To fasten together and put
a cover on the pages of (a book): Bind this book in leather.
✑encuadernar ❚ (noun) 3 (informal) A nuisance, some‑
thing not wanted or not convenient: «‑The lift is out of
big/great
Normally we use big with concrete nouns,
tangible things BUT we can use it with countable
abstract nouns.
• Dawn likes big dogs.
A Dawn le gustan los perros grandes.
• Buying a house was a big mistake. The
mortgage is very expensive!
Comprar una casa fue un gran error. ¡La hipoteca
es carísima!
We use great with abstract nouns, things you
cannot touch.
• We had such a great time on Saturday.
Lo pasamos genial el sábado.
• I have a great idea for Mum’s birthday!
¡Tengo una gran idea para el cumpleaños de
mamá!
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bingo
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order. ‑Yes, it's a bind». ✑ fastidio, lata || be in a bind
(informal) To be in a difficult situation. ✑estar en apu­
ros, tener un problema
'binding ❚ (noun) The covering in which the leaves of a
book are fixed: leather binding. ✑encuadernación
binder ❚ (noun) A cover for holding paper, magazines
and so on. ✑carpeta
‑bound ❚ (suffix) Prevented from making progress by a
particular thing: The ship was fogbound. ✑retenido por
bingo ['biŋgəu] (noun) A gambling game using cards with
numbered squares. ✑bingo
binoculars [bi'nokjuləz] (noun plural) An instrument for
making distant objects look nearer, with separate eye‑
pieces for each eye: He looked at the ship on the horizon
through his binoculars. ✑prismáticos
biochemistry [baiə'kemistri] ❚ (noun) The chemistry of
living things: She is studying the biochemistry of the
blood; [also adjective] a biochemistry lecture. ✑bioquí­
mica
bio'chemical [‑mikəl] ❚ (adjective) bioquímico
'bio'chemist ❚ (noun) bioquímico✑
✑
'
biodegradable
[baiədi'greidəbl] [PRON. bi is pronounced
like the word by and gra rhymes with say.] (adjective) Able
to be separated into individual parts by bacteria: All veg‑
etable matter is biodegradable; Plastic is not biodegrad‑
able. ✑biodegradable
biodiversity (noun) [also biological diversity] The vari‑
ety of different kinds of animals and plants found in a
particular region: The negative effects of GM crops on bio‑
diversity. ✑biodiversidad
biofuel (noun) Fuel that is made from renewable plant
or animal sources, for example ethanol, methane, or
wood: the growing demand for biofuel; the biofuel indus‑
try. ✑biodiésel, combustible biológico
biography [bai'ogrəfi] [plural bi'ographies] ❚ (noun) A
written account by someone of another person's life: a
biography of Nelson Mandela. ✑biografía
bi'ographer ❚ (noun) ✑biógrafo
bio'graphic(al) [‑'græ‑] ❚ (adjective) ✑biográfico
'
biology
[bai'olədʒi] [PRON. bi rhymes with my.] ❚ (noun)
The science of living things: human biology; [also adjec‑
tive] a biology lesson. ✑biología
bio'logical [‑'lo‑] ❚ (adjective) ✑biológico || biological
diversity See biodiversity ✑biodiversidad || biological
warfare The use of germs as a weapon. ✑guerra bioló­
gica
bio'logically [‑'lo‑] ❚ (adverb) ✑biológicamente
bi'ologist ❚ (noun) ✑biólogo
biomass [ˈbaɪ.əʊˌmæs] US: [‑oʊ‑ n] [PRON. bi is pronounced like the word by] (noun) 1 The total quantity of
living material in a given ecosystem, expressed either as
the weight per unit of land or unit volume of water: Bio‑
mass may be converted into energy. ✑biomasa 2 Plant or
animal matter used as a renewable source of fuel or en‑
ergy: the biomass market/industry. ✑biomasa
bionics [bai'oniks] ❚ (noun singular) The use of biological
principles in the design of computers etc. ✑biónica
bi'onic ❚ (adjective) Of or using bionics. ✑biónico
biopic [PRON. bi is pronounced like the word by] (noun) A
film that tells the story of someone's life: a biopic about
famed right‑wing radio personality Rush Limbaugh. ✑bio­
grafía cinematográfica, biopic
biopsy [plural biopsies] (noun) A medical test in which
cells or tissue are removed from someone's body and
black
examined to check if they are healthy or to diagnose an
illness: The doctor performed a liver biopsy. ✑biopsia
biosphere (noun) The part of the Earth's surface and
atmosphere where animals and plants can live: Global
warming threatens the whole biosphere of the Earth.
✑biosfera
biotic (adjective) 1 (In biology) of or relating to life or
living organisms. ✑biótico 2 (In biology) produced by
living organisms. ✑biótico
biped ['baiped] (noun) An animal with two feet (eg man).
✑bípedo
birch [bəːtʃ] (noun) 1 [also birch tree] A kind of small tree
with pointed leaves valued for its wood: That tree is a
birch; [also adjective] birch leaves. ✑abedul 2 Its wood:
a desk made of birch; [also adjective] a birch desk.
✑abedul
bird [bəːd] ❚ (noun) 1 A two‑legged creature, with feath‑
ers, a beak and two wings: Kiwis and ostriches are birds
which cannot fly. ✑ave, pájaro 㐀 See page 847 2 (infor‑
mal) A girl or young woman. ✑chica || bird's‑eye view A
general view from above: a bird's‑eye view of the town
from an aeroplane. ✑vista de pájaro
bird of prey ❚ (noun) A bird which hunts and eats birds
or other animals: Eagles and vultures are large birds of
prey. ✑rapaz, ave rapaz
biro UK: [ˈbaɪərəʊ] (noun) A pen with a small ball at the
end: Can I borrow your biro to write the address? ✑bolí­
grafo
birth [bəːθ] ❚ (noun) 1 (An) act of coming into the world,
being born: the birth of her son; deaf since birth. ✑naci­
miento 2 The beginning: the birth of civilization. ✑naci­
miento, comienzo, inicio || birth control Prevention of the
conception of children. ✑control de natalidad || give birth
(to) (Of a mother) to produce (a baby) from the womb:
She has given birth to twins. ✑dar a luz, parir
'birthday ❚ (noun) The anniversary of the day on which
a person was born: Today is his birthday; When is your
birthday?; [also adjective] a birthday party. ✑cumpleaños
|| Happy Birthday! Greetings said on a birthday: In her
email Laura wished me Happy Birthday. ✑¡feliz cumplea­
ños!
'birthmark ❚ (noun) A permanent mark on the skin at
or from birth: She has a red birthmark on her face. ✑mar­
ca de nacimiento
'birthplace ❚ (noun) The place where a person was
born: Shakespeare's birthplace. ✑lugar de nacimiento
'birthrate ❚ (noun) The number of births per head of
population over a given period: The birthrate in Spain is
falling. ✑tasa de natalidad
biscuit ['biskit] [PRON. The ending cuit is pronounced the
same as the word kit.] (noun) 1 [American 'cookie] A crisp,
sweet piece of dough baked in small flat pieces: Have a
biscuit; I love chocolate biscuits. ✑galleta 2 A similar flat
food that is savoury, not sweet. ✑galleta 3 [American] A
small soft round cake. ✑bizcocho
bisect [bai'sekt] (verb) To cut into two equal parts: A di‑
agonal line across a square bisects it. ✑bisecar, cortar en
dos partes simétricas
bisexual ❚ (adjective) 1 Sexually attracted to both men
and women: a bisexual man/women. ✑bisexual 2 (In
biology, of plants and animals) having both male and
female reproductive organs: a bisexual flower/plant. ✑bi­
sexual ❚ (noun) 3 Someone who is sexually attracted to
both men and women. ✑bisexual 4 (In biology) an or‑
ganism that has both male and female reproductive or‑
gans. ✑bisexual
bisexuality The state of being bisexual: She talked
openly about her bisexuality. ✑bisexualidad
bishop ['biʃəp] (noun) 1 A Christian clergyman in charge
of a group of churches: the Bishop of Lincoln. ✑obispo 2
One of the pieces in chess. ✑alfil
bison ['baisn] [plurals 'bison, (rare) 'bisons] (noun) 1 The
American buffalo: a herd of bison. ✑bisonte 2 The large
European wild ox. ✑bisonte
bit1 [bit] ❚ (noun) 1 A small piece: a bit of bread; Be care‑
ful, there are bits of glass all over the floor. ✑pedacito,
trozo 2 A piece, a part, an amount, some: I need a bit of
advice; I don't understand this bit of the text; Show a bit of
interest; «‑Are you tired? ‑A bit». ✑un poco, parte, algo 3
A short time: Wait a bit longer; I need a bit more time.
✑un poco, un poquito, un segundo 4 (In computers) the
smallest unit of memory. ✑bit, unidad de información 5
Small piece of metal put in the end of a drill to make a
hole in something. ✑broca || bit by bit Gradually: Move
the pile of rocks bit by bit. ✑poco a poco || do one's bit To
take one's share in a task: Each of us will have to do their
bit if we are to finish the job soon. ✑poner uno de su par­
te, colaborar || in/to bits In(to) usually small pieces: The
broken mirror lay in bits on the floor; He loves taking his
car to bits. ✑(hecho) añicos/pedazos, (desmontar) por
completo || not a bit Not at all: «‑Are you worried about the
test? ‑Not a bit». ✑para nada, en absoluto
'bitty ❚ (adjective) (informal) Made up of small, unre‑
lated pieces: We had a very bitty conversation; His essay
was rather bitty. ✑fragmentado, poco coherente, desco­
sido
bit2 [bɪt] Past tense of bite (morder).
bit3 [bit] (noun) The part of a bridle which a horse holds
in its mouth. ✑freno, bocado
bite [bait] [PRON. bi is pronounced like the word by.] [past
tense bit [bit]; past participle bitten ['bitn]] ❚ (verb) 1 To
seize or tear (something) with the teeth or jaws: The dog
bit his leg; He was bitten by a mosquito. ✑morder, picar
(pez, mosquito) ❚ (noun) 2 An act of biting or the piece
or place bitten: Give me a bite of your doughnut; a mos‑
quito bite. ✑mordisco, picadura 3 The nibble of a fish on
the end of one's line: I've been fishing for hours without a
bite. ✑picada || bite off more than you can chew (informal)
To take on something which is too big or difficult for you
to do. ✑intentar abarcar más de lo que uno puede || bite
the dust To fail; to be unsuccessful (a plan, idea): That's
another scheme that's bitten the dust. ✑morder el polvo,
frustrarse
'biting ❚ (adjective) 1 Very cold and causing discomfort:
a biting wind. ✑ penetrante, cortante 2 Wounding or
hurtful: a biting remark. ✑mordaz, incisivo
bitten [ˈbɪt.ən] Past participle of bite (morder).
bitter ['bitə] ❚ (adjective) 1 Having a sharp, acid taste
like lemons etc, and sometimes unpleasant: a bitter or‑
ange. ✑amargo 2 Full of pain or sorrow, unhappy and
sour in attitude: She learned from bitter experience; bitter
disappointment; He is very bitter about what happened.
✑amargo, amargado, resentido 3 Hostile: full of hatred
or opposition: bitter enemies. ✑hostil, encarnizado 4
Very cold: a bitter wind. ✑helado, gélido ❚ (noun) 5 Beer
with a sharp taste: Two pints of bitter, please. ✑cerveza
amarga, cerveza tostada || to the bitter end Until the end
of something difficult or until it is finished: We had to sit
through his cousin's play to the bitter end, even though it
was terrible; Now that I've started clearing out the cottage,
I'm determined to continue with it to the bitter end. ✑has­
ta el final de todo, hasta el final cueste lo que cueste
bittergourd ❚ (noun) A long, fleshy, bitter‑tasting fruit
usually used as a vegetable. ✑calabaza amarga
'bitterly ❚ (adverb) bitterly disappointed; bitterly cold.
✑amargamente, terriblemente, extremadamente
'bitterness ❚ (noun) ✑amargura
bittersweet ❚ (adjective) 1 (A taste) both bitter and
sweet. ✑agridulce 2 (A moment, feeling etc) both happy
and sad at the same time. ✑agridulce
bitumen ['bitjumin] ❚ (noun) A black, sticky substance
obtained from petroleum. ✑betún
bi'tuminous [‑'tjuːmi‑] ❚ (adjective) ✑bituminoso
bivalve [ˈbaɪ.vælv] (noun) Mollusc with a double shell:
A bivalve has two parallel bodies enclosed in joined shells.
✑bivalvo
bi‑weekly [bai'wiːkli] (adjective, adverb) 1 (Happening
etc) once every two weeks. ✑quincenal 2 (Happening
etc) twice each week. ✑quincenalmente, cada dos sema­
nas, bisemanalmente
bizarre [bi'zaː] [Be careful with the translation of this word
(bizarro in Spanish = courageous in English).] (adjective)
Very strange and unusual: a bizarre hat; bizarre behav‑
iour. ✑muy extraño, muy raro, estrafalario
black [blæk] ❚ (adjective) 1 Of the colour in which these
words are printed: black paint; Black clothes make you
look thinner. ✑negro 2 Without light: a black night; The
night was black and starless. ✑negro, oscuro 3 Dirty:
Your hands are black! ✑negro, sucio 4 Without milk:
black coffee. ✑(café) solo 5 Used to cause harm: black
magic. ✑negro 6 Relating to or of people with dark skin,
especially those from, or whose ancestors were from,
Africa or the West Indies. ✑negro 7 Negative, bad (fu‑
ture, image etc): The future looks black for the people in
that country. ✑negro ❚ (noun) 8 The colour in which
these words are printed: Black and white are opposites.
✑negro 9 Something (eg paint) black in colour: I've
used up all the black. ✑negro 10 (often offensive) [often
with capital] (currently acceptable in the United states,
South Africa etc) A Negro, a person of African, West In‑
dian etc descent. ✑negro ❚ (verb) 11 To make black.
✑ ennegrecer, volver negro || black and blue Badly
bruised: After the fight the boy was all black and blue.
✑amoratado || black art/magic Magic performed to cause
harm: He tries to practise black magic. ✑magia negra
|| black box A built‑in machine for automatic recording of
the details of a plane's flight: They found the black box
two miles away from the wreckage of the crashed plane.
✑caja negra || black eye An eye with bad bruising around
it (eg from a punch): George gave me a black eye. ✑ojo
morado || black market (A place for) the illegal buying and
selling, at high prices, of goods that are scarce, rationed
etc: He bought coffee on the black market. ✑mercado ne­
gro || black marketeer A person who sells goods on the
black market. ✑estraperlista, traficante en el mercado
negro || black sheep A member of a family or group who
is considered unsatisfactory in some way: My brother
says that he is the black sheep of the family. ✑oveja negra
|| black mood (Temporary) very unhappy feeling: He's in
a black mood today. ✑(de) mal humor || in black and white
In writing or print: Would you put that down in black and
white? ✑por escrito
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blackberry
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∙ black out To lose consciousness: She blacked out for al‑
most a minute. ✑estar inconsciente, perder la consciencia
'blackbird ❚ (noun) A dark‑coloured bird of the thrush
family with a yellow or orange beak. ✑mirlo
'blackboard ❚ (noun) A dark‑coloured board for writing
on in chalk (used especially in schools). ✑pizarra
'blacken ❚ (verb) 1 To make or become black: The sky
blackened before the storm. ✑ennegrecer, volverse negro,
oscurecerse 2 To make to seem bad: She blackened his
character. ✑pintar mal a alguien o algo, mostrar el lado
negativo 3 To clean with black polish: He blackened his
boots. ✑embetunar
'blackhead ❚ (noun) A small black‑topped lump in a
pore of the skin, especially of the face. ✑punto negro,
espinilla
'blacklist ❚ (noun) 1 A list of people who are out of fa‑
vour, unacceptable etc. ✑lista negra ❚ (verb) 2 To put (a
person etc) on such a list. ✑poner en la lista negra
'blackmail ❚ (verb) 1 To obtain money illegally from (a
person), usually by threatening to make known some‑
thing which the victim wants to keep secret. ✑chanta­
jear ❚ (noun) 2 The act of blackmailing: money got by
blackmail. ✑chantaje
'blackmailer ❚ (noun) ✑chantajista
'blackness ❚ (noun) ✑negrura, oscuridad
'blackout ❚ (noun) 1 A period of darkness produced by
putting out all lights: Accidents increase during a black‑
out. ✑apagón 2 A ban (on news etc): a blackout of news
about the coup. ✑bloqueo (informativo) 3 A period of
unconsciousness: He has had several blackouts during his
illness. ✑amnesia temporal, pérdida de consciencia 4 A
brief, temporary loss of memory, as when an actor for‑
gets his/her lines. ✑lapsus mental 5 [also outage] A pe‑
riod of a general power failure. ✑apagón 6 (In the thea‑
tre) the putting out of the stage lights at the end of a
scene etc. ✑(en el teatro) oscuro
'blacksmith ❚ (noun) A person who makes and repairs
by hand things made of iron: The blacksmith made a new
shoe for the horse. ✑herrero
the Black Death ❚ (noun) The plague that killed large
numbers of people in Europe in the 14th to 18th centu‑
ries. ✑peste negra
blackberry UK: [ˈblæk.bər.i] US: [‑ber‑] [plural blackber‑
ries] (noun) A small black fruit that grows on a bush:
You'll get sick if you eat too many blackberries. ✑mora
blackcurrant UK: [ˌblækˈkʌr.ənt] US: [ˈblæk.kɝː‑] (noun)
A very small, round black fruit with a sharp taste: I had
some bread and blackcurrant jam for breakfast this morn‑
ing. ✑grosella
bladder ['blædə] (noun) The bag‑like part of the body in
which the urine collects. ✑vejiga 㐀 See pages 855 and
857
blade [bleid] (noun) 1 The cutting part of a knife etc: His
penknife has several different blades. ✑hoja, filo 2 (infor‑
mal) A knife. ✑navaja 3 The flat part of a leaf etc: a
blade of grass. ✑brizna 4 The flat part of an oar. ✑pala
blame [bleim] ❚ (verb) 1 To consider someone or some‑
thing responsible for something bad: I blame the wet road
for the accident; Don't blame me. ✑culpar, responsabili­
zar, echar la culpa 2 To find fault with (a person): I don't
blame you for wanting to leave. ✑reprochar (algo a al­
guien) ❚ (noun) 3 The responsibility (for something bad):
He takes the blame for everything that goes wrong. ✑cul­
pa, responsabilidad
bliss
'blameless ❚ (adjective) Innocent: a blameless life.
✑inocente, intachable, irreprochable
bland [blænd] [Be careful with the translation of this word
(blando in Spanish = soft in English).] ❚ (adjective) 1 (Of
food etc) mild, tasteless: That soup is very bland. ✑soso,
insípido 2 (Of people, their actions etc) showing no emo‑
tion: a bland smile. ✑inexpresivo, insulso, soso
'blandly ❚ (adverb) ✑ inexpresivamente, desabri­
damente
'blandness ❚ (noun) ✑inexpresividad, insipidez, sosez
blank [blæŋk] ❚ (adjective) 1 (Of paper) without writing
or marks: a blank sheet of paper. ✑en blanco 2 Expres‑
sionless: a blank look. ✑vacío, inexpresivo 3 (Of a wall)
having no door, window etc. ✑liso ❚ (noun) 4 (In forms
etc) a space left to be filled (with a signature etc): Fill in
all the blanks! ✑espacio en blanco 5 A blank cartridge:
The soldier fired a blank. ✑cartucho sin bala || blank car‑
tridge A cartridge without a bullet. ✑cartucho sin bala
|| blank cheque A signed cheque on which the amount to
be paid has not been written. ✑cheque en blanco || go
blank To become empty suddenly (your mind): My mind
went blank when I saw the test paper. ✑quedarse en blan­
co, no recordar nada
'blankly ❚ (adverb) With a blank expression: He looked
at me blankly. ✑inexpresivamente, sin expresión
'blankness ❚ (noun) ✑vacío
blanket ['blæŋkit] ❚ (noun) 1 A warm covering made of
wool etc: a blanket on the bed; a car blanket. ✑manta
■ See picture at room 2 Something which covers like a
blanket: a blanket of mist. ✑manto ❚ (adjective) 3 Cover‑
ing all of a group of things: a blanket ban. ✑general ❚
(verb) [past tense, past participle 'blanketed] 4 To cover,
as if with a blanket: The hills were blanketed in mist.
✑cubrir de, envolver en || wet blanket (offensive) A person
who is too serious and doesn't want to have fun, or to
follow someone's plan: Don't be such a wet blanket!
✑aguafiestas, soso
blare [bleə] ❚ (verb) 1 [often with out] To make a loud,
harsh sound: The radio blared (out music). ✑sonar muy
fuerte, bramar, berrear ❚ (noun) 2 the blare of trumpets.
✑estrépito, clamor
blasphemous ['blasfəməs] (adjective) (Of speech or
writing about God, religion etc) considered offensive,
without respect. ✑blasfemo
blast [blaːst] ❚ (noun) 1 A strong, sudden stream (of air):
a blast of cold air. ✑ráfaga 2 A loud sound: a blast on the
horn. ✑toque 3 An explosion: the blast from a bomb.
✑explosión, detonación 4 (informal) An exciting or fun
time: We had a blast at the party yesterday, it's a shame
you missed it! ✑rato muy divertido; (to have a blast = pa­
sarlo pipa) ❚ (verb) 5 To tear (apart etc) by an explosion:
The door was blasted off its hinges. ✑volar 6 [often with
out] To come or be sent out, very loudly: Music (was be‑
ing) blasted out from the radio. ✑emitir a todo volumen
|| at full blast At full power, speed etc: He had the radio
going at full blast (= as loud as possible). ✑a todo volu­
men, a todo gas || blast furnace ❚ (noun) A furnace for
melting iron ore using blasts of hot air. ✑alto horno
∙ blast off [also 'blast‑off (noun)] (Of rockets, spacecraft etc)
to take off and start to rise. ✑despegar
'blasting ❚ (noun) In mining etc, the breaking up of
rock etc by explosives. ✑explosión controlada
blatant ['bleitənt] ❚ (adjective) Very obvious; shameless:
a blatant lie; blatant disrespect. ✑descarado
'blatantly ❚ (adverb) ✑descaradamente
blaze1 [bleiz] ❚ (noun) 1 A bright light or fire: A neigh‑
bour rescued her from the blaze. ✑llamarada, incendio,
resplandor 2 An outburst (of anger, emotion etc): a blaze
of fury. ✑arranque, explosión 3 A bright display: a blaze
of colour. ✑fulgor, resplandor, derroche ❚ (verb) 4 (Of a
fire, the sun) to burn, shine brightly. ✑fulgurar, resplan­
decer
'blazing ❚ (adjective) 1 Burning brightly: a blazing fire.
✑fulgurante, resplandeciente 2 Extremely angry: a blaz‑
ing row. ✑violento, encolerizado, enconado
blaze2 [bleiz] (verb) || blaze a trail To lead or show the way
towards something new: He blazed a trail in the field of
nuclear power. ✑abrir (el) camino, dar los primeros pa­
sos, marcar el camino
blazer ['bleizə] (noun) A type of jacket, often part of a
school uniform. ✑blazer, chaqueta de sport de doble
botonadura
bleach [bliːtʃ] ❚ (noun) 1 Liquid etc used for whitening
clothes etc. ✑lejía ❚ (verb) 2 To lose colour; to whiten:
The sun has bleached his red shirt; His hair bleached in the
sun. ✑blanquear, decolorar
bleak [bliːk] (adjective) 1 Cold, hard, without shelter: a
bleak landscape. ✑inhóspito, desolado 2 Not hopeful: a
bleak future. ✑desesperanzador, nada prometedor
bleat [bliːt] (verb) To make the noise of a sheep, lamb or
goat: The lamb bleated for its mother. ✑balar
bled [bled] Past tense and past participle forms of bleed
(sangrar).
bleed [bliːd] [past tense, past participle bled [bled]] ❚
(verb) To lose blood: I'm bleeding!; Her nose was bleeding
badly. ✑sangrar
'bleeding ❚ (adjective) Losing blood: a bleeding wound.
✑sangrante, sangriento
bleep [bliːp] ❚ (noun) 1 A short, high‑pitched burst of
sound. ✑pitido 2 [also 'bleeper] A small instrument for
making this sound: Call Dr Davis on his bleep! ✑busca ❚
(verb) 3 To make a short, high‑pitched sound, usually by
electronic means: Satellites bleep as they circle the earth.
✑pitar, emitir un pitido
bleeper See bleep ✑busca
blemish ['blemiʃ] ❚ (noun) 1 A stain, mark or fault: a
blemish on an apple. ✑imperfección, mancha ❚ (verb) 2
To spoil. ✑estropear
blend [blend] ❚ (verb) 1 To mix together: Blend the eggs
and milk together; These two colours blend well; blended
whisky. ✑ mezclar, combinar ❚ (noun) 2 A mixture: a
good blend; I like that blend of tea/coffee. ✑mezcla
'blender ❚ (noun) A machine for mixing things togeth‑
er, especially in cooking. ✑licuadora, batidora
bless [bles] [past tense blessed; past participles blessed,
blest] ❚ (verb) To ask God to show favour to, to help and
protect. ✑bendecir
Bless you! ❚ (interjection) Something you say when
someone sneezes. ✑¡Jesús!
blessed ['blesid] [PRON. The second e is not pronounced.]
❚ (adjective) Holy: the Blessed Virgin. ✑ bendito || be
blessed with To have the good fortune to have: to be
blessed with good health; Lilly is blessed with a great sense
of humour. ✑gozar de, tener la fortuna de tener
'blessedly [‑sid‑] ❚ (adverb) ✑con bienaventuranza
'blessedness [‑sid‑] ❚ (noun) ✑bienaventuranza, bea­
titud
'blessing ❚ (noun) 1 A wish or prayer for happiness or
success: When she decide to emigrate, her parents gave
her their blessing; The priest gave them his blessing.
✑bendición 2 Any cause of happiness: Her son is a great
blessing to her. ✑bendición, un regalo (del cielo) 3 A
prayer of thanks to God before and/or after a meal.
✑bendición (de la mesa) || a blessing in disguise (infor‑
mal) Something that has proved to be positive although
it seemed unfortunate when it occurred. ✑no hay mal
que por bien no venga
blest Past tense and past participle forms of bless (ben‑
decir).
blew [bluː] Past tense of blow2 (soplar).
blight [blait] (noun) 1 A disease in plants that withers
them: potato blight. ✑tizón, añublo, roya, plaga 2 Some‑
thing which has a very negative effect on an event, situa‑
tion, place, or the damage caused: The robbery put a blight
on their holiday; urban blight. ✑estragos, daño importan­
te, ruina, plaga; (to put a blight on = arruinar, estropear)
blind [blaind] [PRON. It rhymes with find and the i is pronounced as in Hi.] ❚ (adjective) 1 Not able to see: a blind
woman. ✑ciego 2 [with to] Unable to notice: She is blind
to his faults. ✑ciego, ingenuo 3 Hiding what is beyond:
a blind corner. ✑sin visibilidad 4 Of or for blind people:
a blind school. ✑para invidentes, ciegos ❚ (noun) 5 [often
in plural] A screen to prevent light coming through a win‑
dow etc: to raise/lower the blinds; The sunlight is too
bright ‑ lower the blinds! ✑persiana ■ See picture at room
6 Something intended to mislead or deceive: He did that
as a blind. ✑pretexto ❚ (verb) 7 To make blind: He was
blinded in the war; She was blinded (momentarily) by the
light. ✑cegar, volver ciego || blind alley A situation with
no way out, no way forward. ✑sin salida || blind date A
date with an unknown person. ✑cita a ciegas || blind spot
1 Any matter about which one always shows lack of un‑
derstanding: She seems to have a blind spot about physics.
✑punto flojo, punto flaco 2 An area which is impossible
or difficult to see due to an obstruction. ✑ángulo muer­
to, área sin visibilidad
blinder ❚ (noun) (informal) An outstanding performance
(usually in sport): She played a blinder in the last set of
the match. ✑juego fantástico, juego redondo
'blinding ❚ (adjective) 1 Tending to make blind: a blind‑
ing light. ✑cegador 2 Sudden: He realized, in a blinding
flash, that she was the murderer. ✑repentino
'blindfold ❚ (noun) 1 A piece of cloth etc put over the
eyes to prevent someone from seeing: The kidnappers put
a blindfold over the child's eyes. ✑venda ❚ (verb) 2 To put
a blindfold on (some person or animal): They blindfolded
him. ✑vendar los ojos (a) ❚ (adjective, adverb) 3 With the
eyes covered by a cloth etc. ✑con los ojos vendados
'blindly ❚ (adverb) ✑ciegamente, deslumbrantemente
'blindness ❚ (noun) ✑ceguera
blink [bliŋk] ❚ (verb) 1 To move (the eyelids) rapidly up
and down: It is impossible to stare for a long time without
blinking. ✑ parpadear, pestañear ❚ (noun) 2 A rapid
movement of the eyelids. ✑parpadeo, pestañeo || in the
blink of an eye In a very short period of time; very quick‑
ly. ✑en un abrir y cerrar de ojos
bliss [blis] ❚ (noun) Very great happiness: One month
without having to get up early: what bliss!; The bliss of the
young couple was evident. ✑dicha, felicidad, júbilo
'blissful ❚ (adjective) ✑dichoso, jubiloso
'blissfully ❚ (adverb) She was blissfully unaware of the
storm. ✑dichosamente, completamente
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blister
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blister ['blistə] ❚ (noun) 1 A thin bubble on the skin,
containing liquid: My feet have blisters after walking so
far. ✑ampolla 2 A similar spot on any surface: blisters
on the paintwork. ✑burbuja ❚ (verb) 3 To (cause to) rise
in a blister or blisters. ✑formar ampollas/burbujas
blithe [blaið] ❚ (adjective) (old‑fashioned) Happy and
light‑hearted, without worries: She is merry and blithe.
✑alegre
'blithely ❚ (adverb) He blithely ignored everyone's warn‑
ings. ✑alegremente, sin pensar
blitz [blits] ❚ (noun) 1 A sudden, vigorous attack, origi‑
nally in war. ✑bombardeo ❚ (verb) 2 To make an attack
on (usually in war): They blitzed London during the war.
✑bombardear
blizzard ['blizəd] (noun) A blinding storm of wind and
snow: Two climbers are missing after yesterday's blizzard.
✑ventisca, tempestad de viento y nieve, nevasca
blob [blob] (noun) A (usually small) shapeless mass of
liquid etc: a blob of paint; a blob of wax. ✑gota, borrón
bloc [blok] (noun) A group of nations etc who have an
interest or purpose in common: the European trade bloc.
✑bloque
block [blok] ❚ (noun) 1 A flat‑sided mass of wood or
stone etc: blocks of stone. ✑bloque 2 A piece of wood
used for certain purposes: a chopping‑block. ✑tarugo 3
A connected group of houses, offices etc: She lives in a
block of flats near the station; an office block. ✑bloque (de
casas, edificios...) ■ See picture at house 4 A barrier: a
road block. ✑ barrera, control policial 5 Something
which prevents you from continuing, from being able to
think, write, perform etc: a writer's block. ✑bloqueo 6
[especially American] A group of buildings bounded by
four streets: a walk round the block. ✑manzana (de pisos)
❚ (verb) 7 To make (progress) difficult or impossible: The
crashed cars blocked the road. ✑bloquear, obstruir || block
capital, block letter A capital letter written in imitation
of printed type, eg the letters in NAME. ✑ letra ma­
yúscula
bloc'kade [‑'keid] ❚ (noun) 1 Something which blocks
every approach to a place by land or sea. ✑bloqueo ❚
(verb) 2 The ships blockaded the town. ✑bloquear
'blockage [‑kidʒ] ❚ (noun) Something causing a pipe etc
to be blocked: a blockage in the pipe. ✑obstrucción
blocked ❚ (adjective) 1 Obstructed: I have a bad cold ‑
my nose is blocked; The road is blocked. ✑taponado, con­
gestionado, cortado, bloqueado 2 Unable to continue or
to think: I get blocked when I try to speak in French. ✑blo­
queo; (to get blocked = bloquearse)
blog ❚ (noun) 1 A website (often updated daily) in which
someone writes about their thoughts or experiences re‑
lating to a particular subject: She writes a daily blog; a
blog entry. ✑blog, bitácora ❚ (verb) 2 To write a blog:
What has he been blogging about recently? ✑escribir un
blog
blogger ❚ (noun) A person who writes a blog. ✑blo­
guero
bloke UK: [bləʊk] US: [bloʊk] (noun) (informal) Man:
There is a bloke waiting for you outside. ✑tío, hombre
blond [blond] [feminine blonde] ❚ (adjective) Having
light‑coloured hair: a blond child. ✑rubio; rubia
blonde ❚ (noun) A woman with light‑coloured hair.
✑rubia ■ See picture at hair
blood [blad] [PRON. The vowel sound here is pronounced
the same as in sun.] ❚ (noun) 1 The red fluid pumped
blur
through the body by the heart: Blood poured from the
wound in his side; I can't stand the sight of blood; Aargh,
there's a lot of blood!; to donate blood. ✑sangre 2 De‑
scent or ancestors: He is of royal blood. ✑sangre, descen­
dencia || blood donor A person who gives blood for use by
another person in transfusion etc. ✑donante de sangre
|| blood group/type Any one of the types into which hu‑
man blood is classified: Her blood group is O. ✑grupo
sanguíneo || blood pressure The (amount of) pressure of
the blood on the walls of the blood‑vessels: to have high/
low blood pressure; The excitement will raise his blood
pressure. ✑presión sanguínea, tensión (arterial) || 'blood
test ❚ (noun) An analysis of a patient's blood to find out
if they have any diseases etc: They are going to do a blood
test. ✑análisis de sangre || in cold blood While free from
excitement or emotion: He killed his son in cold blood.
✑a sangre fría
'bloodcurdling ❚ (adjective) Terrifying and horrible: a
blood‑curdling scream. ✑espeluznante, horripilante
'bloodless ❚ (adjective) 1 Without the shedding of
blood: a bloodless victory. ✑sin (derramamiento de) san­
gre 2 Anaemic: She is definitely bloodless. ✑anémico
'blood‑poisoning ❚ (noun) An infection of the blood:
He is suffering from blood‑poisoning. ✑septicemia
'bloodshed ❚ (noun) Deaths or shedding of blood: There
was much bloodshed in the battle. ✑derramamiento de
sangre
'bloodshot ❚ (adjective) (Of eyes) full of red lines and
inflamed with blood. ✑(ojos) rojo, inyectado
'bloodstained ❚ (adjective) Stained with blood: a
bloodstained bandage. ✑manchado de sangre
'bloodthirsty ❚ (adjective) 1 Eager to kill people: a
bloodthirsty warrior. ✑sanguinario 2 (Of a film etc) full
of scenes in which there is a lot of killing. ✑sangriento
'bloodthirstiness ❚ (noun) ✑avidez de matar
'blood transfusion ❚ (noun) The process of giving
blood to someone through the veins during an operation
etc. ✑transfusión de sangre
'blood‑vessel ❚ (noun) Any of the tubes in the body
through which the blood flows: She has burst a blood‑ves‑
sel. ✑vaso sanguíneo
'bloody [comparative bloodier, superlative bloodiest] ❚
(adjective) 1 Stained with blood: a bloody shirt; His
clothes were torn and bloody. ✑ensangrentado 2 Bleed‑
ing: a bloody nose. ✑que sangra 3 Murderous and cruel:
a bloody battle. ✑sangriento 4 (offensive, informal) Used
for emphasis: That bloody car ran over my foot!; Bloody
idiot! ✑maldito
'bloodstream ❚ (noun) The blood flowing through the
body: The poison entered her bloodstream. ✑circulación
sanguínea
bloom [bluːm] ❚ (noun) 1 A flower: These blooms are
withering now. ✑flor 2 The state of flowering: The flowers
are in bloom. ✑ floración, en flor 3 Freshness: in the
bloom of youth. ✑estar en la flor de (la vida), lozanía,
frescura ❚ (verb) 4 To flower or flourish: Daffodils bloom
in the spring; She has really bloomed since she changed
schools, she's like another person. ✑ florecer, abrirse,
prosperar, transformarse
blossom ['blosəm] ❚ (noun) 1 Flowers, especially of a
fruit tree: beautiful blossom; apple blossom. ✑ flor ❚
(verb) 2 To develop flowers: My plant has blossomed.
✑florecer 3 To flourish: She blossomed into a beautiful
woman. ✑transformarse en, convertirse en
'blossoming ❚ (adjective) ✑floreciente
blot [blot] ❚ (noun) 1 A spot or stain (often of ink): an
exercise book full of blots. ✑borrón 2 Something ugly:
That building is a blot on the landscape. ✑cosa que afea
❚ (verb) [past tense, past participle 'blotted] 3 To spot or
stain, especially with ink: I blotted this sheet of paper in
three places when my pen broke. ✑manchar, emborronar
4 To dry with blotting‑paper: Blot your signature before
you fold the paper. ✑secar || blot one's copybook (infor‑
mal) To make a bad mistake: He has really blotted his
copybook by being late for the interview. ✑meter la pata
∙ blot (something) out To hide from sight: The rain blotted
out the view. ✑tapar, hacer borroso
'blotter ❚ (noun) A pad or sheet of blotting‑paper. ✑se­
cante
'blotting‑paper ❚ (noun) Soft paper used for drying up
ink. ✑hoja de papel secante
blotch [blotʃ] (noun) A discoloured mark: Those red
blotches on her face are very ugly. ✑mancha
blouse [blauz] [PRON. blou rhymes with now.] (noun) A
piece of woman's clothing for the upper half of the body:
She wore a skirt and blouse. ✑blusa
blow1 [bləu] (noun) 1 A stroke or knock: a blow on the
head; to receive a blow. ✑golpe 2 A sudden misfortune:
Her husband's death was a real blow; The injury to their
star player was a big blow. ✑golpe (duro)
blow2 [bləu] [past tense blew [blu]; past participle blown]
❚ (verb) 1 (Of a current of air) to be moving: The wind
blew more strongly. ✑soplar 2 (Of wind, an explosion)
to cause (something) to move in a given way: The explo‑
sion blew off the lid. ✑llevarse 3 To be moved by the
wind etc: The door must have blown shut; The wind blew
the leaves along the path. ✑salir volando/despedido, mo­
verse con el aire, viento... 4 To drive air (into, on or out
of): Please blow into this tube!; If it is hot, blow on your
food to make it cooler; Blow your nose. ✑ soplar 5 To
make a sound by means of (a musical instrument etc):
She blew three notes on the trumpet. ✑tocar, hacer sonar
|| blow it! (informal) Words you use to express annoyance:
Blow it! I forgot to bring my pen drive. ✑¡cuernos! || blow
one's top (informal) To become very angry: She blew her
top when he arrived home 4 hours late. ✑perder los estri­
bos, estallar
∙ blow (something) out To extinguish or put out (a flame
etc) by blowing: The wind blew out the candle; The child
blew out the match. ✑apagar, extinguir
∙ blow over To pass and become forgotten: The trouble will
soon blow over. ✑pasar, quedar olvidado (y enterrado)
∙ blow (something) up 1 To break into pieces, or be bro‑
ken into pieces, by an explosion: The building was blown
up by a bomb; The Germans blew up the bridge. ✑volar,
explotar, estallar 2 To fill with air or a gas: He blew up the
balloon and gave it to the little girl. ✑inflar
∙ blow up (informal) To lose one's temper: If he says that
again I'll blow up. ✑perder los estribos
'blow‑lamp, 'blow‑torch ❚ (noun) A lamp for aiming
a very hot flame at a particular spot: The painter burned
off the old paint with a blow‑lamp. ✑soplete
'blowhole ❚ (noun) A breathing‑hole (through the ice
for seals etc) or a nostril (especially on the head of a
whale etc). ✑respiradero, orificio nasal
'blowout ❚ (noun) 1 The bursting of a car tyre: That's
the second blowout I've had with this car. ✑pinchazo 2
(On eg an oil rig) a violent escape of gas etc. ✑erupción,
escape 3 (informal) A very big meal. ✑comilona, atracón
'blowpipe ❚ (noun) A tube from which a dart (often
poisonous) is blown. ✑cerbatana
blown UK: [bləʊn] US: [bloʊn] Past participle of blow2
(soplar).
blubber ['blabə] ❚ (noun) 1 The fat of whales and other
sea animals. ✑grasa de ballena ❚ (verb) 2 (informal, dis‑
approving) To cry very noisily like a very small child:
Stop blubbering! ✑lloriquear
blue [bluː] ❚ (adjective) 1 Of the colour of a cloudless sky:
blue paint; Her eyes are blue. ✑azul 㐀 See page 868 2
(informal) Sad or depressed: I'm feeling blue today. ✑tris­
te, deprimido, melancólico ❚ (noun) 3 The colour of a
cloudless sky: That is a beautiful blue. ✑azul 4 A blue
paint, material etc: We'll have to get some more blue.
✑azul 5 (literary) The sky or the sea: The balloon floated
off into the blue. ✑cielo; mar || once in a blue moon Very
seldom: We see our Uncle Ted once in a blue moon. ✑de
higos a brevas || out of the blue Without warning: He ar‑
rived out of the blue, without phoning first. ✑como caído
del cielo || the blues 1 A kind of sad music originating in
the southern United States. ✑blues 2 (informal) Low
spirits; depression: He's got the blues today but he's usu‑
ally cheerful. ✑melancolía, depresión
'bluebottle ❚ (noun) A kind of large house‑fly with a
blue abdomen. ✑moscón
'blue‑collar ❚ (adjective) (Of workers) wearing overalls
and working in factories etc: blue‑collar workers. ✑obre­
ro, trabajador manual
'blueness ❚ (noun) ✑azul
'blueprint ❚ (noun) A detailed (often photographic)
plan of work to be carried out: the blueprints for a new
aircraft. ✑anteproyecto
'bluish ❚ (adjective) [also blueish] Quite blue; close to
blue: a bluish green. ✑azulado
bluff1 [blaf] (adjective) Rough, hearty and frank: a bluff
and friendly manner. ✑directo
bluff2 [blaf] ❚ (verb) 1 To try to deceive by pretending to
have something that one does not have: He bluffed his
way through the exam without actually knowing anything.
✑engañar a, echarse un farol ❚ (noun) 2 (informal) An
act of bluffing. ✑farol
blunder ['blandə] ❚ (verb) 1 To stumble (about or into
something): He blundered into the door. ✑chocar/trope­
zar con 2 To make a (bad) mistake: He really blundered
when he insulted the boss's wife. ✑meter la pata, cometer
un grave error, hacer una patochada ❚ (noun) 3 A (bad)
mistake: I made a big blunder. ✑metedura de pata, error
garrafal, patochada
blunt [blant] [PRON. The u is pronounced as in sun.] ❚ (adjec‑
tive) 1 (Of objects) having no point or sharp edge: a blunt
knife. ✑desafilado, despuntado, romo 2 (Of people) (some‑
times unpleasantly) straightforward or frank in speech: She
was very blunt, and said that she did not like him. ✑abrupto,
brusco, directo ❚ (verb) 3 To make less sharp: This knife has
been blunted by years of use. ✑desafilar, despuntar
'bluntly ❚ (adverb) ✑abruptamente, bruscamente, muy
directo
'bluntness ❚ (noun) ✑brusquedad, rudeza
blur [bləː] ❚ (noun) 1 Something not clearly seen: Every‑
thing is just a blur when I take my spectacles off. ✑imagen
borrosa ❚ (verb) [past tense, past participle blurred] 2 To
make or become unclear: The rain blurred my vision.
✑empañar, hacer borroso
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blurred ❚ (adjective) Difficult to see clearly: The photo
was blurred. ✑desenfocado, borroso
blurt [bləːt] (verb) || blurt out To say (something) sud‑
denly: He blurted out the whole story. ✑soltar, desem­
buchar
blush [blaʃ] ❚ (noun) 1 A red glow on the skin caused by
shame, embarrassment etc. ✑sonrojo, rubor ❚ (verb) 2
To show shame, embarrassment etc by growing red in
the face: Tony blushes easily. ✑ruborizarse, ponerse rojo,
sonrojarse
'blustery ['blastari] (adjective) (Of the wind) blowing in
irregular, strong gusts: a blustery day. ✑ventoso
boa ['bəuə] (noun) [usually boa constrictor] A large snake
that kills by winding itself round its prey. ✑boa
boar [boː] (noun) A male pig (especially the wild variety).
✑verraco, jabalí
board [boːd] [PRON. The a is not pronounced.] ❚ (noun) 1
A long, flat piece of wood: The floorboards of the old house
were rotten. ✑tabla, plancha 2 A flat piece of wood, plas‑
tic etc for a special purpose: Did you put the notice on the
board?; «‑Do you want a game of chess? ‑OK. Where's the
board?». ✑tablón, tablero 3 Meals (in a hotel, bed and
breakfast, etc): board and lodging; Full board or half
board? ✑pensión, comida 4 An official group of persons
administering an organization etc: the board of directors.
✑consejo, junta ❚ (verb) 5 To enter, or get on (a vehicle,
ship, plane etc): This is where we board the bus; Passen‑
gers now boarding for flight 6035 to Bristol. ✑subir a,
embarcar 6 (old‑fashioned) To live temporarily and take
meals (in someone else's house): He boards at Mrs
Smith's during the week. ✑alojarse en, estar hospedado
en || go by the board To be abandoned: All my plans went
by the board when I lost my job. ✑irse al traste, venirse
abajo || on board [Be careful! We say: on board the ship. We
don't say: *on board of the ship.] On a plane, train or ship:
Look! Jack's already on board the train. ✑a bordo
board game ❚ (noun) A game played on a square board:
Chess, draughts and ludo are popular board games. ✑jue­
gos de mesa
'boarder ❚ (noun) A person who temporarily lives, and
takes his meals, in someone else's house. ✑huésped
boarding card ❚ (noun) [American boarding pass] A card
that passengers show before getting on a plane. ✑tarje­
ta de embarque
'boarding‑house ❚ (noun) A house where people live
and take meals as paying guests. ✑pensión
'boarding‑school ❚ (noun) A school which provides
accommodation and food as well as instruction. ✑inter­
nado
boast [bəust] [PRON. boa rhymes with go.] ❚ (verb) 1 To
talk with too much pride: He is always boasting about
how clever his son is; Stop boasting! ✑vanagloriarse, jac­
tarse de, fanfarronear ❚ (noun) 2 The words used in talk‑
ing proudly about something: Her boast is that she has
never yet lost a match. ✑objeto de orgullo, alarde
'boastful ❚ (adjective) ✑jactancioso, fanfarrón
'boastfully ❚ (adverb) ✑con jactancia, haciendo alarde
de
'boastfulness ❚ (noun) ✑jactancia
'boasting ❚ (noun) ✑jactancia, fanfarronada
boat [bəut] [PRON. boa rhymes with go.] ❚ (noun) 1 A small
vessel for travelling over water: We'll cross the river by
boat; Let's hire a rowing boat. ✑barco, barca, embarca­
ción 2 A larger vessel for the same purpose; a ship: to
bone
cross the Atlantic in a passenger boat. ✑barco, navío, bu­
que 3 A serving‑dish shaped like a boat: a gravy‑boat.
✑salsera ❚ (verb) 4 To sail about in a small boat for
pleasure: They are boating on the river. ✑navegar || in the
same boat In the same, usually difficult, position or cir‑
cumstances: We're all in the same boat as far as low wag‑
es are concerned. ✑en el mismo barco
'boatman ❚ (noun) A man in charge of a small boat in
which fare‑paying passengers are carried. ✑barquero
'speedboat ❚ (noun) A fast motor boat. ✑lancha moto­
ra, fueraborda
boatswain, bosun ['bəusn] (noun) An officer who
looks after a ship's boats, ropes, sails etc. ✑contramaes­
tre
bob [bob] [past tense, past participle bobbed] (verb) To
move (up and down): The cork was bobbing about in the
water. ✑fluctuar, balancearse
bobbin ['bobin] (noun) A (usually wooden) reel for wind‑
ing thread etc: There's no thread left on the bobbin. ✑bo­
bina, carrete, canilla
bobsleigh ['bobslei] (noun) [also bobsled ['bobsled]] A
vehicle on metal runners used in crossing (and some‑
times racing on) snow and ice. ✑trineo
bode [bəud] (verb) || bode ill/well To be an indication of,
or to foretell bad or good fortune: This bodes well for the
future. ✑presagiar, prever
bodice ['bodis] (noun) The upper part of a woman's or
child's dress: The dress had an embroidered bodice.
✑corpiño
bodily See body ✑corporal, físico
body ['bodi] [plural 'bodies] ❚ (noun) 1 The whole frame
of a man or animal including the bones and flesh: Ath‑
letes have to look after their bodies. ✑cuerpo 2 A dead
person: The battlefield was covered with bodies. ✑cadáver
3 The main part of anything: the body of the text; the
body of the car. ✑cuerpo 㐀 See page 863 4 A mass: a
huge body of evidence. ✑conjunto, colección, grupo 5 A
group of persons acting as one: professional bodies; an
afficial body. ✑cuerpo, institución, órgano
'body language ❚ (noun) Body movements, facial ex‑
pressions etc that show what a person (really) feels or
thinks. ✑lenguaje/expresión corporal
'bodily ❚ (adjective) 1 Of the body: bodily needs. ✑cor­
poral, físico ❚ (adverb) 2 By the entire (physical) body:
They lifted him bodily and carried him off. ✑en peso, to­
talmente
'bodyguard ❚ (noun) [PRON. The u is not pronounced.] A
guard (or guards) whose job is to protect (especially an
important person): the president's bodyguard. ✑guarda­
espaldas
'bodywork ❚ (noun) The outer casing of a car etc: The
bodywork of his new car has rusted already. ✑carrocería
body piercing See piercing (under pierce) ✑piercing
bog [bog] ❚ (noun) 1 Very wet ground; marsh. ✑pantano,
ciénaga 2 (informal) Toilet. ✑aseo, baño || bog standard
(informal) Completely ordinary, with nothing special.
✑corrientito, con nada especial || be bogged down To be
hindered in movement; to be prevented from making
progress: The tractor is bogged down in the mud; I'm
bogged down with this maths problem ‑ can you help?
✑estar atascado/atrancado
'boggy ❚ (adjective) boggy ground. ✑pantanoso
bogey [PRON. The o is pronounced as in go.] ❚ (noun) 1
Something which creates a lot of fear and worry, often
without good reason. ✑pesadilla, amenaza, fantasma 2
(informal) A piece of mucus from the nose. ✑moco 3 (In
golf) one shot above par. ✑bogey, más uno
bogey man ❚ (noun) An imaginary evil creature that is
used to frighten children, especially in stories: The bo‑
geyman's going to get you! ✑coco, hombre del saco
boggle (verb) (informal) To be so shocked or surprised
by something that you find it difficult to believe or ac‑
cept: Her eyes boggled at the amount of money he had in
the suitcase; It boggles his mind that the company should
have made such a big mistake. ✑quedarse pasmado, de­
jar atónito, sobresaltar
bogie, bogy ['bəugi] (noun) [American] A four‑ or
six‑wheeled frame, supporting part of a long vehicle, eg
a railway carriage. ✑boje
bogus ['bəugəs] (adjective) False; not genuine: She was
fooled by his bogus identity card. ✑falso
bogy See bogie ✑boje
boil1 [boil] ❚ (verb) 1 To turn rapidly from liquid to va‑
pour when heated: I'm boiling the water; The water's boil‑
ing. ✑hervir 2 To cook by boiling in water etc: I've boiled
the potatoes. ✑hervir, hacer hervir, cocer || be boiling To
feel very hot: I'm boiling ‑ let's turn on the air‑condition‑
ing. ✑estar asado
∙ boil down to To amount to; to be in the final analysis: It
all boils down to money; What it boils down to is that you
have to make a choice between family and career. ✑redu­
cirse a, resumirse en
∙ boil over To boil and overflow: The pan of water boiled
over and spilt onto the floor. ✑desbordarse, rebosar
'boiler ❚ (noun) A vessel in which water is heated or
steam is produced. ✑caldera
'boiling‑point ❚ (noun) The temperature at which
something boils. ✑punto de ebullición
boil2 [boil] (noun) An inflamed swelling on the skin: His
neck is covered with boils. ✑furúnculo
boisterous ['boistəres] (adjective) Wild and noisy: a
boisterous child. ✑alborotador, tumultuoso, bullicioso
bold [bəuld] ❚ (adjective) 1 Daring or fearless: a bold plan
of attack. ✑valiente, audaz, atrevido 2 Confident and
showing no or little respect: a bold comment. ✑fresco,
impertinente, descarado 3 Striking and well‑marked: a
dress with bold stripes. ✑nítido, vivo 4 (Of type) thick
and clear. ✑en negrita || bold as brass Very cheeky. ✑tan
fresco
'boldly ❚ (adverb) ✑audazmente, con valentía
'boldness ❚ (noun) ✑audacia, impertinencia
bole (noun) (literary) The thickest part of the tree, the
trunk. ✑tronco
bolero ['bələrəu] [PRON. The last o is long, as in go.] [plural 'boleros] (noun) A short jacket with no fastening.
✑bolero
bollard ['bəlaːd] (noun) 1 A post for controlling traffic:
The pedestrian shopping area has been closed off with bol‑
lards. ✑poste, bolardo 2 A short post on a wharf or ship
round which ropes are fastened. ✑mojón de amarre
bolster ['boulstə] ❚ (noun) 1 A long, often round pillow.
✑travesaño ❚ (verb) [past tense, past participle 'bolstered]
2 [often with up] To prop up: We're getting a loan to bol‑
ster (up) the economy. ✑apoyar, reforzar
bolt [boult] ❚ (noun) 1 A bar to fasten a door etc: We have
a bolt as well as a lock on the door. ✑pestillo, cerrojo 2
A small round bar of metal, used with a nut to keep
things together: nuts and bolts. ✑tornillo, perno 㐀 See
page 863 3 A flash of lightning. ✑ rayo 4 A roll (of
cloth): a bolt of silk. ✑rollo ❚ (verb) 5 To fasten with a
bolt: He bolted the door. ✑echar el cerrojo 6 To eat very
fast, chewing very little: The child bolted her food. ✑en­
gullir, tragar 7 To go away very fast: The horse bolted in
terror. ✑escaparse, huir || a bolt from the blue A sudden,
unexpected happening: His resignation was a bolt from
the blue. ✑golpe, suceso inesperado, totalmente inespe­
rado
bolt(‑)'upright ❚ (adverb) Absolutely upright: She sat
'bolt upright in the chair with her back very straight.
✑erecto, vertical
bomb [bom] [PRON. The last b is silent.] ❚ (noun) 1 A hol‑
low case containing explosives etc: The enemy dropped a
bomb on the factory and blew it up. ✑bomba ❚ (verb) 2
To drop bombs on: London was bombed many times dur‑
ing the Second World War. ✑bombardear 3 (informal) To
fail in a very evident way: The play bombed on the first
night. ✑fracasar
'bomber ❚ (noun) 1 An aeroplane built for bombing.
✑bombardero 2 A person who bombs. ✑persona que
pone bombas
'bombshell ❚ (noun) A piece of startling news: Her res‑
ignation was a real bombshell. ✑bomba
bombard [bəm'baːd] ❚ (verb) 1 To attack with artillery:
They bombarded the town. ✑ bombardear 2 To direct
questions etc at: The reporters bombarded the film star
with questions. ✑acosar, asediar, acribillar
bom'bardment ❚ (noun) ✑bombardeo, acoso de pre­
guntas
bonanza [bəˈnanzə] (noun) A sudden increase (in profits
etc): Shop keepers in seaside towns enjoy a bonanza in hot
summers. ✑prosperidad, bonanza
bond [bond] (noun) 1 Something used for tying (espe‑
cially a person): They released the prisoner from his
bonds. ✑lazo 2 Something that unites or joins people
together: a bond of friendship. ✑vínculo 3 A loan given
to a company or government, paid at a fixed rate of inter‑
est. ✑bono, bono de Estado || bonded store/warehouse A
warehouse where goods are kept until customs or other
duty on them is paid. ✑almacén de depósito
bondage ['bondidʒ] (noun) Slavery. ✑esclavitud
bone [bəun] ❚ (noun) 1 The hard substance forming the
skeleton of man, animals etc: Bone decays far more slow‑
ly than flesh. ✑hueso 㐀 See page 852 2 A piece of this
substance: She broke two of the bones in her foot; Be care‑
ful with the fish bones. ✑hueso, espina ❚ (verb) 3 To take
the bones out of (fish etc). ✑deshuesar || a bone of con‑
tention A cause of argument or quarrelling: Ownership of
the boat was a bone of contention between the two men for
many years. ✑manzana de la discordia || bone china China
in whose manufacture the ashes of burnt bones are used.
✑porcelana || bone idle Very lazy: Bob is a nice guy, but
he's bone idle. ✑holgazán, muy vago || have a bone to pick
with (someone) To have something to argue about with
(a person): I have a bone to pick with you about what you
said at dinner. ✑tener una cuenta que ajustar con (al­
guien) || to the bone 1 Thoroughly and completely: I was
chilled to the bone. ✑hasta los huesos, hasta los tuétanos
2 To the minimum: I've cut my expenses to the bone. ✑al
mínimo
'bony ❚ (adjective) 1 Like bone: a bony substance. ✑hue­
sudo 2 Full of bones: This rabbit is very bony. ✑lleno de
huesos 3 Thin: bony fingers. ✑esquelético
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bonfire
a
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bonfire ['bonfaiə] ❚ (noun) A large fire in the open air,
often built to celebrate something. ✑hoguera
Bonfire Night ❚ (noun) A British festival on November
5th: We saw some wonderful fireworks on Bonfire Night.
✑fiesta del 5 de noviembre
bonnet ['bonit] [See have a bee in your bonnet, in bee.] ❚
(noun) 1 (Usually a baby's or old woman's) head‑dress
fastened under the chin eg by strings. ✑gorro, gorra 2
[American hood] The cover of a car engine. ✑capó || a bee
in one's bonnet ❚ See bee ✑tener algo metido entre ceja
y ceja
bonsai ['bonsai] (noun) A very small decorative evergreen
shrub or tree grown in a pot, which has been prevented
from growing to its usual size by various methods.
✑bonsái
bonus ['bəunəs] (noun) 1 An additional amount given to
someone as extra interest, dividend, or salary. ✑plus,
prima, bonus 2 Something unexpected or extra: The extra
two days holiday was a real bonus. ✑regalo, bendición
bon voyage ['bon vwai'aːa] [This term comes from
French.] (interjection) A phrase meaning have a good jour‑
ney. ✑buen viaje
bony See bone ✑esquelético
boo [buː] [plural boos] ❚ (noun) 1 A derisive shout, made
eg by a disapproving crowd: the boos of the disappointed
football supporters. ✑abucheo 2 A sound you make to
frighten someone, as a game: Boo! That really frightened
you, didn't it! ✑¡uh! ❚ (verb) [past tense, past participle
booed] 3 To shout in a disapproving way or make such a
sound: The crowd booed him. ✑abuchear
boob [buːb] (noun) [American] A mistake: Forgetting to
invite her to the party was a real boob. ✑metedura de
pata
booby ['buːbi] [plural 'boobies] ❚ (noun) (old‑fashioned,
offensive) A stupid person. ✑bobo
'booby trap ❚ (noun) 1 A bomb hidden in an object
which explodes when it is touched. ✑trampa explosiva,
trampa 2 A simple trap that makes you fall or makes
something fall on you etc. ✑broma
booby‑trap [past tense, past participle booby‑trapped] ❚
(verb) To put a booby trap somewhere: Don't touch that!
It may be booby‑trapped. ✑colocar una trampa
book [buk] ❚ (noun) 1 A number of sheets of paper (es‑
pecially printed) bound together: an exercise book.
✑cuaderno 2 A piece of writing, bound and covered:
She's written a book on volcanoes. ✑libro 3 A record of
bets. ✑talonario ❚ (verb) 4 To buy or reserve (a ticket,
seat, table etc) for a play etc: I've booked four tickets for
Friday's concert; We've booked a table for eight o'clock.
✑reservar 5 To hire in advance: We've booked the hall
for Saturday. ✑reservar 6 To punish (in sport) with a
yellow card: He deserved to be booked. ✑sacar tarjeta
amarilla || by the book Strictly according to the rules: She
always does things by the book. ✑según las reglas || book
store [American] A bookshop. ✑librería || booked up Hav‑
ing every ticket sold: The theatre is booked up for the sea‑
son. ✑estar completo
∙ book (someone) in To sign one's name on the list of
guests at an hotel etc: We have booked in at the Royal
Hotel. ✑registrarse
'bookable ❚ (adjective) Able to be reserved in advance:
Are these seats bookable? ✑que se puede reservar
'bookbinding ❚ (noun) Putting the covers on books.
✑encuadernación
bottle
'bookbinder ❚ (noun) ✑encuadernador
'bookcase ❚ (noun) A set of shelves for books: It's in
that bookcase, on the second shelf. ✑estantería ■ See
picture at living room
bookie ❚ (noun) [abbreviation for bookmaker] A profes‑
sional betting person who takes bets and pays winnings.
✑corredor de apuestas
'booking ❚ (noun) 1 A hotel, flight or restaurant reser‑
vation. ✑ reserva 2 A yellow card (in sport): to get a
booking. ✑tarjeta amarilla
'booking‑office ❚ (noun) An office where travel tickets
etc are sold: a queue at the station booking‑office. ✑des­
pacho de billetes, taquilla
'booklet [‑lit] ❚ (noun) A small, thin book: a booklet
about the history of the town. ✑folleto
'bookmaker ❚ (noun) A professional betting person
who takes bets and pays winnings. ✑corredor de apues­
tas
'bookmark ❚ (noun) Something put in a book to mark
a particular page: I usually use a receipt as a bookmark.
✑marcador
'bookseller ❚ (noun) A person who sells books. ✑li­
brero
'bookshelf ❚ (noun) [plural bookshelves] A shelf on
which books are kept: Her house is full of bookshelves.
✑estantería
'bookshop ❚ (noun) [American book store] A shop which
sells books: a second‑hand bookshop. ✑librería
'bookworm ❚ (noun) A person who reads a lot. ✑ratón
de biblioteca
boom1 [buːm] ❚ (noun) 1 A sudden increase in a business
etc: a boom in the sales of TV sets. ✑boom, auge ❚ (verb)
2 To increase suddenly (and profitably): Business is
booming this week. ✑estar en auge
boom2 [buːm] ❚ (verb) 1 [often with out] To make a hollow
sound, like a large drum or gun: His voice boomed out
over the loudspeaker. ✑ retumbar ❚ (noun) 2 Such a
sound. ✑estruendo
boomerang ['buːməraŋ] (noun) A curved piece of wood
used by Australian aborigines which, when thrown, re‑
turns to the thrower. ✑bumerán
boon [buːn] (noun) A blessing: It's been a real boon to
have a car this week. ✑bendición
boor [buə] ❚ (noun) A coarse, ill‑mannered person.
✑patán
'boorish ❚ (adjective) ✑tosco, grosero
boost [buːst] ❚ (verb) 1 To expand; to make greater; to
improve: We've boosted the sales figures; The goal he
scored in the final has really boosted his reputation; We're
trying to boost her confidence. ✑aumentar, dar un empu­
jón a, elevar, levantar ❚ (noun) 2 A piece of help, encour‑
agement etc: This publicity will give our sales a real boost.
✑impulso, empujón, empuje, estímulo
'booster ❚ (noun) 1 A person or thing that boosts: That
was a real morale booster for me (= That made me feel
more cheerful and optimistic). ✑tónico, incentivo 2 A de‑
vice for increasing power, force etc: I've fixed a booster
on the TV aerial to improve the signal. ✑elevador de vol­
taje 3 The first stage of a rocket that works by several
stages. ✑motor auxiliar de propulsión
boot [buːt] ❚ (noun) 1 A covering for the foot and lower
part of the leg, usually made of leather etc: a pair of
suede boots; Great boots! ✑bota ■ See picture at clothes
2 [American trunk] A place for luggage in a car etc (usu‑
ally at the back): The suitcases are in the boot. ✑malete­
ro ■ See picture at car ❚ (verb) 3 (informal) To kick with
force: He booted the ball out of the goal. ✑dar una patada
|| get the boot (informal) To be dismissed (usually from a
job): She got the boot for always being late. ✑estar des­
pedido, ser puesto de patitas en la calle || give the boot
(informal) To dismiss (someone) (usually from a job): The
company gave her the boot. ✑despedir, echar a la calle
∙ boot up To cause a computer to bring the necessary in‑
formation into its memory so that you can use it.
✑arrancar
bootee [buː'tiː] (noun) A (usually knitted woollen) boot
for a baby. ✑calzado de punto
booth [buːð, (American) ‑θ] (noun) 1 A tent or stall, espe‑
cially at a fair: the fortuneteller's booth. ✑puesto 2 A
small compartment for a given purpose: a phone booth;
a polling‑booth. ✑cabina
booty ['buːti] (noun) Goods taken from eg an enemy by
force (especially in wartime): The soldiers shared the
booty among themselves; the burglars' booty. ✑botín
booze [buːz] ❚ (noun) 1 (informal) Alcoholic drink: Have
you got enough booze for the party?; He has problems with
the booze. ✑ alcohol, bebida alcohólica ❚ (verb) 2 To
drink alcoholic drinks. ✑beber
border ['boːdə] ❚ (noun) 1 The edge of a particular thing:
the border of a picture/handkerchief. ✑ borde 2 The
boundary of a country: They'll ask for your passport at the
border. ✑frontera 3 A flower bed round the edge of a
lawn etc: a flower border. ✑arriate ❚ (verb) 4 [with on] To
come near to or lie on the border of, to be very close to
something: Germany borders on France. ✑lindar con
'borderline ❚ (adjective) 1 Doubtful; on the border be‑
tween one thing and another: He was a borderline case,
so we gave him an additional exam to see if he should pass.
✑caso límite ❚ (noun) 2 The border between one thing
and another: He was on the borderline between passing
and failing. ✑límite, línea, entre camino
bore1 [boː] ❚ (verb) 1 To make (a hole etc in something):
They bored a tunnel under the sea. ✑perforar ❚ (noun) 2
The size of the hollow barrel of a gun. ✑taladro
'borehole ❚ (noun) A hole made by boring, especially
to find oil etc. ✑perforación
bore2 [boː] ❚ (verb) To make (someone) feel tired and
uninterested, by being tedious etc: He bores everyone re‑
peating the same old stories again and again. ✑aburrir ❚
(noun)
bored ❚ (adjective) [Be careful! Compare bored (I am bored,
I have nothing to do) with boring (If a film is boring, it makes
you bored).] Tired, not interested: I'm bored of his jokes;
they're always the same. ✑aburrido, cansado
'boredom ❚ (noun) The state of being bored. ✑aburri­
miento
'boring [Be careful with the difference between boring and
bored (I'm bored = Estoy aburrido; I'm boring = Soy aburrido).]
❚ (adjective) That makes you feel bored: a boring job; This
book is boring; What a boring plan! ✑aburrido
bore 3 Past tense and past participle forms of bear
(aguantar, soportar).
born [bɔːn] 1 Past participle in the passive of bear (dar
a luz, parir). 2 || be born To come out of the mother (ani‑
mal, person): I was born in Valencia; I weighed 3 kilos
when I was born; Where were you born? ✑nacer
borne UK: [bɔːn] US: [bɔːrn] Past participle of bear (dar
a luz, parir).
borough ['barə, (American) 'bəːrəu] (noun) (In Britain) a
town or area with certain rights. ✑municipio
borrow ['borəu] ❚ (verb) To take (something, often mon‑
ey) temporarily with the intention of returning it: Can I
borrow your pen a second?; He borrowed a book from the
library. ✑tomar prestado, pedir prestado [We use borrow
with from (= tomar/pedir prestado): I borrow money from a
friend. Compare with lend (used with to) (= prestar a alguien): My friend lends money to me/My friend lends me money.]
'borrower ❚ (noun) ✑persona que toma algo prestado
'borrowing ❚ (noun) ✑préstamo
bosom ['buzəm] (noun) 1 A woman's breasts: She crossed
her arms across her bosom. ✑pecho 2 The chest: She held
him tenderly to her bosom. ✑ pecho 3 The innermost
part: in the bosom of his family. ✑seno
boss [bos] ❚ (noun) 1 The master or manager: the boss of
the factory; Who's boss? ✑jefe, el que manda ❚ (verb) 2
[usually with about/around] To order: Stop bossing every‑
one about! ✑mandar
'bossily ❚ (adverb) ✑autoritariamente
'bossiness ❚ (noun) ✑autoritarismo
'bossy [comparative bossier, superlative bossiest] ❚ (ad‑
jective) Liking to order others about: Barbara is really
bossy, but so is Pete. ✑mandón
bosun See boatswain ✑contramaestre
botany ['botəni] ❚ (noun) The scientific study of plants.
✑botánica
bo'tanic(al) [‑'tæ‑] ❚ (adjective) ✑botánico
botanic(al) gardens ❚ (noun singular or plural) A pub‑
lic park for the growing of native and foreign plants.
✑jardín botánico
'botanist ❚ (noun) A person who studies botany. ✑bo­
tánico
both [bouθ] [Be careful! Both usually goes before ordinary
verbs (They both like tennis) and it goes after auxiliary verbs
(They can both cook).] (adjective, pronoun) The two; the one
and the other: In the end, we both went to the show; Both
(the) men are here; The men are both here; Both are here.
✑ambos, los dos
bother ['boðə] ❚ (verb) 1 To annoy, irritate or worry:
The noise bothered the old man; Don't bother me, I'm
busy!; The lack of news bothers me; I hate to bother you
again, but could you send me a… ✑molestar, preocupar
2 To take the trouble: Don't bother to write ‑ it isn't nec‑
essary. ✑molestarse ❚ (noun) 3 Trouble, nuisance or
worry. ✑molestia 4 Something or someone that causes
bother: What a bother all this is! ✑molestia; incomodi­
dad, fastidio || not be bothered To feel that it is too much
effort to do something (and not do it): I should paint
that room, but I can't be bothered. ✑pasar, dar mucha
pereza
'bothersome ❚ (adjective) Causing bother or annoy‑
ance: a bothersome cough. ✑fastidioso
bottle ['botl] ❚ (noun) 1 A hollow narrow‑necked con‑
tainer for holding liquids etc: a lemonade bottle. ✑bote­
lla 2 (informal) Spirit, courage: I admire Joanne, she's got
a lot of bottle. ✑agallas ❚ (verb) 3 To put into bottles.
✑embotellar
∙ bottle (something) up To repress one's feelings, not ex‑
press them: Don't bottle up your anger. ✑reprimir
bottle bank ❚ (noun) A large container for empty bot‑
tles for recycling: I'll throw these bottles away in the bottle
bank. ✑contenedor de vidrios
'bottleneck ❚ (noun) A place where traffic slows down
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or stops, or a situation where progress is blocked: a bot‑
tleneck caused by roadworks. ✑embotellamiento, atasco
bottom ['botəm] [Be careful with the translation of this
word (botón in Spanish = buttom in English).] ❚ (noun) 1 The
lowest part of anything: the bottom of the sea; They are at
the bottom of the league table. ✑fondo, parte más bajo,
el último, la última 2 The part of the body on which a
person sits. ✑trasero, culo 3 The real truth (about a
question, an event etc): We never got to the bottom of it,
it's a mystery. ✑ fondo || be at the bottom of To be the
cause of (usually something bad): Who's at the bottom of
these rumours? ✑estar detrás de algo || get to the bottom
of To discover the explanation or the real facts of (a mys‑
tery etc). ✑llegar al fondo de algo
'bottomless ❚ (adjective) Very deep: a bottomless pit.
✑sin fondo
bougainvillaea [buːgən'viliə] (noun) A climbing plant
with small flowers and purple or red leaves. ✑bu­ganvilla
bough [bau] [PRON. Rhymes with now.] (noun) A big
branch of a tree: the bough of an apple tree. ✑rama
bought UK: [bɔːt] US: [bɑːt] Past tense and past partici‑
ple forms of buy (comprar).
boulder ['bəuldə] (noun) A large rock or stone: a boulder
on the hillside. ✑canto rodado
bounce [bauns] ❚ (verb) 1 To (cause to) spring or jump
back from a solid surface: She bounced the ball once and
shot at the basket. ✑hacer botar, botar, rebotar 2 (Of a
cheque) to be sent back unpaid, because of lack of mon‑
ey in a bank account. ✑(un cheque) ser rechazado por el
banco ❚ (noun) 3 (Of a ball etc) an act of springing back:
With one bounce the ball went over the net. ✑bote 4 En‑
ergy: She has a lot of bounce. ✑vitalidad
'bouncing ❚ (adjective) Strong and lively: a bouncing
baby. ✑robusto
bouncy castle ❚ (noun) A big inflated castle made of
plastic, for children to bounce and play on. ✑castillo
hinchable
‑bound [baund] (suffix) Going in a particular direction:
westbound traffic. ✑en dirección a, hacia || bound for On
the way to: bound for Africa. ✑con destino a, rumbo a
|| bound to [to be bound to (do something).] 1 Certain to: He
is bound to notice your mistake; You are bound to win, you
are much better; The disaster was bound to happen be‑
cause the bridge was very badly built. ✑ser seguro que,
ser inevitable que (ocurra) 2 Obliged to: I felt bound to
mention it. ✑estar obligado
bound1 [baʊnd] Past tense and past participle forms of
bind (atar).
bound2 [baund] ❚ (noun) [usually in plural] Limits of some
kind: beyond the bounds of coincidence. ✑límite || out of
bounds Outside the permitted area or limits: The cinema
was out of bounds for the boys from the local board‑
ing‑school. ✑zona prohibida
'boundless ❚ (adjective) Having no limit: boundless en‑
ergy. ✑sin límites, ilimitado
bound3 [baund] ❚ (noun) 1 A spring; a leap: He reached
me in one bound. ✑salto ❚ (verb) 2 To move in this way:
The dog bounded over eagerly to where I was sitting. ✑dar
saltos, brincar
boundary ['baundəri] [plural 'boundaries] (noun) 1 An
often imaginary line separating one thing from another:
the boundary between two towns. ✑frontera, límite 2 (In
cricket) a hit which crosses the boundary line around the
field, scoring four runs or six runs. ✑(en críquet) punto
brain
boundless See bound2 ✑sin límites, ilimitado
bounty ['baunti] (noun) 1 Generosity in giving. ✑muni­
ficencia, generosidad 2 [plural 'bounties] Something giv‑
en out of generosity. ✑generosidad, regalo 3 A reward
given (eg. for catching someone): a bounty hunter. ✑re­
compensa
bouquet [bu'kei] (noun) 1 A bunch of flowers: The bride
carried a bouquet of roses. ✑ramo, ramillete 2 The per‑
fume of wine. ✑buqué, aroma
bourgeois UK: [ˈbɔːʒ.wɑː] US: [ˈbʊrʒ‑] ❚ (adjective) 1 Re‑
ferring to the middle class: During the recent centuries,
bourgeois citizens form a social class characterized by their
possession of capital and their related culture. ✑burgués 2
Conservative or materialistic: bourgeois attitudes. ✑bur­
gués 3 (According to Marxism) belonging to the class of
people who are educated and who own property. ✑burgués
bourgeoisie (noun) 4 The social class which has eco‑
nomic power in a capitalist society: The bourgeoisie holds
the reins of society. ✑burguesía (According to Marxism)
the class of people who are educated and who own prop‑
erty. ✑burguesía
bout [baut] (noun) 1 A period (of): a bout of coughing.
✑rato, ataque de... 2 A (usually boxing) contest: a bout
of twelve three‑minute rounds. ✑asalto, lucha, combate
boutique [buː'tiːk] (noun) A fashionable, usually small
shop, especially one selling clothes: She prefers small
boutiques to large stores. ✑boutique
bow1 [bau] ❚ (verb) 1 To bend (the head and often also
the upper part of the body) forwards in greeting a person
etc: He bowed to the Prime Minister; They bowed their
heads in prayer. ✑inclinar(se), hacer una reverencia 2
[with to] To accept: I bow to your superior knowledge.
✑ceder ante, transigir con ❚ (noun) 3 A bowing move‑
ment: He made a bow to the ladies. ✑inclinación, reve­
rencia [Compare with curtsy.]
bowed ❚ (adjective) [often with down] Bent downwards,
eg by the weight of something: The trees were bowed
down with fruit. ✑inclinado, arqueado
bow2 [bəu] ❚ (noun) 1 A curved rod bent by a string, used
to shoot arrows: Tina is very good with the bow and arrow.
✑arco 2 A rod with horsehair stretched along it, by
which the strings of a violin etc are sounded: You hold
the bow like this. ✑arco 㐀 See pages 861 and 862 3 A
looped knot of material: She wore a bow in her hair. ✑la­
zada ❚ (noun) [bau] 4 [often in plural] The front of a ship
or boat: The waves broke over the bows. ✑proa
bowel ['bauəl] ❚ (noun) 1 [usually in plural] The part of
the digestive system below the stomach; the intestines:
The surgeon removed part of her bowel. ✑intestino, vien­
tre 2 [in plural] The inside of something, especially when
deep: the bowels of the earth. ✑entrañas || 'bowel move‑
ment ❚ (noun) An act of emptying the bowels. ✑evacua­
ción de vientre
bowl1 [bəul] ❚ (noun) 1 A wooden ball rolled along the
ground in playing bowls. ✑bola ❚ (verb) 2 To play bowls.
✑jugar a los bolos 3 To throw a ball towards the bats‑
man in cricket. ✑lanzar la pelota 4 To put (a batsman)
out by hitting the wicket with the ball: Smith was bowled
for eighty‑five (= Smith was put out after making eighty‑five
runs). ✑dejar fuera de juego
∙ bowl (someone) over 1 To knock down: I was bowled over
in the rush for the door. ✑tumbar 2 To surprise greatly,
in a positive way: His generosity bowled me over. ✑des­
concertar, dejar atónito
'bowler ❚ (noun) ✑lanzador, jugador de bochas
'bowling ❚ (noun) [see also ninepins] The game of skit‑
tles, bowls or something similar. ✑bochas, bolos
'bowling‑alley ❚ (noun) 1 A long narrow set of wooden
boards along which one bowls at skittles. ✑pista para
bolos 2 A building which contains several of these. ✑bo­
lera
'bowling‑green ❚ (noun) A smooth piece of grass for
playing bowls on. ✑pista para bochas
bowls ❚ (noun singular) A game played on a smooth, flat
area of grass with wooden balls of a particular shape
which make the balls curve: a game of bowls. ✑bochas
bowl2 [bəul] (noun) 1 A round, deep dish eg for mixing
or serving food etc: a baking‑bowl; a soup bowl. ✑bol,
cuenco ■ See picture at cook 2 A round hollow part, es‑
pecially of a tobacco pipe, a spoon etc: The bowl of this
spoon is dirty. ✑ cazoleta, cuenco ■ See picture at
­crockery
bowler1 See bowl1 ✑lanzador, jugador de bochas
bowler2 ['bəulə] (noun) [also bowler hat] A type of hard,
round felt hat. ✑bombín
box1 [boks] ❚ (noun) 1 A case for holding something: a
wooden box; a matchbox; Put the toys back in the box.
✑caja ■ See picture at containers 2 In a theatre etc, a
group of seats separated from the rest of the audience.
✑palco 㐀 See page 845 ❚ (verb) 3 To put (something)
into boxes: Will you box these apples? ✑poner/meter en
una caja || box office A ticket office in a theatre, concert ‑
hall etc: There's a queue at the box office for tonight's
show. ✑taquilla
box number ❚ (noun) A number used eg in a newspaper
advertisement instead of a full address. ✑apartado de
correos
Boxing Day ❚ (noun) December 26th, the day after
Christmas Day, a bank holiday in the UK.
box2 [boks] ❚ (verb) 1 To fight (someone) with the fists:
Years ago, fighters used to box without wearing padded
gloves. ✑boxear ❚ (noun) 2 A blow on the ear with the
hand. ✑cachete
'boxer ❚ (noun) He's a champion boxer. ✑boxeador
'boxing ❚ (noun) The sport of fighting with the fists.
✑boxeo
'boxing‑glove ❚ (noun) A boxer's padded glove.
✑guante de boxeo
'boxing‑match ❚ (noun) ✑combate (de boxeo)
boy [boi] ❚ (noun) 1 A male child: They have three girls
and one boy. ✑niño [Be careful! Boy is usually used for
someone up to the age of 18. After 18 we say young man.] 2
(As part of another word) a male (often adult) who does
a certain job: a cowboy; a paper‑boy. ✑chico
'boyhood ❚ (noun) The time of being a boy: a happy
boyhood; [also adjective] boyhood memories. ✑niñez,
infancia
'boyfriend ❚ (noun) A boy or man that is someone's
romantic partner: My boyfriend sings in a band; He's not
my boyfriend; What's the name of Sandra's boyfriend?
✑novio
boycott ['boikot] ❚ (verb) 1 To refuse to have any deal‑
ings with (a firm, country etc). ✑boicotear ❚ (noun) 2 A
refusal to deal with a firm etc. ✑boicot
BP [abbreviation for boiling point] (noun) It is the tem‑
perature at which a liquid becomes a gas: The BP of water
is 100°C. ✑punto de ebullición
bra [braː] (noun) [Short for brassière, and the word usually
used] A piece of woman's underclothes supporting the
breasts: Where did you buy that bra from?; This bra is too
tight; a strapless bra. ✑sujetador, sostén
brace [breis] ❚ (noun) 1 Something that draws together
and holds tightly: a brace to straighten teeth. ✑refuerzo,
abrazadera 2 A pair usually of game‑birds: a brace of
pheasants. ✑par 3 A character used to join multiple
staffs that represent a single instrument. ✑acolada, lla­
ve 㐀 See page 860 ❚ (verb) 4 To make (often oneself)
firm or steady: He braced himself for the struggle. ✑forta­
lecerse, prepararse (para resistir)
'braces ❚ (noun plural) [American su'spenders] Straps
over the shoulders for holding up the trousers. ✑tiran­
tes (para pantalones)
'bracing ❚ (adjective) Healthy: bracing sea air. ✑vigo­
rizante
bracelet ['breislit] (noun) An ornament worn round the
wrist or arm: a gold bracelet. ✑pulsera, brazalete
brachial (adjective) (specialized) (In biology) referring
to the arm. ✑braquial 㐀 See page 856
brachioradialis (noun) (specialized) ✑braquiorradial
㐀 See page 859
brachiosaurus (noun) (specialized) ✑branquiosaurio
㐀 See page 841
bracket ['brækit] ❚ (noun) 1 [usually in plural] Marks (eg
( ), [ ]) used to group together one or more words etc.
✑paréntesis, corchete 2 A support for a shelf etc: The
shelf fell down because the brackets were not strong
enough. ✑soporte, puntal ❚ (verb) [past tense, past participle 'bracketed] 3 To enclose (words etc) using brackets.
✑colocar entre paréntesis 4 [sometimes with together]
To group together (similar or equal people or things):
You can't bracket all the painters of this time as surrealists.
✑agrupar, poner juntos || volta bracket ✑paréntesis vol­
ta 㐀 See page 856
brackish ['brækiʃ] (adjective) (Of water) tasting slightly
of salt, often unpleasantly. ✑salobre
brag [bræg] [past tense, past participle bragged] (verb) To
boast: She's always bragging about her fantastic boy‑
friend. ✑jactarse de, fanfarronear
braid [breid] ❚ (verb) 1 To wind together (especially
strands of hair). ✑trenzar ❚ (noun) 2 Threads twisted
together and used as decoration on uniforms etc: gold
braid on the admiral's uniform. ✑galón
braille [breil] (noun) A system of printing for the blind,
using raised dots. ✑braille
brain [brein] ❚ (noun) 1 The centre of the nervous sys‑
tem: an injury to the brain; [also adjective] brain surgery;
brain damage. ✑cerebro 㐀 See page 856 2 [often in plural] Cleverness: a good brain; You've plenty of brains; Use
your brains! ✑cabeza, inteligencia 3 A clever person:
She's one of the best brains in the country. ✑cerebro, ce­
rebrito || brain drain The loss of experts to another coun‑
try (usually in search of better salaries etc): As a result
of the brain drain Britain does not have enough doctors.
✑fuga de cerebros
'brainless ❚ (adjective) Stupid: a brainless idiot. ✑estú­
pido, insensato
'brainchild ❚ (noun) A favourite theory, invention etc
thought up by a particular person: This entire process is
Dr Stone's brainchild. ✑invento, creación
brainstem ❚ (noun) The brain's central trunk which con‑
tinues to form the spinal cord: The cerebrum and the cer‑
ebellum are set on the brainstem. ✑tronco del encéfalo
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brainstorming ❚ (noun) A creative activity where all
ideas are shared irrespective of how stupid or impossible
they initially appear: We had a brainstorming to get ideas
for a better way of doing the award presentation ceremony.
✑tormenta de ideas
'brainwash ❚ (verb) To make someone believe some‑
thing by telling them again and again that it is true (and
not permit them to hear contrary ideas). ✑ lavar el
­cerebro
'brainwashing ❚ (noun) ✑lavado de cerebro
'brainwave ❚ (noun) A sudden bright idea: I've had a
brainwave. Why don't we go to…? ✑idea ingeniosa, idea
fantástica
'brainy [comparative brainier, superlative brainiest] ❚ (ad‑
jective) Clever: She's a brainy child. ✑brillante, muy in­
teligente
braise [breiz] (verb) To stew (meat etc) slowly in a closed
dish. ✑estofar
brake [breik] ❚ (verb) 1 To slow down or stop: She braked
(the car) suddenly. ✑frenar ❚ (noun) 2 [often in plural] A
device for doing this: He put on the brake(s); The front
brake on my bike needs fixing. ✑freno ■ See picture at car
bran (noun) The outer skin of a cereal grain, such as
wheat or oats, which is separated from the flour by sift‑
ing: oat/wheat bran. ✑salvado
branch [braːntʃ] ❚ (noun) 1 An arm‑like part of a tree: He
cut some branches off the oak tree. ✑rama 2 An offshoot
from the main part (of a business, railway etc): There isn't
a branch of that store in this town; [also adjective] That
train runs on the branch line. ✑sucursal ❚ (verb) 3 [usually with out/off] To spread out like a branch or branches:
The road to the coast branches off here. ✑ramificarse
brand [brænd] ❚ (noun) 1 A maker's name or trademark:
a new brand; my favourite brand; [also adjective] a brand
name. ✑marca (registrada) 2 A variety: Stan has his own
brand of humour. ✑estilo, tipo 3 A mark on cattle etc to
show who owns them, made with a hot iron. ✑marca ❚
(verb) 4 To mark cattle etc with a hot iron. ✑marcar (con
hierro candente) 5 To make a permanent impression on:
His name is branded on my memory. ✑grabar, registrar 6
To attach (permanent) disgrace to: branded for life as a
thief. ✑estigmatizar
brand‑'new ❚ (adjective) Completely new: a brand‑new
'
dress. ✑completamente nuevo, recién comprado
brandish ['brændiʃ] (verb) To wave (especially a weapon)
about: He brandished the stick above his head. ✑blandir
brandy ['brændi] [plural 'brandies] (noun) A type of strong
alcoholic spirit made from wine: Brandy is usually drunk
after dinner. ✑coñac
brash [bræʃ] (adjective) Cheekily self‑confident and im‑
polite: a brash young man. ✑descarado, impertinente,
presuntuoso
brass [braːs] ❚ (noun) 1 An alloy of copper and zinc: This
plate is made of brass; [also adjective] a brass door‑knock‑
er. ✑latón 2 [also brass instrumental] Wind musical in‑
struments which are made of brass or other metal. ✑ins­
trumento de metal || brass band A band of players of
(mainly) brass wind instruments. ✑banda, charanga
|| get down to brass tacks To deal with basic principles or
matters: Let's stop arguing about unimportant things and
get down to brass tacks. ✑ir al grano
brass neck ❚ (noun) [American] Shameless cheek or im‑
pudence: After breaking off the engagement she had the
brass neck to keep the ring. ✑cara dura, descaro
breast
'brassy ❚ (adjective) 1 Of the same colour as brass.
✑dorado 2 With a harsh sound, not smooth. ✑estriden­
te 3 Self‑confident and loud, cheeky. ✑descarado
brassière ['bræziə, (American) brə'ziər] [usually abbrevi-
ated to bra [braː]] (noun) A piece of woman's underclothes
supporting the breasts. ✑sujetador, sostén
bravado [brə'vaːdəu] (noun) (A show of) daring: He's full
of bravado, but really he's a coward. ✑bravuconería, bra­
vata, fanfarronería
brave [breiv] [Be careful with the translation of this word
(bravo in Spanish = fierce in English).] ❚ (adjective) 1 With‑
out fear of danger, pain etc or acting despite this fear: a
brave soldier; a brave deed; You're very brave; It was brave
of her to try. ✑valiente, valeroso ❚ (verb) 2 To meet or
face boldly: They braved the cold weather. ✑ desafiar,
arrostrar ❚ (noun) 3 A Red Indian warrior. ✑guerrero
indio
'bravely ❚ (adverb) He met his death bravely. ✑valien­
temente, con valentía
'bravery ❚ (noun) ✑bravura
bravo [braː'vəu, (American) 'braː'vou] (interjection) (When
applauding a performer etc) well done! ✑bravo
brawl [broːl] ❚ (noun) 1 A noisy, uncontrolled physical
fight: The police were called out to a brawl in the street.
✑pelea, reyerta, alboroto ❚ (verb) 2 To fight noisily.
✑pelearse
brawn [broːn] ❚ (noun) Muscle or physical strength.
✑fuerza muscular
'brawny ❚ (adjective) ✑fornido
bray [brei] ❚ (noun) 1 The cry of an ass. ✑rebuzno ❚
(verb) 2 To make such a cry. ✑rebuznar
brazen ['breizn] (adjective) Impudent or shameless: a
brazen lie. ✑descarado, desvergonzado
∙ brazen it out To face a situation with impudent bold‑
ness: She knew her deception had been discovered but
decided to brazen it out. ✑plantar cara, echarle cara a
breach [briːtʃ] ❚ (noun) 1 A breaking (of a promise etc).
✑incumplimiento 2 A gap, break or hole: a breach in the
castle wall; a breach in security. ✑brecha, fallo ❚ (verb) 3
To make an opening in or break (someone's defence).
✑abrir brecha en || breach of the peace A riot, distur‑
bance or public fight: He was found guilty of breach of the
peace. ✑alteración del orden público
bread [bred] [PRON. It rhymes with the word red.] [Be careful! Bread is an uncountable noun. We say a piece of bread, a
slice of bread or a loaf of bread. Bread and butter takes a singular verb.] ❚ (noun) 1 A type of food made of flour or
meal baked: Can I have another slice of bread, please?;
Which do you prefer: white bread, brown bread or whole‑
meal bread? ✑pan 㐀 See page 851 2 One's living: This
is how I earn my daily bread. ✑ pan, las habichuelas
|| bread and butter A principal way of earning money to
live: I am an actor, but for now bar work is my bread and
butter. ✑ sustento, forma de ganarse la vida || on the
breadline With barely enough to live on: The widow and
her children are on the breadline. ✑vivir en la miseria, no
tener pan que llevarse a la boca
'breadcrumbs ❚ (noun plural) Very tiny pieces of bread:
Dip the fish in egg and breadcrumbs. ✑pan rallado, migas
de pan
'breadwinner ❚ (noun) A person who earns money to
keep a family: When her husband died she was the only
breadwinner. ✑sostén (familiar)
breadth [bredθ] (noun) 1 Width; size from side to side:
the breadth of a table. ✑ anchura 2 Scope or extent:
breadth of outlook. ✑extensión 3 A distance equal to the
width (of a swimming‑pool etc). ✑anchura
break [breik] [past tense broke [brouk]; past participle
brəken ['broukən]] ❚ (verb) 1 To damage a structure or to
divide it into two or more parts (by force): Be careful, don't
break it!; I broke my leg playing football; Who broke the
window? ✑romper, quebrar, fracturar 2 [usually with off/
away] To separate (a part) from the whole (by force): She
broke off a piece of bread and gave it to him. ✑partir 3 To
make or become unusable. ✑romper, inhabilitar 4 To go
against, or not act according to (the law etc): She broke
her promise; He broke his appointment at the last minute;
to break the law. ✑quebrantar, infringir; cancelar 5 To do
better than (a sporting etc record): She broke the world
record. ✑batir 6 To interrupt: She broke her journey in
London. ✑interrumpir 7 To put an end to: He broke the
silence. ✑romper 8 To make or become known: They gen‑
tly broke the news of his death to his wife. ✑anunciar, co­
municar, hacer público 9 (Of a boy's voice) to fall in pitch
on reaching a certain age: His voice has broken. ✑mudar,
cambiar 10 To soften the effect of (a fall, the force of the
wind etc). ✑amortiguar 11 To begin: The storm broke be‑
fore they could reach shelter. ✑romper, estallar, desatarse
12 To appear (news). ✑salir (una noticia) ❚ (noun) 13 A
pause: a break in the conversation; Let's take a break for 5
minutes. ✑interrupción, pausa, descanso 14 A change:
a break in the weather. ✑cambio 15 An opening: a break
in the clouds. ✑abertura, grieta 16 A chance or piece of
(good or bad) luck: This is your big break. ✑oportunidad
|| break dancing ❚ (noun) A contemporary form of dance
involving fast acrobatic movements, floor spins etc.
✑break, break dance || break even To finish a commercial
activity in the same position in terms of money, neither
losing nor making a profit. ✑cubrir gastos (pero no más)
|| break loose To escape from control: The dog has broken
loose. ✑escapar(se) || break the ice To overcome the initial
timidity in a social situation etc: Let's break the ice by
inviting our new neighbours for a meal. ✑romper el hielo
|| give someone a break (informal) To stop irritating, criti‑
cizing or giving someone a hard time: Not another com‑
ment about my haircut! Give me a break! ✑tratar de esca­
par/evadirse || make a break for it To make an (attempt to)
escape: When the guard is not looking, make a break for it.
✑tratar de escapar/evadirse
∙ break away To escape from control, or (a group) to sepa‑
rate from: The dog broke away from its owner. ✑ es­
capar(se); separarse de, romper con
∙ break down (something) To use force on (a door etc) to
cause it to open: The police broke down the door. ✑derri­
bar, echar abajo
∙ break down 1 To stop working properly (vehicle, lift,
moving machine): My car has broken down; The lift has
broken down again. ✑estropearse, dejar de funcionar,
averiarse 2 To fail: The talks have broken down. ✑fraca­
sar 3 To be overcome with emotion: She broke down and
wept. ✑derrumbarse 4 To separate into smaller parts, or
to describe these parts. ✑descomponer(se); desglosar;
analizar
∙ break in (someone/something) 1 To train a person (or
animal) for a new activity or behaviour. ✑domar; prepa­
rar 2 To prepare for use, by wearing (eg at home): I need
to break in my new boots. ✑domar; acostumbrarse a
∙ break in(to) 1 To enter (a house etc) by force or unex‑
pectedly: The Smiths have had two break‑ins recently).
✑allanar una morada 2 To interrupt (someone's conver‑
sation etc). ✑cortar, interrumpir
∙ break off To stop: She broke off in the middle of a sen‑
tence; The two countries have broken off relations. ✑dete­
nerse, romper, terminar
∙ break out 1 To appear or happen suddenly: War has
broken out. ✑estallar, desatarse 2 To escape (from pris‑
on, restrictions etc): A prisoner has broken out [noun
'breakout]. ✑evadirse, escapar(se)
∙ break out in To (suddenly) become covered in a rash, in
sweat etc: I'm allergic to strawberries. They make me break
out in a rash. ✑salir, quedar cubierto de
∙ break (something) up To divide, separate or break into
pieces: He broke up the old furniture and burnt it. ✑rom­
per, hacer pedazos, desmenuzar
∙ break up 1 To separate (a couple): Mary and Charlie
broke up last week. ✑romper, hacer pedazos, desmenuzar
2 To finish or end: The meeting broke up at 4.40.
✑terminar(se), acabar(se), cerrar(se) 3 To finish the
school term and start holidays: We break up on Friday,
and we don't go back to school until January 5th. ✑termi­
nar el trimestre
'breakable ❚ (adjective) 1 [negative unbreakable] Likely
to break: breakable toys. ✑frágil ❚ (noun) 2 [usually in
plural] Something likely to break. ✑objeto frágil
'breakage [‑kidʒ] ❚ (noun) The act of breaking, or its
result(s). ✑rotura, destrozo
'breakdown ❚ (noun) [See also break down] 1 [often
nervous breakdown] A mental collapse. ✑colapso, crisis
nerviosa, ataque de nervios 2 A mechanical failure caus‑
ing a stop: The car has had another breakdown. See also
break down. ✑avería, fallo 3 A failure to reach agree‑
ment (in talks, negotiations) or to communicate. ✑rup­
tura 4 A description in more detail, section by section:
Can you give me a breakdown of the costs. ✑desglose,
análisis detallado
'breaker ❚ (noun) A (large) wave which breaks on rocks
or the beach. ✑ola grande, cachón
'breakneck ❚ (adjective) (Usually of speed) dangerous:
She drove at breakneck speed. ✑vertiginoso
'breakthrough ❚ (noun) A sudden solution of a prob‑
lem leading to further advances, especially in science:
Two German scientists have achieved a breakthrough in
the search for a cure. ✑avance, descubrimiento, invento
decisivo
'breakwater ❚ (noun) A barrier to break the force of the
waves. ✑rompeolas, espigón
breakfast ['brekfəst] ❚ (noun) 1 The first meal of the
day: I have breakfast at eight; What time do you serve
breakfast?; I have coffee and toast for breakfast. ✑desa­
yuno ❚ (verb) 2 To have breakfast: They breakfasted on
the train. ✑desayunar, tomar el desayuno [It is more common to say to have breakfast.]
'breakfast‑time ❚ (noun) I'll deal with that at break‑
fast‑time. ✑durante el desayuno
breast [brest] ❚ (noun) 1 Either of a woman's two
milk‑producing glands on the front of the upper body.
✑pecho, seno, mama 2 The front of a body between the
neck and belly: He held the child to his breast; This recipe
needs three chicken breasts. ✑pecho, pechuga ❚ (verb) 3
To face or oppose (waves): breast the waves. ✑afrontar,
arrostrar 4 To come to the top of: As we breasted the hill
we saw the enemy in the distance. ✑coronar la cumbre
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breastbone ❚ (noun) A thin and flat bone which is in
the middle of the chest: The breastbone is connected to
the ribs. ✑esternón
'breastfeed ❚ (verb) To feed (a baby) with milk from
the breast. ✑amamantar
'breaststroke ❚ (noun) A style of swimming in which
the arms are pushed out in front and then sweep back‑
wards. ✑braza
breath [breθ] [PRON. It rhymes with the word death.] [Be
careful! breath is a noun (He held his breath) and breathe is
a verb (He found it difficult to breathe).] ❚ (noun) 1 The air
drawn into, and then sent out from, the lungs: My dog's
breath smells terrible; bad breath. ✑aliento, respiración
2 An act of breathing: Take a deep breath. ✑respiración
㐀 See page 860 || hold one's breath To stop breathing
(often because of anxiety or to avoid being heard): He
held his breath as he watched the daring acrobat. ✑conte­
ner la respiración || out of breath Breathless (through run‑
ning etc): I'm out of breath after climbing all these stairs.
✑sofocado, sin aliento || under one's breath In a whisper:
He swore under his breath. ✑a media voz, en voz baja, en
un susurro
'breathless ❚ (adjective) Having difficulty in breathing
normally: Her asthma makes her breathless; He was
breathless after climbing the hill. ✑sin aliento, sofocado
'breathlessly ❚ (adverb) ✑jadeante, sin aliento
'breathlessness ❚ (noun) ✑sofoco, falta de aliento,
dificultad respiratoria
breathe [briːð] [PRON. brea rhymes with free.] ❚ (verb) To
take in and let out (air etc) from the lungs: He was unable
to breathe because of the smoke; She breathed a sigh of
relief. ✑respirar
brethe a word ❚ (verb) To tell (a secret): Don't breathe
a word of this to anyone. ✑soplar, revelar
'breather ❚ (noun) A short rest or break from work etc:
I must have a breather before I do any more. ✑respiro,
descanso
breccia (noun) (specialized) ✑brecha 㐀 See page 840
bred Past tense and past participle forms of breed (criar).
breech [briːtʃ] (noun) The back part of a gun, where it is
loaded. ✑recámara
breeches ['britʃiz, (American) 'briː‑] (noun plural) Trou‑
sers, especially ones coming just below the knee: riding
breeches. ✑calzones, pantalones de montar
breed [briːd] [past tense, past participle bred [bred]] ❚
(verb) 1 To produce young: Rabbits breed often. ✑criar,
reproducirse 2 To keep animals for the purpose of breed‑
ing young: I breed dogs and sell them as pets. ✑criar ❚
(noun) 3 A type, variety or species (of animal): a breed
of dog. ✑raza
bred [bred] ❚ (adjective) 1 (Of people) brought up in a
certain way or place: a well‑bred young lady; American
born and bred. ✑educado, criado 2 (Of animals) brought
up or reared in a certain way: a pure‑bred dog. ✑de raza
'breeding ❚ (noun) (old‑fashioned) Good manners and
correct social behavior learnt from an early age: a man
of good breeding. ✑educación, modales, crianza
breeze [briːz] ❚ (noun) A gentle wind: There's a lovely
cool breeze today. ✑brisa || shoot the breeze [mainly American] To talk in a relaxed way, converse: We sat on the
porch shooting the breeze. ✑charlar, darle al palique
'breezy ❚ (adjective) 1 Windy: a breezy day. ✑ventoso
2 (Of people etc) bright, lively, confident: She's always so
bright and breezy; a breezy young man. ✑jovial, vital
brink
brethren See brother (A member of a religious group)
✑hermanos
breve [briːv] (noun) A musical note which has the time
value of two semibreves: Breves are often represented as
a square. ✑cuadrada 㐀 See page 860 || alla breve ✑com­
pasillo binario 㐀 See page 861
brevity See brief ✑brevedad, concisión
brew [bruː] ❚ (verb) 1 To make (beer, ale etc): He brews
beer at home. ✑elaborar bebidas fermentadas 2 To make
(tea): She brewed another pot of tea; Has it brewed? ✑pre­
parar, hacer 3 To be about to happen, to be on its way
(storm, trouble etc): There's a storm brewing. ✑amenazar,
prepararse
'brewer ❚ (noun) ✑cervecero
'brewery [plural 'breweries] ❚ (noun) A place for brewing
beer etc. ✑cervecería
bribe [braib] ❚ (noun) 1 A gift offered to persuade a per‑
son to do something, usually dishonest: Policemen
should not accept bribes. ✑soborno ❚ (verb) 2 To give
(someone) a bribe: He bribed the guards to let him out of
prison. ✑sobornar
'bribery ❚ (noun) ✑soborno, cohecho
brick [brik] ❚ (noun) (A block of) baked clay used for
building: a pile of bricks; [also adjective] a brick wall.
✑ladrillo (informal) A very nice person: Mary is a brick.
✑un encanto, muy majo
'brickbat ❚ (noun) (literary) An insult: They hurled brick‑
bats at the politician throughout his speech. ✑insulto
'bricklayer ❚ (noun) A person who builds (houses etc)
with bricks. ✑albañil
bride [braid] ❚ (noun) A woman about to be married, or
newly married (the day of the wedding): The bride wore
a white dress. ✑novia
'bridal ❚ (adjective) 1 (formal) Of a wedding: the bridal
feast. ✑nupcial 2 Of a bride: bridal finery. ✑de novia
'bridegroom ❚ (noun) A man about to be married, or
newly married (the day of the wedding): The bridegroom
was very calm/nervous. ✑novio
bridesmaid ['braidzmeid] ❚ (noun) A girl or woman at‑
tending the bride at a wedding. ✑dama de honor
bridge [bridʒ] ❚ (noun) 1 A structure carrying a road,
path or railway over a river etc: Let's cross the bridge.
✑puente 㐀 See page 845 2 The narrow raised platform
for the captain of a ship. ✑puente de mando 3 The bony
part (of the nose). ✑caballete 4 A special artefact con‑
taining artificial teeth to fill gaps in a person's mouth.
✑puente 5 The support of the strings of a violin etc.
✑puente 㐀 See page 862 ❚ (verb) 6 To build a bridge
over: They bridged the stream. ✑ construir/tender un
puente sobre 7 To close a gap, pause etc: He bridged the
awkward silence with a funny remark; We must build
bridges between the two communities. ✑construir lazos,
tender un puente
bridle ['braidl] (noun) The harness on a horse's head to
which the reins are attached. ✑brida
brief [briːf] ❚ (adjective) 1 Not long; short: a brief visit; a
brief account; Tell us about it, but keep it brief, please.
✑breve ❚ (noun) 2 A short statement of facts (especial‑
ly in a lawsuit, of a client's case) or the mission assigned
to someone: a lawyer's brief. ✑informe, expediente (le­
gal), misión ❚ (verb) 3 To give detailed instructions to
(especially a barrister, group of soldiers etc): The astro‑
nauts were briefed before the space mission. ✑dar instruc­
ciones a; constituir || in brief In a few words: In brief, we
have been successful. ✑en resumen, en resumidas cuen­
tas
'briefcase ❚ (noun) A light case for papers, made of
leather etc: an executive briefcase. ✑maletín ■ See picture at bag
'briefing ❚ (noun) [Compare with debriefing (information
after the event).] Instructions and information about a
task or mission (before the event): The pilots were given
a briefing before they left. ✑instrucciones, sesión infor­
mativa
'briefly ❚ (adverb) He told me briefly what he knew.
✑brevemente, resumidamente, en pocas palabras
briefs ❚ (noun plural) (Used especially in shops) wom‑
en's pants or men's underpants: a pair of briefs. ✑ropa
interior, calzoncillos, bragas
brevity ['brevəti] ❚ (noun) Shortness (of speech, writing,
time etc): She is well known for the brevity of her speeches.
✑brevedad, concisión
brigade [bri'geid] ❚ (noun) 1 A body of troops. ✑brigada
2 A uniformed group of people organized for a particular
purpose: Call the fire brigade! ✑cuerpo, brigada
brigadier [brigə'diə] ❚ (noun) In the army, the com‑
mander of a brigade. ✑general de brigada
bright [brait] ❚ (adjective) 1 Shining with much light:
bright sunshine; That light is too bright. ✑luminoso, res­
plandeciente, brillante 2 (Of a colour) strong and bold:
a bright red car. ✑(un color) vivo 3 Cheerful: a bright
smile. ✑radiante, alegre 4 Clever: bright children; Sa‑
mantha is very bright. ✑inteligente
'brighten ❚ (verb) [often with up] To make or become
bright or brighter: The new wallpaper brightens up the
room. ✑iluminar, dar luz, proporcionar claridad
'brightly ❚ (adverb) ✑brillantemente, alegremente, in­
teligentemente
'brightness ❚ (noun) ✑brillo, resplandor, inteligencia
brill (adjective) (informal) [Short for brilliant] Fantastic,
very good: «‑Let's go to see Pat. ‑Ok, brill»; That's an ab‑
solutely brill idea! ✑genial, fantástico
brilliant ['briljənt] ❚ (adjective) 1 Very bright: the bird's
brilliant feathers. ✑brillante, luminoso 2 Very clever: a
brilliant scholar. ✑brillante, sobresaliente 3 (informal)
Fantastic, very good: These biscuits are brilliant, really
moreish; «‑Shall we go to the pool? ‑Brilliant!»; What a
brilliant plan! ✑fantástico, genial
'brilliance ❚ (noun) 1 Brightness: the brilliance of the
moon. ✑brillo, resplandor 2 Cleverness, great skill: her
brilliance as a surgeon. ✑brillantez, maestría
'brilliantly ❚ (adverb) ✑brillantemente
brim [brim] ❚ (noun) 1 The top edge of a cup, glass etc:
The jug was filled to the brim. ✑borde 2 The edge of a
hat: She pulled the brim of her hat down over her eyes.
✑ala ❚ (verb) [past tense, past participle brimmed] 3 To
be, or become, full to the brim: Her eyes were brimming
with tears. ✑inundarse, llenarse
brine [brain] ❚ (noun) Very salty water: a jar of olives in
brine. ✑salmuera
'briny ❚ (adjective) (Of water) very salty. ✑salado, sa­
lobre
bring [briŋ] [past tense, past participle brought [broːt]]
(verb) 1 [Compare bring (towards the speaker: Mary, bring
me some coffee) with take (away from the speaker: Take these
cups away) and fetch (from somewhere else and bring to the
speaker: Fetch me my book from the bedroom).] To make
(something or someone) come (to or towards a place): I'll
bring plenty of food with me; Don't forget to bring the mon‑
ey/photos tomorrow; Bring him to me! ✑traer, llevar (ha­
cia la otra persona) ■ See box below 2 To result in: This
medicine will bring you relief. ✑proporcionar, provocar,
dar, causar || bring home to To prove or show (something)
clearly to (someone): His illness brought home to her how
much she depended on him. ✑hacer ver, abrir los ojos,
mostrar con claridad
∙ bring (something) about To cause: His disregard for dan‑
ger brought about his death. ✑provocar, causar, ocasio­
nar
∙ bring (something/someone) back To (cause to) return:
She brought back the umbrella she borrowed; Her singing
brings back memories of my mother. ✑devolver; traer (a
la memoria), recordar
∙ bring (something) down To cause to fall: The storm
brought all the trees down; What brought down the em‑
pire? ✑derribar, tirar abajo
∙ bring (something) forward 1 [also put forward] To bring
to people's attention; to cause to be discussed etc: They
will consider the suggestions which you have brought/put
forward. ✑adelantar algo 2 To make to happen at an
earlier date; to advance in time: They have brought for‑
ward the date of their wedding by one week. ✑adelantar
∙ bring (something) off To achieve (something attempt‑
ed): They brought off an unexpected victory; I didn't think
she was capable of breaking the record, but she brought it
off. ✑lograr, conseguir, obtener
∙ bring (someone) round To bring back from unconscious‑
ness: Fresh air brought him round. ✑reanimar, hacer vol­
ver en sí
∙ bring someone up To look after and educate a child: I
was brought up by my aunt and uncle. ✑criar, educar
∙ bring (someone/something) up 1 To rear or educate: Her
parents brought her up to be polite. ✑educar 2 To intro‑
duce (a matter) for discussion: Bring the matter up at the
next meeting. ✑sacar a colación, sacar a relucir, presentar
brinjal ['brinjaːl] (noun) The green or purple fruit of the
aubergine used as a vegetable. ✑berenjena
brink [briŋk] (noun) The edge or border of a steep, dan‑
gerous place or of a river. ✑borde, filo || on the brink of
Very close to something dramatic (important discovery,
ruin, collapse etc): He's extremely stressed, in fact on
the brink of a nervous breakdown. ✑al borde de, a pun­
to de
bring/take
Bring means to get something to the speaker.
The speaker wants something to come to/with
him.
• Don’t forget to bring the sodas.
No olvides traer los refrescos.
• Can I bring a guest to the wedding?
¿Puedo traer un invitado a la boda?
Take shows movement away from the speaker.
• Please take Susan to the airport.
Por favor, lleva a Susan al aeropuerto.
• Take this cup to the kitchen.
Lleva esta taza a la cocina.
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brisk [brisk] ❚ (adjective) Active or fast moving: a brisk
walk; Business was brisk today. ✑activo, movido, rápido
'briskly ❚ (adverb) ✑activamente, rápidamente
bristle ['brisl] ❚ (noun) A short, stiff hair on an animal
or brush: The dog's bristles rose when it was angry.
✑cerda
'bristly ❚ (adjective) Having bristles; rough: a bristly
moustache. ✑que pincha, de pelos fuertes
British ['britiʃ] (adjective) Of, or from, Great Britain (or
the Commonwealth): In this dictionary British refers to
British English; a British passport. ✑británico
Briton UK: [ˈbrɪt.ən] US: [ˈbrɪʢt ̬‑] (noun) A person from
Great Britain: There are three Britons staying at the hotel.
✑británico
brittle ['britl] ❚ (adjective) Hard but easily broken: toffee
and glass are brittle materials. ✑quebradizo
'brittleness ❚ (noun) ✑lo quebradizo
broad [broːd] ❚ (adjective) 1 Wide; great in size from side
to side: a broad street. ✑ancho, amplio 2 From side to
side: two metres broad. ✑de ancho 3 General; not de‑
tailed: We discussed the plans in broad outline. ✑general
4 (An accent) strong: She has a broad Irish accent. ✑(un
acento) fuerte, marcado || broad daylight Full daylight:
The child was attacked in broad daylight. ✑a plena luz
del día || broadside on Sideways: The ships collided broad‑
side on. ✑de costado
broadband [PRON. The oa is pronounced like or.] ❚ (noun)
A system that makes it possible for a lot of data to be
sent very quickly between computers to computers and
other devices: How much do you pay for your broadband?
✑banda ancha
'broaden ❚ (verb) To make or become broad or broader:
to broaden the road; to broaden your horizons. ✑ensan­
char, ampliar
broad‑'minded ❚ (adjective) Ready to allow others to
'think or act as they choose without criticizing them: a
broad‑minded head teacher. ✑tolerante, de mente abier­
ta
'broadly ❚ (adverb) Generally: Broadly speaking, I'd say
your chances are poor. ✑en general
broadcast ['broːdkaːst] [past tense, past participle 'broad‑
cast] ❚ (verb) 1 To send out (radio and TV programmes
etc): She broadcasts regularly. ✑retransmitir, emitir 2 To
make (something) widely known. ✑difundir, divulgar,
transmitir, radiar ❚ (noun) 3 A television or radio pro‑
gramme: I heard his broadcast last night. ✑retransmi­
sión, emisión
'broadcaster ❚ (noun) ✑locutor, presentador
'broadcasting ❚ (noun) ✑retransmisión, emisión
brocade [brə'keid, (American) brəu‑] (noun, adjective) (Of)
a (usually silk) material having a raised design on it: cur‑
tains made of blue brocade; brocade curtains. ✑brocado
broccoli UK: [ˈbrɒk.əl.i] US: [ˈbrɑː.kəl‑] (noun) A vegetable
that has short branch‑like green stems with green or pur‑
ple buds on the ends: cream of broccoli soup. ✑brócoli
brochure ['brəuʃuə] (noun) A booklet giving information
about holidays, products etc: Get some brochures from the
travel agent. ✑folleto
broil [broil] (verb) [American] To grill (food): She broiled
the chicken. ✑asar a la parrilla
broke [brouk] (verb) 1 Past tense of break (romper). || be
broke 2 (informal) Completely without money: I'm broke
till pay day. ✑estar arruinado, estar sin blanca
broken ['brəukən] ❚ (adjective) 1 Past participle form of
BS
break (romper). 2 Damaged, separated by force into two
parts, or into pieces: a broken window; My watch is bro‑
ken. ✑roto, fracturado 3 Interrupted: broken sleep. ✑in­
terrumpido 4 Uneven: broken ground. ✑accidentado 5
(Of language) not fluent at all: He speaks broken English.
✑(habla) chapurreado 6 Ended, finished, divided: The
children come from a broken home (= their parents are no
longer living together). ✑deshecho, dividido 7 Not kept,
not followed: a broken promise. ✑roto, quebrantado
broken‑'hearted ❚ (adjective) Extremely unhappy,
'usually because of the loss of a partner. con el corazón
✑
partido
broker ['brəukə] (noun) A person employed to buy and
sell shares etc for others: an insurance broker; a stockbro‑
ker. ✑corredor/agente de bolsa
bronchus [ˈbrɒŋ.kəs] US: [ˈbrɑːŋ‑] [plural bronchi] ❚
(noun) 1 (In biology) either of the two main tubes of the
trachea (= windpipe) that carry air into the lungs: Oxy‑
gen reaches the lungs through the trachea and then the two
bronchi. ✑bronquio 㐀 See page 856
bronchial (adjective) 2 (In biology) affecting or relating
to the bronchi: Bronchial asthma provokes couching and
shortness of breadth. ✑bronquial
bronchitis [broŋ'kaitis] (noun) 3 Inflammation of the air
passages in the lungs, causing difficulty in breathing:
Wet weather makes his bronchitis worse. ✑bronquitis
bron'chitic ❚ (adjective) ✑bronquítico
bronze [bronz] ❚ (noun, adjective) 1 (Of) an alloy of cop‑
per and tin: The medal is (made of) bronze. ✑bronce 2
(Of) its reddish brown colour. ✑(color) bronce 3 (A work
of art) made of bronze: an exhibition of bronzes. ✑talla
de bronce || bronze medal In athletics competitions, the
medal awarded as third prize. ✑medalla de bronce
bronzed ❚ (adjective) Suntanned: a bronzed face.
✑bronceado
brooch [brəutʃ] [PRON. roo rhymes with go.] (noun) A dec‑
oration, especially for a woman's dress, fastened by a
pin: She wore a brooch on the collar of her dress. ✑broche,
prendedor, fíbula
brood [bruːd] ❚ (verb) 1 (Of birds) to sit on eggs. ✑empo­
llar 2 To think (about something) anxiously for some
time: There's no point in brooding about what happened.
✑rumiar, dar vueltas ❚ (noun) 3 The number of young
hatched at one time. ✑nidada, camada
brook1 [bruk] (noun) A small stream. ✑arroyo
brook2 [bruk] (verb) (formal) To put up with: He will not
brook any interference. ✑aguantar, tolerar, permitir
broom [bruːm] ❚ (noun) 1 A wild shrub of the pea fam‑
ily with (usually yellow) flowers: The hillside was covered
in broom. ✑hiniesta, retama 2 A long‑handled sweeping
brush. ✑escoba
broomstick ❚ (noun) The long handle of a broom: In the
story, the witch flew away on her broomstick laughing
wildly. ✑palo de escoba
brother ['braðə] ❚ (noun) 1 [Be careful! When you ask
somebody if they have any brothers or sisters, in English you
have to say brothers and sisters or siblings (How many brothers and sisters have you got?).] A boy or a man who has the
same parents as you: I have two brothers; My brother is
older/younger than me. ✑hermano ■ See box opposite 2
A fellow member of any group: brothers in arms; [also
adjective] brother officers. ✑compañero 3 [plural also
brethren ['breθrən]] A member of a religious group: The
brothers of the order prayed together. ✑hermano
'brotherhood ❚ (noun) 1 The state of being a brother:
the ties of brotherhood. ✑fraternidad 2 An association of
men for a certain purpose. ✑hermandad
'brother‑in‑law [plural 'brothers‑in‑law] ❚ (noun) 1 The
brother of one's husband or wife. ✑cuñado 2 The hus‑
band of one's sister. ✑cuñado
brought UK: [brɔːt] US: [brɑːt] Past tense and past par‑
ticiple forms of bring (traer).
brow [brau] (noun) 1 The eyebrow: huge, bushy brows.
✑ ceja 2 The forehead: She wiped the sweat from her
brow. ✑frente 3 The top (of a hill): over the brow of the
hill. ✑cresta
brown [braun] ❚ (adjective) 1 Of a dark colour between
red and yellow: brown paint; Her eyes are brown. ✑ma­
rrón 2 Suntanned: She was very brown after her holiday
in Greece. ✑moreno, bronceado ❚ (noun) 3 (Any shade
of) a colour similar to toasted bread, tanned skin, coffee
etc. ✑marrón, tostado 4 Something (eg paint, polish etc)
brown in colour: I prefer the brown to the green. ✑marrón
❚ (verb) 5 To make or become brown. ✑poner moreno
|| browned off 1 Bored: I feel really browned off in this wet
weather. ✑ fastidiado, harto, hasta las narices 2 An‑
noyed: I'm browned off with his behaviour. ✑molesto
brownish ❚ (adjective) Referring to a colour, that is ap‑
proximately brown, or that has a brown element to it.
✑amarronado
brownie ['brauni] (noun) 1 [with capital, short for Brown‑
ie Guide] A junior Girl Guide. ✑ niña exploradora 2
[American] A heavy, very sweet chocolate and nut cake.
✑brownie, pastel de chocolate y nueces
browse [brauz] ❚ (verb) 1 (Of animals) to feed (on shoots
or leaves of plants). ✑pacer 2 (Of people) to look at
books, magazines, CDs etc casually in a shop (with no
specific objective): I don't want to buy a book ‑ I'm just
browsing. ✑mirar, echar una ojeada, ojear 3 To search
computer material, especially on a worldwide network.
✑navegar ❚ (noun) 4 An act of browsing. ✑acción de
echar una ojeada; acción de navegar (por la red)
browser (noun) 1 A person who browses. ✑navegador,
internauta 2 A computer program for searching, espe‑
cially on a worldwide network. ✑navegador web, bus­
cador
bruise [bruːz] [PRON. The i is not pronounced.] ❚ (noun) 1
An injury caused by a blow to a person or a fruit, turning
the skin a dark colour: He has a big bruise on his leg; ap‑
ples covered in bruises. ✑morado, moratón, magulladura,
cardenal ❚ (verb) 2 To cause or develop such a mark on
the skin: She bruised her forehead; She bruises easily.
✑magullar
brunch [brantʃ] (noun) A late morning meal which com‑
bines breakfast and lunch. ✑brunch
brunette [bruː'net] (noun) A woman with brown or dark
hair: He prefers blondes to brunettes. ✑morena
brunt [brant] (noun) || bear the brunt of To bear the worst
of the effect of (a blow, attack etc): I bore the brunt of his
abuse/the storm. ✑sufrir lo más duro (de algo)
brush [braʃ] [PRON. The u is pronounced as in the pronoun
us.] ❚ (noun) 1 An instrument with bristles, wire, hair etc
for cleaning, scrubbing etc: a toothbrush; He sells brush‑
es. ✑cepillo 2 An act of brushing. ✑cepillado 3 A disa‑
greement: a slight brush with the law. ✑roce ❚ (verb) 4
To rub with a brush: He brushed his jacket. ✑cepillar 5
To remove (dust etc) by sweeping with a brush: brush the
floor. ✑barrer 6 To make tidy by using a brush: Brush
your hair! ✑cepillar 7 To touch lightly in passing: The
leaves brushed her face. ✑rozar || give/get the brush‑off
To reject or be rejected abruptly: She gave him the
brush‑off. ✑quitarse a alguien de encima, mandar a al­
guien a paseo; ser rechazado
∙ brush (someone/something) aside To pay no attention
to: She brushed aside my objections. ✑dejar de lado
∙ brush away (something) To wipe off: She brushed away
a tear; She brushed it away. ✑limpiar; apartar
∙ brush past To touch something or someone as you go
past, sometimes taking very little care; or to go very
close to something or someone when you pass: He
brushed past me on the way to the bar and nearly sent my
drink flying. ✑rozar al pasar; dar con alguien al pasar;
pasar muy cerca
∙ brush (something) up [with on] To refresh one's knowl‑
edge of (eg a language): He brushed up his Spanish before
he went on holiday. ✑repasar, refrescar
brusque [brusk, (American) brask] ❚ (adjective) Blunt and
abrupt in manner: a brusque reply. ✑brusco
'brusquely ❚ (adverb) ✑bruscamente
'brusqueness ❚ (noun) ✑brusquedad
Brussels sprout [ˌbrʌs.əlzˈspraʊt] (noun) See sprout
✑col de Bruselas
brute [bruːt] ❚ (noun) 1 An animal other than man: My
dog died yesterday, the poor brute; [also adjective] brute
force. ✑animal, bestia 2 (offensive) A cruel person: You
are a brute. ✑bruto
'brutal ❚ (adjective) Very cruel or severe: a brutal beat‑
ing. ✑brutal
bru'tality [‑'tæ‑] ❚ (noun) ✑brutalidad
'brutish ❚ (adjective) Of, or like, a brute: brutish man‑
ners. ✑brutal, bruto
BS (noun) Referring to a first level university degree in
science: a BS in geology. ✑Licenciatura en una carrera de
Ciencias [abbreviation for Bachelor of Science. Compare
with BA (an abbreviation for Bachelor of Arts).]
brothers/siblings
In Spanish we use the word ‘hermanos’ to say
that we have brothers and sisters. But in English
when we use the word brothers, it describes
male members who have the same parents that
we have.
• My brothers Robert and Tim are taller than
me.
Mis hermanos Robert y Tim son más altos que yo.
• Sarah is the only girl in her family, she has
three brothers!
Sarah es la única chica en su familia, ¡tiene tres
hermanos varones!
The word siblings describes male and female
members of a family who have the same parents.
• I’ve got three siblings, two girls and a boy.
Tengo tres hermanos, dos chicas y un chico.
• My siblings Tina and Mike are so funny
together!
¡Mis hermanos Tina y Mike son muy divertidos
cuando están juntos!
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bumptious
BSc [ˌbiː es 'siː, (American) ˌbiː ges] [abbreviation for Bach‑ budgerigar ['badʒərigaː] [often abbreviated to 'budgie
elor of Science. American B.S.] (noun) A first university
degree in a science subject. ✑licenciatura en Ciencias
BTW A written abbreviation for by the way used in emails
and text messages. ✑a propósito, por cierto
bubble ['babl] ❚ (noun) 1 A floating ball of air or gas:
bubbles in lemonade. ✑burbuja 2 [also speech bubble] A
round shape drawn next to someone, with the words
they say written inside (in a cartoon or comic). ✑boca­
dillo (en un cómic) ❚ (verb) 3 To form or rise in bubbles:
The champagne bubbled in the glass. ✑burbujear
∙ bubble over To be full (with happiness etc): bubbling
over with excitement. ✑rebosar de
bubblegum ❚ (noun) A kind of chewing gum that you
can make into a bubble and burst. ✑chicle
'bubbly ❚ (adjective) 1 Having bubbles. ✑burbujeante,
espumoso ❚ (noun) 2 (informal) Champagne: a glass of
bubbly. ✑champán
buccaneer [bakə'niə] (noun) A type of pirate. ✑bucanero
buccinator (noun) (specialized) ✑buccinador 㐀 See
page 859
buck [bak] ❚ (noun) 1 The male of the deer, hare, rabbit
etc: a buck and a doe. ✑macho 2 (informal) [American] A
dollar. ✑dólar ❚ (verb) 3 (Of a horse or mule) to make a
series of rapid jumps into the air. ✑corcovear || pass the
buck To pass on responsibility (to someone else): When‑
ever he is blamed for anything, he tries to pass the buck;
Stop passing the buck! ✑cargarle el muerto a alguien,
escurrir el bulto
∙ buck up To hurry or to change your attitude and apply
yourself to a task: You'd better buck up if you want to
catch the bus; Buck up your ideas, you are the worst in the
class/squad. ✑darse prisa, aligerar
∙ buck (someone) up To cheer up: She bucked up when she
heard the news; The unexpected email from his friend
bucked him up. ✑animar(se)
'buckskin ❚ (noun, adjective) (Of) a soft leather made
of deerskin or sheepskin. ✑ante
bucket ['bakit] (noun) A container for holding water,
milk etc: We carried water in buckets to the burning house;
a bucket and spade. ✑cubo
buckle ['bakl] ❚ (noun) 1 A fastening for a strap or band:
a belt with a silver buckle. ✑hebilla ❚ (verb) 2 To fasten
with a buckle: He buckled on his sword. ✑abrochar 3
(Usually of something metal) to make or become bent or
crushed: The metal buckled in the great heat. ✑torcerse
bud [bad] ❚ (noun) 1 A shoot of a tree or plant, containing
undeveloped leaves or flower(s) or both: Are there buds
on the trees yet?; a rosebud. ✑brote ❚ (verb) [past tense,
past participle 'budded] 2 To begin to grow: The trees are
budding. ✑brotar || in bud Producing buds: The flowers
are in bud. ✑en brote
'budding ❚ (adjective) Just beginning to develop: a bud‑
ding poet. ✑en ciernes
Buddhism ['budizəm, (American) 'buː‑] ❚ (noun) The re‑
ligion based in the doctrines of Buddha. ✑budismo
'Buddhist ❚ (noun, adjective) A believer in Buddhism:
a Buddhist monk. ✑budista
buddy ['badi] [plural 'buddies] (noun) [especially American]
A friend. ✑amigote, amigo
budge [badʒ] (verb) To (cause to) move, even slightly: I
can't budge it; It won't budge!; We tried to get him to
change his mind, but he won't budge. ✑mover, cambiar
(opinión)
['badʒi]] (noun) A type of small (originally Australian)
brightly‑coloured bird, often kept as a pet. ✑periquito
budget ['badʒit] ❚ (noun) 1 Any plan showing how mon‑
ey is to be spent: my budget for the month. ✑presupues­
to ❚ (verb) [past tense, past participle 'budgeted] 2 To
make a plan showing this: We must try to budget or we
will be in debt. ✑hacer un presupuesto 3 [with for] To
allow for (something) in a budget: I hadn't budgeted for
a new car. ✑presupuestar, hacer un presupuesto
budgie (noun) (informal) A budgerigar. ✑periquito
buff [baf] ❚ (noun) 1 A dull yellow colour. ✑beige ❚ (ad‑
jective) 2 a buff envelope. ✑beige
buffalo ['bafələu] [plurals 'buffalo, 'buffalo(e)s] (noun) 1
A large kind of ox, especially the Asian and African va‑
rieties. ✑búfalo 2 The American variety of ox; the bison.
✑búfalo
buffer ['bafə] (noun) An apparatus for lessening the force
with which a moving object strikes something. ✑amorti­
guador, parachoques
buffet1 ['bafit] [PRON. bu is pronounced as in bus and the
ending as in café.] ❚ (noun) 1 A blow with the hand or fist:
a buffet on the side of the head. ✑bofetada, golpe ❚ (verb)
[past tense, past participle 'buffeted] 2 To strike with the
fist. ✑golpear 3 To knock about: The boat was buffeted
by the waves. ✑azotar, zarandear
buffet2 ['bufei, (American) bə'fei] ❚ (noun) 1 A refresh‑
ment bar, especially in a railway station or on a train etc:
We'll get some coffee in the buffet. ✑ bar 2 A (usually
cold) meal set out on tables from which people help
themselves. ✑bar, bufé ❚ (adjective) 3 a buffet supper.
✑bufé
bug [bag] [PRON. bu is pronounced as in the word but.] ❚
(noun) 1 An insect that lives in poor houses and beds: a
bedbug. ✑chinche 2 An insect: There's a bug crawling up
your arm. ✑bicho 3 A germ or infection: I have a stom‑
ach bug. ✑virus 4 A small hidden microphone. ✑micró­
fono oculto ❚ (verb) [past tense, past participle bugged] 5
To place small hidden microphones in (a room etc): The
spy's bedroom was bugged. ✑ocultar micrófonos 6 (infor‑
mal) To annoy, to make angry: What's bugging him?; Stop
bugging me! ✑molestar
buggy ['bagi] [PRON. bu is pronounced as in the word but.]
[plural 'buggies] (noun) 1 A vehicle for babies and very
small children, which you push: Let me push the buggy.
✑cochecito (de niño) 2 A light, open, one‑horse vehicle.
✑calesa
bugle ['bjuːgl] ❚ (noun) A musical wind instrument usu‑
ally made of brass, used chiefly for military signals: He
plays the bugle. ✑corneta
'bugler ❚ (noun) Person who plays a bugle. ✑corneta
build [bild] [PRON. The beginning is pronounced the same
as the word bill.] [past tense, past participle built [‑t]] ❚
(verb) 1 To form or construct from parts: To build a
house/railway/bookcase; The house was built in the eight‑
ies. ✑construir ❚ (noun) 2 Physical form: a man of heavy
build. ✑constitución, complexión
∙ build up To increase (the size or extent of): The traffic
begins to build up around five o'clock. ✑aumentar
∙ build something up To strengthen gradually (a business,
one's health, reputation etc): His father built up that gro‑
cery business from nothing; You must build up your
strength. ✑crear
'builder [PRON. The beginning is pronounced the same as
the word bill.] ❚ (noun) A person who builds houses etc:
The builder who built our house has gone bankrupt.
✑constructor
'building [PRON. The beginning is pronounced the same
as the word bill.] ❚ (noun) 1 [also adjective] The art or busi‑
ness of putting up (houses etc): a building contractor.
✑construcción 2 Anything built: The new supermarket is
a very ugly building. ✑edificio || 'building society A busi‑
ness firm that lends money for building or buying hous‑
es. ✑sociedad hipotecaria
built‑'in ❚ (adjective) Forming a permanent part of the
'building etc: Built‑in cupboards save space. empotrado
✑
built‑'up ❚ (adjective) Covered with houses etc: a
'built‑up area. urbanizado
✑
built Past tense and past participle forms of build
­(construir).
bulb [balb] ❚ (noun) 1 The ball‑shaped part of the stem
of certain plants, eg onions, tulips etc, from which their
roots grow. ✑bulbo 2 [also 'light bulb] A pear‑shaped
glass globe surrounding the element of an electric light.
✑bombilla 3 The pear‑shaped end of a thermometer.
✑cubeta
'bulbous ❚ (adjective) Like a bulb, especially in shape:
a bulbous nose. ✑bulboso
bulbul ['bulbul] (noun) A songbird of Asia or Africa.
✑bulbul
bulge [baldʒ] ❚ (noun) 1 A swelling: the apple formed a
bulge in his pocket. ✑protuberancia, bulto ❚ (verb) 2 To
swell out: His muscles bulged. ✑hincharse
bulimia [bjuːglimiə] (noun) An eating disorder in which
a person eats excessive amounts of food and then vomits
in order not to gain weight: to suffer from bulimia. ✑bu­
limia
bulk [balk] ❚ (noun) 1 The greater part: The bulk of her
money was spent on food. ✑la mayor parte 2 (Great) size
or mass: the bulk of a parcel; His huge bulk appeared
round the corner. ✑masa ❚ (adjective) 3 In bulk: bulk
buying. ✑a granel, en grandes cantidades || in bulk In
large quantities: Huge tankers now carry oil in bulk; They
like to buy goods in bulk. ✑en grandes cantidades, a gra­
nel
'bulky ❚ (adjective) [comparative bulkier, superlative
bulkiest] Large in size, awkward to carry etc: a bulky par‑
cel; This is too bulky to send by post. ✑abultado, volumi­
noso
bulkhead ['balkhed] (noun) A division between one part
of a ship's interior and another. ✑mamparo
bull [bul] ❚ (noun) 1 The male of the ox family and also
of the whale, walrus, elephant etc: I saw the bulls run in
the village festival. ✑toro 2 A bull's‑eye. ✑diana
'bullfight ❚ (noun) In Spain and some other countries
a fight between a bull and men on horseback and on foot.
✑corrida de toros
'bullfighter ❚ (noun) ✑torero
'bullock [‑lək] ❚ (noun) 1 A young bull. ✑novillo 2 A
castrated bull, an ox, often used to pull bullock carts.
✑buey
'bullring ❚ (noun) The enclosed area where a bullfight
takes place: Where is the bullring? ✑plaza de toros
'bull's‑eye ❚ (noun) The centre of a target, especially
in archery, darts etc: to hit the bull's‑eye. ✑diana
bulldog UK: [ˈbʊl.dɒg] US: [‑dɑːg] (noun) A strong, fierce
kind of dog: A bulldog guards the entrance to the house.
✑bulldog
bulldozer ['buldəuzə] ❚ (noun) A (usually large) tractor
for clearing obstacles and levelling ground. ✑máquina
excavadora, bulldozer
'bulldoze ❚ (verb) 1 To use a bulldozer on: They bull‑
dozed the building site. ✑excavar con un bulldozer, nive­
lar 2 To persuade someone to do something they don't
want to do, by force of personality or insistence. ✑arro­
llar, forzar
bullet ['bulit] ❚ (noun) A piece of metal etc fired from
certain hand guns: He was killed by machine‑gun bullets.
✑bala
'bulletproof ❚ (adjective) That can stop bullets from
penetrating it. ✑antibalas || bulletproof vest ❚ (noun) A
sleeveless jacket for protecting the body from bullets.
✑chaleco antibalas
bulletin ['bulətin] ❚ (noun) 1 An official (verbal) report
of news: a bulletin about the Queen's illness. ✑boletín 2
A printed information‑sheet: a monthly bulletin of local
news. ✑boletín
bulletin board ❚ (noun) [American] A notice‑board.
✑tablón de anuncios
bullfight See bull ✑corrida de toros
bullion ['buliən] (noun) Gold or silver in bulk, not made
into coins. ✑oro/plata en barras
bullock See bull ✑novillo, buey
bullshit ['bulʃit] (noun, interjection) (slang, offensive)
Nonsense; lies; exaggeration: That's bullshit!; Bullshit! Do
you expect me to believe that? ✑chorradas, tonterías
bully ['buli] [PRON. bu is pronounced like the boo in the
word book.] [plural 'bullies] ❚ (noun) 1 A person who hurts
or frightens other, weaker people: The fat boy is a bully
at school. ✑matón ❚ (verb) 2 To act like a bully towards:
He bullies his classmates into giving him money; Stop bul‑
lying your sister. ✑intimidar
bulrush ['bulraʃ] (noun) A tall strong water plant. ✑junco
bulwark ['bulwək] (noun) A wall built as a defence, often
made of earth. ✑baluarte
bum [bam] (noun) The buttocks. ✑culo, trasero
bumble‑bee ['bamblbiː] (noun) A kind of large bee with
a hairy body. ✑abejorro
bump [bamp] ❚ (verb) 1 [usually with preposition] To
knock or strike (something): She bumped into me; I
jumped and bumped my head against the ceiling.
✑dar(se) un golpe ❚ (noun) 2 (The sound of) a blow or
knock: We heard a loud bump. ✑golpe 3 A swelling or
raised part: a bump on the head; This road is full of
bumps. ✑chichón; bache
∙ bump into To meet (someone) by accident: I bumped
into him in the street. ✑encontrar por casualidad
∙ bump someone off (slang) To murder someone: They
bump off his mate at the end of the film. ✑cargar(se), li­
quidar (a alguien)
'bumper ❚ (noun) 1 A bar on a motor vehicle to lessen
damage when it collides with anything. ✑parachoques
■ See picture at car ❚ (adjective) 2 Excellent in some way,
especially by being large: a bumper crop. ✑abundante,
excepcional
'bumpy [comparative bumpier, superlative bumpiest] ❚
(adjective) Uneven: a bumpy road. ✑accidentado, con
muchos baches
bumpkin ['bampkin] (noun) A clumsy or stupid country
person: a country bumpkin. ✑paleto
bumptious ['bampʃəs] (adjective) Full of one's own im‑
portance: a very bumptious young man. ✑presumido
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bun
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bun [ban] (noun) 1 A kind of sweet cake: a currant bun.
✑bollo 2 A hairstyle for girls or women in which the
hair is collected in a round shape at the back of the head:
to put your hair up in a bun. ✑moño
bunch [bantʃ] ❚ (noun) 1 A number of things fastened or
growing together: a bunch of bananas; a bunch of keys.
✑manojo, ramo, racimo ❚ (verb) 2 [often with up or to‑
gether] To come or put together in bunches, groups etc:
Traffic often bunches on a motorway. ✑ apretujarse
|| thanks a bunch (informal) Thanks a lot (often sarcastic):
So nobody kept a seat for me: thanks a bunch. ✑gracias
bundle ['bandl] ❚ (noun) 1 A number of things bound
together: a bundle of rags. ✑fardo, manojo, bulto ❚ (verb)
2 [often with up or together] To make into bundles: Bun‑
dle up all your things and bring them with you. ✑empa­
quetar 3 To go, put or send (away) in a hurried or disor‑
derly way: They bundled him out of the room. ✑echar,
despachar
bung [baŋ] ❚ (noun) 1 The stopper of the hole in a barrel,
a small boat etc. ✑tapón 2 A payment to someone to
persuade them to do something for you that is illegal or
dishonest: They accused the councillor of receiving bungs.
✑soborno ❚ (verb) 3 To block with such a stopper. ✑ta­
ponar 4 (informal) To throw: Bung it over here. ✑tirar
bungalow ['baŋgələu] (noun) A (usually small) house of
one storey: They live in a small bungalow. ✑bungaló
bungee jumping [ˈbʌn.dʒiˌdʒʌm.pɪŋ] (noun) An adven‑
ture activity that consists in jumping off a bridge or
other high structure, on the end of an elastic rope: I
thought I wouldn't be brave enough to go bungee jumping,
but in the end I did it and it was great! ✑puenting
bungle ['baŋgl] (verb) To do (something) clumsily or very
badly: Someone has bungled; He had a great chance to
score, but he bungled it. ✑pifiar
bunk [baŋk] ❚ (noun) 1 A sleeping‑berth in a ship's cabin,
or a bed with two sleeping units, one on top, one under‑
neath. ✑litera, camastro 2 [also bunk bed] Two small
beds that are joined together, with one above the other.
✑litera ■ See picture at bed
∙ bunk off ❚ (verb) To leave school or work without permis‑
sion, or not go: Andy has bunked off again. ✑escaquear­
se, hacer novillos
bunker ['baŋkə] (noun) 1 A hollow containing sand on a
golf course. ✑búnker 2 An underground shelter against
bombs etc. ✑búnker
bunny [ˈbʌni] [plural bunnies] (noun) A child's word for a
rabbit: Bunnies love eating carrots. ✑conejito
bunting ['bantiŋ] (noun) Flags on a line, for use in cele‑
brations. ✑banderines
buoy [boi, (American) 'buːi] ❚ (noun) A floating anchored
mark, acting as a guide, warning or mooring point for
boats. ✑boya
'buoyancy ❚ (noun) The ability to float on water or in
the air: the buoyancy of a balloon. ✑flotabilidad
'buoyant ❚ (adjective) ✑flotante
burden ['bəːdn] ❚ (noun) 1 Something to be carried: She
carried a heavy burden up the hill; The ox is sometimes a
beast of burden (= an animal that carries things). ✑carga
2 Something difficult to carry or withstand: the burden
of taxation. ✑carga ❚ (verb) 3 To put a responsibility etc
on (someone): burdened with cares. ✑cargar a alguien
bureau ['bjuərəu] [plurals 'bureaux [‑z], 'bureaus] (noun)
1 A writing‑desk with drawers. ✑escritorio 2 [American]
A chest of drawers. ✑cómoda 3 An office for collecting
buy
and supplying information etc: a travel bureau.
✑agencia
bureaucracy [bju'rokrəsi] ❚ (noun) 1 A system of con‑
trolling and managing a country, company or institution
using a large number of officials who must follow a great
number of rules. ✑burocracia 2 Anything requiring a
lot of forms and procedures. ✑papeleo
bureau'cratic ❚ (adjective) ✑burocrático
'
burger
UK: [ˈbɜː.gər] US: [ˈbɝː.gɚ] (noun) See hamburger
✑hamburguesa
burglar ['bəːglə] ❚ (noun) A person who enters a house
etc illegally to steal: The burglar stole her jewellery. ✑la­
drón [Compare with mugger (in the street).] || 'burglar alarm
❚ (noun) An alarm against burglaries. ✑alarma antirrobo
'burglary [plural 'burglaries] ❚ (noun) (An act of) ille‑
gally entering a house etc to steal: He has been charged
with burglary. ✑robo
'burgle ❚ (verb) Our house has been burgled. ✑robar (en
una casa) ■ See box at steal
burial See bury ✑enterrar
burlap UK: [ˈbɜː.læp] US: [ˈbɝː‑] (noun) [American] Hes‑
sian: a burlap bag/sack. ✑lona; arpillera
burly ['bəːli] (adjective) (Of a person) big, strong and
heavy: a big burly farmer. ✑corpulento, fornido
burn [bəːn] [past tense, past participles burned, burnt [‑t]]
❚ (verb) 1 To destroy, damage or injure by fire, by heat,
by acid or by intense cold: The fire burned/burnt all my
papers; I've burnt/burned the meat. ✑quemar 2 To use
as fuel. ✑quemar 3 To make (a hole etc) by fire, heat,
acid etc: The acid burned a hole in my shirt. ✑quemar 4
To catch fire: Paper burns easily. ✑arder ❚ (noun) 5 An
injury or mark caused by fire etc: His burns will take a
long time to heal; a burn in the carpet. ✑quemadura
'burner ❚ (noun) Any device producing a flame: I'll have
to use a burner to get this paint off. ✑quemador
burnish ['bəːniʃ] [We usually use polish.] (verb) To make
(metal) bright by polishing: They burnished the silver.
✑pulir
burnt UK: [bɜːnt] US: [bɜːnt] Past tense and participle
forms of burn (quemar).
burp [bəː(r)p] ❚ (verb) 1 To belch: Wait for the baby to
burp and put her to bed. ✑eructar ❚ (noun) 2 A belch.
✑eructo
burrow ['barəu, (American) 'bəː‑] ❚ (noun) 1 A hole that
animals dig for shelter: a rabbit burrow. ✑madriguera,
conejera ❚ (verb) 2 To make holes underground or in a
similar place for shelter etc: The mole burrows under‑
ground; He burrowed under the bedclothes. ✑ cavar,
­excavar
burst [bəːst] [past tense, past participle burst] ❚ (verb) 1 To
break open or in pieces suddenly: The bag/balloon burst.
✑reventar 2 [with in, into, through etc] To come or go
suddenly or violently: He burst in without knocking; Sarah
burst into the room; She burst into tears. ✑entrar precipi­
tadamente 3 (Of rivers) to overflow or flood (the banks):
The river has burst its banks. ✑desbordarse, salirse de
madre ❚ (noun) 4 A break or explosion: a burst in the
pipes. ✑reventón 5 An (often sudden and short) out‑
break: a burst of applause. ✑estallido || burst open To
open suddenly or violently: The door burst open and she
rushed in. ✑abrirse de golpe
bury ['beri] [PRON. bu is pronounced like the be in the word
bed.] ❚ (verb) 1 To place (a dead body) in a grave, the sea
etc. ✑enterrar 2 To hide (under the ground etc): Squir‑
rels bury nuts to eat at a later time; My socks are buried
somewhere in this drawer. ✑esconder || bury the hatchet
To stop quarrelling: Let's bury the hatchet and be friends.
✑enterrar el hacha de guerra
'burial ❚ (noun) (An instance of) burying (a dead body)
in a grave etc: my grandfather's burial; [also adjective] a
burial service. ✑entierro
bus [bas] ❚ (noun) 1 A large road vehicle for carrying pas‑
sengers: I catch the bus at ten past eight; The bus was
packed this morning; He came by bus; I missed the bus
yesterday. ✑autobús ❚ (verb) [present participle 'bus(s)
ing; past tense, past participle bus(s)ed] 2 To carry by bus.
✑transportar en autobús || bus stop A place where buses
stop to let passengers on or off. ✑parada de autobús
bush [buʃ] ❚ (noun) 1 A growing thing between a tree and
a plant in size: a rose bush. ✑arbusto 2 (In Australia,
Africa etc) wild uncultivated country. ✑breña, monte
'bushy [comparative bushier, superlative bushiest] ❚ (ad‑
jective) Thick and spreading: bushy eyebrows; Our cat has
a very bushy tail. ✑espeso
business ['biznis] [PRON. The first part, busi, rhymes with
is.] ❚ (noun) 1 The activity of buying and selling and
everything behind it: Selling toys is my business; The shop
does more business at Christmas than at any other time;
business news. ✑negocio 2 A company, a shop: She owns
her own business. ✑negocio, empresa 3 Concern: It's
none of your business; Make it your business to help him;
Let's get down to business. ✑asunto, tarea || business card
A small card with your name and contact details, and
sometimes job title or profession: Here's my business
card. ✑tarjeta de visita || on business In the process of
doing business or something official. ✑en viaje de ne­
gocios; de servicio
'businesslike ❚ (adjective) Practical; alert and prompt:
a businesslike approach to the problem; She is very busi‑
nesslike. ✑formal, profesional
'businessman, businesswoman ❚ (noun) A person
who works in a business, not in one of the professions,
particularly someone with a high level job. ✑empresa­
rio, empresaria
bust1 [bast] (noun) 1 A woman's chest. ✑pecho 2 A
sculpture of a person's head and shoulders: a bust of
Julius Caesar. ✑busto
bust2 [bast] [past participle bust or busted] (verb) (infor‑
mal) To break something: The firemen busted the door
down. ✑romper || get busted Be arrested: They got busted
while selling the drugs. ✑ser arrestado
bust3 [bast] (adjective) (informal) Broken; not working:
The zip is bust; Try that phone. This one is bust. ✑roto || go
bust Become bankrupt: When the project failed the com‑
pany went bust. ✑quebrar
bustle ['basl] ❚ (verb) 1 [often with about] To busy oneself
(often noisily or fussily): She bustled about doing things
all day. ✑andar ajetreado ❚ (noun) 2 Hurry, fuss or activ‑
ity. ✑ajetreo
busy ['bizi] [PRON. us is pronounced like the word is.] [comparative busier, superlative busiest] ❚ (adjective) 1 Having
a lot (of work etc) to do: I am very busy. ✑ocupado 2 Full
of traffic, people, activity etc: The roads are busy; a busy
time of year. ✑concurrido 3 [especially American] (Of a
telephone line) engaged: All the lines to New York are
busy. ✑(una línea de teléfono) ocupado ❚ (verb) 4 [sometimes with with] To occupy (oneself) with: She busied her‑
self preparing the meal. ✑ocuparse
'busily ❚ (adverb) ✑con afán
but [bat] ❚ (conjunction) 1 Used to show a contrast be‑
tween two or more things: Gemma was there, but Peter
was not; It's late, but I am not tired. ✑pero ❚ (preposition)
2 Except (for): no‑one but me; the next road but one. ✑ex­
cepto
butcher ['butʃə] ❚ (noun) 1 A person whose business is
to prepare and sell meat in a shop. ✑carnicero ❚ (verb)
2 To kill for food. ✑matar 3 To kill cruelly: All the pris‑
oners were butchered by the dictator. ✑masacrar
butcher's ❚ (noun) A shop that sells meat. ✑carnicería
butler UK: [ˈbʌt.lər] US: [‑lɚ] (noun) The most important
male servant of a household, whose jobs include organ‑
izing other servants, receiving guests, organizing the
serving of food and wine at meals, and other personal
services. ✑mayordomo
butt1 [bat] (verb) To strike (someone or something) with
the head: He fell over when the goat butted him. ✑dar un
cabezazo
∙ butt in To interrupt or interfere: Don't butt in while I'm
speaking! ✑interrumpir
butt2 [bat] ❚ (noun) 1 Someone whom others criticize or
tell jokes about: She's the butt of all his jokes. ✑blanco 2
The thick and heavy end (especially of a rifle). ✑culata
3 The end of a finished cigar, cigarette etc: His cigarette
butt was the cause of the fire. ✑colilla
butter ['batə] ❚ (noun) 1 A fatty substance made from
cream by churning: to spread butter on your toast. ✑man­
tequilla 㐀 See page 851 ❚ (verb) 2 To spread with butter:
She buttered the bread. ✑untar con mantequilla
∙ butter someone up To flatter (someone) usually because
you want them to do something for you. ✑dar coba a
'butterfingers ❚ (noun) A person who is likely to drop
things which he or she is carrying. ✑manazas
'butterscotch [‑skotʃ] ❚ (noun) A kind of hard toffee
made with butter. ✑dulce de azúcar terciado con mante­
quilla
'buttery ❚ (adjective) a buttery knife. ✑mantecoso
buttercup [ˈbʌtəkʌp] (noun) A plant with small yellow
flowers: Buttercups abound in grassland. ✑ranúnculo;
botón de oro
butterfly ['batəflai] [plural 'butterflies] (noun) A type of
insect with large (often coloured) wings. ✑mariposa
㐀 See page 846
buttock ['batək] (noun) [usually in plural] Either half of
the part of the body on which one sits: She smacked the
child on the buttocks. ✑nalga
button ['batn] ❚ (noun) 1 A knob or disc used as a fasten‑
ing: I've lost a button off my coat. ✑botón 2 A small knob
pressed to operate something: This button turns the radio
on; Press the button with the green circle. ✑botón; (to
press the button = apretar el botón) ❚ (verb) 3 [often with
up] To fasten by means of buttons. ✑abrocharse
'buttonhole ❚ (noun) 1 The hole or slit into which a
button is put. ✑ojal ❚ (verb) 2 To catch someone's atten‑
tion and hold him in conversation: He buttonholed me
and began telling me the story of his life. ✑enganchar
buttress ['batris] (noun) A support built on to the outside
of a wall. ✑contrafuerte
buy [bai] [present participle 'buying; past tense, past participle bought [boːt]] (verb) To get (something) by exchang‑
ing it for money: I've found a brilliant place to buy bike
equipment; What did you buy?; Brian has bought a car.
✑comprar
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buzz
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buzz [baz] ❚ (verb) 1 (Of an insect) to make a noise by
beating its wings eg when flying: The bees buzzed an‑
grily. ✑zumbar 2 To be filled with or to make a similar
noise or to have a lot of energy and activity: My ears are
buzzing; The crowd was buzzing with excitement. ✑zum­
bar, estar muy animado ❚ (noun) 3 [sometimes with a] A
buzzing sound: a buzz of conversation. ✑zumbido || get a
buzz [with from, out of] To get a feeling of enjoyment,
excitement and energy (from something): I get a real
buzz out of playing music in front of an audience; She gets
a buzz from riding her mountain bike/skiing very fast.
✑gozar con algo, disfrutar, pasarlo pipa || give someone
a buzz (informal) To telephone someone: I'll give you a
buzz when I get there. ✑dar un toque
'buzzer ❚ (noun) An electrical or other apparatus pro‑
ducing a buzzing sound. ✑timbre, portero automático
buzzard UK: [ˈbʌz.əd] US: [‑ɚd] (noun) 1 Any of several
large European hawks of the genus Buteo. ✑gavilán 2
Any of several American vultures of the genus Catharti‑
dae. ✑buitre
buzzword ['bazwəː(r)d] (noun) A word or phrase that is
frequently used because of its importance or popularity
(especially among people in a certain group or profes‑
sion): ‘Commitment’ has been the one of the buzzwords in
the last few years. ✑palabra pegadiza, palabra que está
de moda
by [bai] [PRON. The y is pronounced as the word I.] ❚ (prep‑
osition) 1 Next to; near; at the side of: by the door; He sat
by his sister. ✑junto a, al lado de 2 Past: We saw her go
by the house. ✑(por) delante 3 Through; along; across:
We came by the main road. ✑por 4 Used (in the passive
voice) to show the person or thing which performs an
action: He was struck by a stone; a song composed by John
Lennon. ✑por 5 Using: He's going to contact us by letter;
We travelled by train. ✑ por, en 6 From; through the
means of: I met her by chance; by post. ✑por 7 (Of time)
not later than: by 6 o'clock; We have to do the project by
Thursday. ✑para 8 During the time of (day or night): We
travelled by night. ✑de 9 To the extent of: She is taller
by ten centimetres. ✑de, por 10 Used to give measure‑
ments etc: 4 metres by 2 metres. ✑por 11 In quantities
of: fruit sold by the kilo. ✑por 12 In respect of: a teacher
by profession. ✑de ❚ (adverb) 13 Near: They stood by
and watched. ✑al lado (de) 14 Past: A dog ran by. ✑por
ahí 15 Aside; away: to money put by for an emergency.
✑apartado || by and by After a short time: By and by,
everyone went home. ✑con el tiempo || by and large Most‑
ly; all things considered: Things are going quite well, by
and large. ✑en general || by far To a great extent, by a big
difference: She is by far the most intelligent student; You
are a better player than he is, by far. ✑con mucho, con
diferencia, de lejos || by oneself 1 Alone: She was standing
by herself at the bus‑stop. ✑solo 2 Without anyone else's
help: He did the job (all) by himself. ✑solo || by the way
Incidentally: By the way, did Tony find his camera? ✑a
propósito, por cierto || BTW A written abbreviation for By
the way, used in emails and text messages. ✑a propósi­
to, por cierto
'bygones: let bygones be bygones To forgive and
forget past causes of conflict and bad feeling (between
two people). ✑lo pasado pasado está
'bypass ❚ (noun) 1 A road or other passage which avoids
an obstruction or a busy area: Take the bypass around
the city: Take the bypass round the city. ✑variante, des­
vío, circunvalación ❚ (verb) 2 To avoid (a place) by taking
such a road. ✑desviar
'by‑product ❚ (noun) Something obtained or formed
during the making of something else: Coal tar is a
by‑product of the process of obtaining gas from coal. ✑de­
rivado
'bystander ❚ (noun) A person who sees something hap‑
pen by chance, because they are in that place. ✑espec­
tador
bye (interjection) (informal) An informal way of saying
goodbye: I'll see you on Monday. Bye! ✑chao
byte [bait] (noun) A unit of memory in a computer equal
to eight bits: How many bytes does it have? ✑ byte,
octeto