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English Vocab > B > Flashcards

B Flashcards

Words that start with the letter B

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Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
1
Q

Baconian

A

adj. Of or pertaining to Lord Bacon or his system of philosophy

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2
Q

Bacterium

A

n. A microbe

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3
Q

Badger

A

v. To pester

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4
Q

Baffle

A

v. To foil or frustrate

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5
Q

Bailiff

A

n. An officer of court having custody of prisoners under arraignment

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6
Q

Baize

A

n. A single-colored napped woolen fabric used for table-covers, curtains, etc…

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7
Q

Bale

A

n. A large package prepared for transportation or storage

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8
Q

Baleful

A

adj. Malignant

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9
Q

Ballad

A

n. Any popular narrative poem, often with epic subject and usually in lyric form

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10
Q

Balsam

A

n. A medical preparation, aromatic and oily, used for healing

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11
Q

Banal

A

adj. Commonplace

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12
Q

Carcarole

A

n. A boat-song of Venetian gondoliers

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13
Q

Barograph

A

n. An instrument that registers graphically and continuously that atmospheric pressure

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14
Q

Barometer

A

n. An instrument for indicating the atmospheric pressure per unit of surface

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15
Q

Barring

A

prep. Apart from

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16
Q

Baritone

A

adj. Having a register higher than bass and lower than tenor

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17
Q

Bask

A

v. To make warm by genial heat

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18
Q

Bass

A

adj. Low in tone or compass

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19
Q

Baste

A

v. To cover with melted fat, gravy, while cooking

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20
Q

Baton

A

n. An official staff borne either as a weapon or as an emblem of authority or privilege

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21
Q

Battalion

A

n. A body of infantry composed of two or more companies, forming a part of a regiment

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22
Q

Batten

A

n. A narrow strip of wood

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23
Q

Batter

A

n. A thick liquid mixture of two or more materials beaten together, to be used in cookery

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24
Q

Bauble

A

n. A trinket

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25
Q

Bawl

A

v. To proclaim by outcry

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26
Q

Beatify

A

v. To make supremely happy

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27
Q

Beatitude

A

n. Any state of great happiness

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28
Q

Beau

A

n. An escort or lover

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29
Q

Becalm

A

v. To make quiet

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30
Q

Beck

A

v. To give a signal to, by nod or gesture

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31
Q

Bedaub

A

v. To smear over, as with something oily or sticky

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32
Q

Bedeck

A

v. To cover with ornament

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33
Q

Bedlam

A

n. Madhouse

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34
Q

Befog

A

v. To confuse

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35
Q

Befriend

A

v. To be a friend to, especially when in need

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36
Q

Beget

A

v. To produce by sexual generation

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37
Q

Begrudge

A

v. To envy one of the possession of

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38
Q

Belate

A

v. To delay past the proper hour

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39
Q

Belay

A

v. To make fast, as a rope, by winding round a cleat

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40
Q

Belie

A

v. To misrepresent

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41
Q

Believe

A

v. To accept as true on the testimony or authority of others

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42
Q

Belittle

A

v. To disparage

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43
Q

Belle

A

n. A woman who is a center of attraction because of her beauty, accomplishments, etc…

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44
Q

Bellicose

A

adj. Warlike

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45
Q

Belligerent

A

adj. Manifesting a warlike spirit

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46
Q

Bemoan

A

v. To lament

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47
Q

Benediction

A

n. A solemn invocation of the divine blessing

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48
Q

Benefactor

A

n. A doer of kindly and charitable acts

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49
Q

Benefice

A

n. A church office endowed with funds or properly for the maintenance of divine service

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50
Q

Beneficent

A

adj. Characterized by charity and kindness

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51
Q

Beneficial

A

adj. Helpful

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52
Q

Beneficiary

A

n. One who is lawfully entitled to the profits and proceeds of an estate or property

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53
Q

Benefit

A

n. Helpful result

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54
Q

Benevolence

A

n. Any act of kindness or well-doing

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55
Q

Benevolent

A

adj. Loving others and actively desirous of their well-being

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56
Q

Benign

A

adj. Good and kind of heart

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57
Q

Benignant

A

adj. Benevolent in feeling, character, or aspect

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58
Q

Benignity

A

n. Kindness of feeling, disposition, or manner

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59
Q

Benison

A

n. Blessing

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60
Q

Bequeath

A

v. To give by will

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61
Q

Bereave

A

v. To make desolate with loneliness and grief

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62
Q

Berth

A

n. A bunk or bed in a vessel, sleeping-car, etc…

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63
Q

Beseech

A

v. To implore

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64
Q

Beset

A

v. To attack on all sides

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65
Q

Besmear

A

v. To smear over, as with any oily or sticky substance

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66
Q

Bestial

A

adj. Animal

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67
Q

Bestrew

A

v. To sprinkle or cover with things strewn

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68
Q

Bestride

A

v. To get or sit upon astride, as a horse

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69
Q

Bethink

A

v. To remind oneself

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70
Q

Betide

A

v. To happen to or befall

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71
Q

Betimes

A

adv. In good season or time

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72
Q

Betroth

A

v. To engage to marry

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73
Q

Bevel

A

n. Any inclination of two surfaces other than 90 degrees

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74
Q

Bewilder

A

v. To confuse the preceptions or judment of

75
Q

Bibliomania

A

n. The passion for collecting books

76
Q

Bibliography

A

n. A list of the words of an author, or the literature bearing on a particular subject

77
Q

Bibliophile

A

n. One who loves books

78
Q

Bibulous

A

adj. Fond of drinking

79
Q

Bide

A

v. To await

80
Q

Biennial

A

n. A plant that produces leaves and roots the first year and flowers and fruit the second

81
Q

Bier

A

n. A horizontal framework with two handles at each end fro carrying a corpse to the grave

82
Q

Bigamist

A

n. One who has two spouses at the same time

83
Q

Bigamy

A

n. The crime of marrying any other person while having a legal spouse living

84
Q

Bight

A

n. A slightly receding bay between headlands, formed by a long curve of a coast-line

85
Q

Bilateral

A

adj. Two-sided

86
Q

Bilingual

A

adj. Speaking two languages

87
Q

Biograph

A

n. A bibliographical sketch or notice

88
Q

Biography

A

n. A written account of one’s life, actions, and characters

89
Q

Biology

A

n. The science of life or living organisms

90
Q

Biped

A

n. An animal having two feet

91
Q

Birthright

A

n. A privilege or possession into which one is born

92
Q

Bitterness

A

n. Acridity, as to the taste

93
Q

Blasé

A

adj. Sated with pleasure

94
Q

blaspheme

A

v. To indulge in profane oaths

95
Q

Blatant

A

adj. Noisily or offensively loud or clamorous

96
Q

Blaze

A

n. A vivid glowing flame

97
Q

Blazon

A

v. To make widely or generally known

98
Q

Bleak

A

adj. Desolate

99
Q

Blemish

A

n. A mark that mars beauty

100
Q

Blithe

A

adj. Joyous

101
Q

Blithesome

A

adj. Cheerful

102
Q

Blockade

A

n. The shutting up of a town, a frontier, or a line of coast by hostile forces

103
Q

Boatswain

A

n. A subordinate officer of a vessel, who has general charge of the rigging, anchors, etc…

104
Q

Bodice

A

n. A woman’s ornamental corset-shaped laced waist

105
Q

Bodily

A

adj. Corporeal

106
Q

Boisterous

A

adj. Unchecked merriment or animal spirits

107
Q

Bole

A

n. The trunk or body of a tree

108
Q

Bolero

A

n. A Spanish dance, illustrative of the passion of love, accompanied by caste nets and singing

109
Q

Boll

A

n. A round pod or seed-capsule, as a flax or cotton

110
Q

Bolster

A

v. To support, as something wrong

111
Q

Bomb

A

n. A hollow projectile containing an explosive material

112
Q

Bombard

A

v. To assail with any missile or with abusive speech

113
Q

Bombardier

A

n. A person who has charge of mortars, bombs, and shells

114
Q

Bombast

A

n. Inflated or extravagant language, especially on unimportant subjects

115
Q

Boorish

A

adj. Rude

116
Q

Bore

A

v. To weary by tediousness or dullness

117
Q

Borough

A

n. An incorporated village or town

118
Q

Bosom

A

n. The breast or the upper front of the thorax of a human being, especially of a woman

119
Q

Botanical

A

adj. Connected with the study or cultivation of plants

120
Q

Botanize

A

v. To study plant-life

121
Q

Botany

A

n. The science that treats of plants

122
Q

Bountiful

A

adj. Showing abundance

123
Q

Bowdlerize

A

v. To expurgate in editing (a literary composition) by omitting words or passages

124
Q

Bowler

A

n. In cricket, the player who delivers the ball

125
Q

Boycott

A

v. To place the products or merchandise of under a ban

126
Q

Brae

A

n. Hillside

127
Q

Braggart

A

n. A vain boaster

128
Q

Brandish

A

v. To wave, shake, or flourish triumphantly or defiantly, as a sword or spear

129
Q

Bravado

A

n. An aggressive display of boldness

130
Q

Bravo

A

interj. Well Done

131
Q

Bray

A

n. A loud harsh sound, as the cry of an ass or the blast of a horn

132
Q

Braze

A

v. To make of or ornament with brass

133
Q

Brazier

A

n. An open pan or basin for holding live coals

134
Q

Breach

A

n. The violation of official duty, lawful right, or a legal obligation

135
Q

Breaker

A

n. One who trains horses, dogs, etc…

136
Q

Breech

A

n. The buttocks

137
Q

Brethren

A

n. pl. Members of a brotherhood, gild, profession, association, or the like

138
Q

Brevity

A

n. Shortness of duration

139
Q

Bric-a-brac

A

n. Objects of curiosity or for decoration

140
Q

Bridle

A

n. The head-harness of a horse consisting of a head-stall, a bit, and the reins

141
Q

Brigade

A

n. A body of troops consisting of two or more regiments

142
Q

Brigadier

A

n. General officer who commands a brigade, ranking between a colonel and a major-general

143
Q

Brigand

A

n. One who lives by robbery and plunder

144
Q

Brimstone

A

n. Sulfur

145
Q

Brine

A

n. Water saturated with salt

146
Q

Bristle

A

n. One of the coarse, stiff hairs of swing; used in brush-making, etc.

147
Q
A
148
Q

Britannia

A

n. The United Kingdom of Great Britain

149
Q

Briticism

A

n. A word, idiom, or phrase characteristic of Great Britain or the British

150
Q

Brittle

A

adj. Fragile

151
Q

Broach

A

v. To mention, for the first time

152
Q

Broadcast

A

adj. Disseminated far and wide

153
Q

Brogan

A

n. A coarse, heavy shoe

154
Q

Brogue

A

n. Any dialectic pronunciation of English, especially that of the Irish people

155
Q

Brokerage

A

n. The business of making sales and purchases for a commission; a broker

156
Q

Bromine

A

n. A dark reddish-brown, non-metallic liquid element with a suffocating odor

157
Q

Bronchitis

A

n. Inflammation of the bronchial tubes

158
Q

Bronchus

A

n. Either of the two subdivisions of the trachea conveying air into the lungs

159
Q

Brooch

A

n. An article of jewelry fastened by a hinged pin and hook on the underside

160
Q

Brotherhood

A

n. Spiritual or social fellowship or solidarity

161
Q

Browbeat

A

v. To overwhelm, or attempt to do so, by stern, haughty, or rude address or manner

162
Q

Brusque

A

adj. Somewhat rough or rude in manner or speech

163
Q

Buffoon

A

n. A clown

164
Q

Buffoonery

A

n. Low drollery, coarse jokes, etc…

165
Q

Bulbous

A

adj. Of, or pertaining to, or like a bulb

166
Q

Bullock

A

n. An Ox

167
Q

Bulrush

A

n. Any one of various tall rusk-like plants growing in damp ground or water

168
Q

Bulwark

A

n. Anything that gives security or defense

169
Q

Bumper

A

n. A cup or glass filled to the brim, especially one to be drunk as a toast or health

170
Q

Bumptious

A

adj. Full of offensive and aggressive self-conceit

171
Q

Bungle

A

v. To execute clumsily

172
Q

Buoyancy

A

n. Power or tendency to float on or in a liquid or gas

173
Q

Buoyant

A

adj. Having the power or tendency to float or keep afloat

174
Q

Bureau

A

n. A chest of drawers for clothing, etc…

175
Q

Bureaucracy

A

n. Government by departments of men transacting particular branches of public business

176
Q

Burgess

A

n. In colonial times, a member of the lower house of the legislature of Maryland or Virginia

177
Q

Burgher

A

n. An inhabitant, citizen or freeman of a borough burgh, or coroporate town

178
Q

Burnish

A

v. To amek brillant or shining

179
Q

Bursar

A

n. A treasurer

180
Q

Bustle

A

v. To hurry

181
Q

Butt

A

v. To strike with or as with the head, or horns

182
Q

Butte

A

n. A conspicuous hill, low mountain, or natural turret, generally isolated

183
Q

Buttress

A

n. Any support or prop

184
Q

By-law

A

n. A rule or law adopted by an association, a corporation, or the like

English Vocab (9 decks)

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