| b
|
(noun) (physics) a unit of nuclear cross section; the effective circular area that one particle presents to another as a target for an encounter |
Synonyms:
barn |
|---|
| (noun) the 2nd letter of the Roman alphabet |
Synonyms:
B |
| baa
|
(noun) the cry made by sheep |
- |
|---|
| baas
|
(noun) South African term for `boss' |
- |
|---|
| baba
|
(noun) a small cake leavened with yeast |
- |
|---|
| babassu
|
(noun) tall feather palm of northern Brazil with hard-shelled nuts yielding valuable oil and a kind of vegetable ivory |
Synonyms:
Orbignya martiana,
Orbignya phalerata,
Orbignya spesiosa,
coco de macao,
babassu palm |
|---|
| babbitt
|
(noun) an alloy of tin with some copper and antimony; a lining for bearings that reduces friction |
Synonyms:
Babbitt metal |
|---|
| babbitting
|
(noun) lining a surface or bearing with Babbitt metal |
- |
|---|
| babble
|
(noun) gibberish resembling the sounds of a baby |
Synonyms:
babbling,
lallation |
|---|
| babbler
|
(noun) an obnoxious and foolish and loquacious talker |
Synonyms:
spouter,
chatterbox,
magpie,
chatterer,
prater |
|---|
| (noun) any of various insectivorous Old World birds with a loud incessant song; in some classifications considered members of the family Muscicapidae |
Synonyms:
cackler |
| babbling
|
(noun) gibberish resembling the sounds of a baby |
Synonyms:
babble,
lallation |
|---|
| babe
|
(noun) a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk |
Synonyms:
baby,
infant |
|---|
| babel
|
(noun) a confusion of voices and other sounds |
- |
|---|
| babiroussa
|
(noun) Indonesian wild pig with enormous curved canine teeth |
Synonyms:
Babyrousa Babyrussa,
babirusa,
babirussa |
|---|
| babirusa
|
(noun) Indonesian wild pig with enormous curved canine teeth |
Synonyms:
Babyrousa Babyrussa,
babiroussa,
babirussa |
|---|
| babirussa
|
(noun) Indonesian wild pig with enormous curved canine teeth |
Synonyms:
Babyrousa Babyrussa,
babiroussa,
babirusa |
|---|
| babka
|
(noun) a coffee cake flavored with orange rind and raisins and almonds |
- |
|---|
| baboo
|
(noun) used as a Hindi courtesy title; equivalent to English `Mr' |
Synonyms:
babu |
|---|
| baboon
|
(noun) large terrestrial monkeys having doglike muzzles |
- |
|---|
| babu
|
(noun) used as a Hindi courtesy title; equivalent to English `Mr' |
Synonyms:
baboo |
|---|
| babushka
|
(noun) a woman's headscarf folded into a triangle and tied under the chin; worn by Russian peasant women |
- |
|---|
| baby
|
(noun) a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk |
Synonyms:
infant,
babe |
|---|
| (noun) the youngest member of a group (not necessarily young) |
- |
| (noun) an immature childish person |
Synonyms:
child |
| (noun) an unborn child; a human fetus |
- |
| (noun) a very young mammal |
- |
| (noun) a project of personal concern to someone |
- |
| babygram
|
(noun) an X-ray of the entire body of an infant. |
- |
|---|
| babyhood
|
(noun) the early stage of growth or development |
Synonyms:
infancy,
early childhood |
|---|
| (noun) the earliest state of immaturity |
Synonyms:
infancy |
| babyminder
|
(noun) a person who looks after babies (usually in the person's own home) while the babys' parents are working |
Synonyms:
minder,
baby minder |
|---|
| babysitter
|
(noun) a person engaged to care for children when the parents are not home |
Synonyms:
sitter,
baby-sitter |
|---|
| babysitting
|
(noun) the work of a baby sitter; caring for children when their parents are not home |
Synonyms:
baby sitting |
|---|
| babytalk
|
(noun) an adult's imitation of the speech of a young child |
Synonyms:
motherese,
baby talk |
|---|
| (noun) the developing speech of a young child |
Synonyms:
baby talk |
| bacca
|
(noun) an indehiscent fruit derived from a single ovary having one or many seeds within a fleshy wall or pericarp: e.g. grape; tomato; cranberry |
Synonyms:
simple fruit |
|---|
| baccalaureate
|
(noun) a farewell sermon to a graduating class at their commencement ceremonies |
- |
|---|
| (noun) an academic degree conferred on someone who has successfully completed undergraduate studies |
Synonyms:
bachelor's degree |
| baccarat
|
(noun) a card game played in casinos in which two or more punters gamble against the banker; the player wins who holds 2 or 3 cards that total closest to nine |
Synonyms:
chemin de fer |
|---|
| bacchanal
|
(noun) someone who engages in drinking bouts |
Synonyms:
drunken reveler,
drunken reveller,
bacchant |
|---|
| (noun) a drunken reveller; a devotee of Bacchus |
Synonyms:
bacchant |
| (noun) a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity |
Synonyms:
riot,
debauch,
debauchery,
drunken revelry,
orgy,
saturnalia,
bacchanalia |
| bacchanalia
|
(noun) a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity |
Synonyms:
riot,
debauch,
debauchery,
drunken revelry,
orgy,
saturnalia,
bacchanal |
|---|
| bacchant
|
(noun) someone who engages in drinking bouts |
Synonyms:
bacchanal,
drunken reveler,
drunken reveller |
|---|
| (noun) a drunken reveller; a devotee of Bacchus |
Synonyms:
bacchanal |
| (noun) (classical mythology) a priest or votary of Bacchus |
- |
| bacchante
|
(noun) (classical mythology) a priestess or votary of Bacchus |
- |
|---|
| baccy
|
(noun) leaves of the tobacco plant dried and prepared for smoking or ingestion |
Synonyms:
tobacco |
|---|
| bachelor
|
(noun) a man who has never been married |
Synonyms:
unmarried man |
|---|
| (noun) a knight of the lowest order; could display only a pennon |
Synonyms:
knight bachelor,
bachelor-at-arms |
| bachelorette
|
(noun) a young unmarried woman who lives alone |
Synonyms:
bachelor girl |
|---|
| bachelorhood
|
(noun) the time of a man's life prior to marriage |
- |
|---|
| (noun) the state of being an unmarried man |
- |
| bacillus
|
(noun) aerobic rod-shaped spore-producing bacterium; often occurring in chainlike formations; found primarily in soil |
Synonyms:
B |
|---|
| bacitracin
|
(noun) a polypeptide antibiotic of known chemical structure effective against several types of Gram-positive organisms; usually applied locally |
- |
|---|
| back
|
(noun) the posterior part of a human (or animal) body from the neck to the end of the spine |
Synonyms:
dorsum |
|---|
| (noun) the side that goes last or is not normally seen |
Synonyms:
rear |
| (noun) the part of something that is furthest from the normal viewer |
Synonyms:
rear |
| (noun) (football) a person who plays in the backfield |
- |
| (noun) the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord |
Synonyms:
backbone,
spine,
rachis,
spinal column,
vertebral column |
| (noun) the protective covering on the front, back, and spine of a book |
Synonyms:
cover,
binding,
book binding |
| (noun) the part of a garment that covers the back of your body |
- |
| (noun) a support that you can lean against while sitting |
Synonyms:
backrest |
| (noun) (American football) the position of a player on a football team who is stationed behind the line of scrimmage |
- |
| backache
|
(noun) an ache localized in the back |
- |
|---|
| backband
|
(noun) a broad band that passes over the back of a horse and supports the shafts of a vehicle |
- |
|---|
| backbeat
|
(noun) a loud steady beat |
- |
|---|
| backbench
|
(noun) any of the seats occupied by backbenchers in the House of Commons |
- |
|---|
| backbencher
|
(noun) a member of the House of Commons who is not a party leader |
- |
|---|
| backbend
|
(noun) an acrobatic feat in which the trunk is bent backward from a standing position until the hands touch the floor |
- |
|---|
| backbiter
|
(noun) one who attacks the reputation of another by slander or libel |
Synonyms:
maligner,
defamer,
slanderer,
vilifier,
traducer,
libeler |
|---|
| backblast
|
(noun) backfire from a recoilless weapon |
Synonyms:
back-blast |
|---|
| backboard
|
(noun) a raised vertical board with basket attached; used to play basketball |
Synonyms:
basketball backboard |
|---|
| (noun) a board used to support the back of someone or something |
- |
| backbone
|
(noun) a central cohesive source of support and stability |
Synonyms:
mainstay,
keystone,
anchor,
linchpin,
lynchpin |
|---|
| (noun) fortitude and determination |
Synonyms:
gumption,
grit,
sand,
moxie,
guts |
| (noun) the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord |
Synonyms:
back,
spine,
rachis,
spinal column,
vertebral column |
| (noun) the part of a book's cover that encloses the inner side of the book's pages and that faces outward when the book is shelved |
Synonyms:
spine |
| (noun) the part of a network that connects other networks together |
- |
| backchat
|
(noun) light teasing repartee |
Synonyms:
give-and-take,
raillery,
banter |
|---|
| backcloth
|
(noun) scenery hung at back of stage |
Synonyms:
background,
backdrop |
|---|
| backdoor
|
(noun) an undocumented way to get access to a computer system or the data it contains |
Synonyms:
back door |
|---|
| (noun) an entrance at the rear of a building |
Synonyms:
back door,
back entrance |
| (noun) a secret or underhand means of access (to a place or a position) |
Synonyms:
back door |
| backdown
|
(noun) a retraction of a previously held position |
Synonyms:
withdrawal,
climb-down |
|---|
| backdrop
|
(noun) scenery hung at back of stage |
Synonyms:
background,
backcloth |
|---|
| backer
|
(noun) someone who provides financial support for some venture |
Synonyms:
angel |
|---|
| backfield
|
(noun) the offensive football players who line up behind the linemen |
- |
|---|
| backfire
|
(noun) the backward escape of gases and unburned gunpowder after a gun is fired |
Synonyms:
blowback |
|---|
| (noun) a loud noise made by the explosion of fuel in the manifold or exhaust of an internal combustion engine |
- |
| (noun) a fire that is set intentionally in order to slow an approaching forest fire or grassfire by clearing a burned area in its path |
- |
| (noun) a miscalculation that recoils on its maker |
Synonyms:
boomerang |
| backflow
|
(noun) a flow that returns toward its source |
Synonyms:
backflowing |
|---|
| backflowing
|
(noun) a flow that returns toward its source |
Synonyms:
backflow |
|---|
| backgammon
|
(noun) a board game for two players; pieces move according to throws of the dice |
- |
|---|
| background
|
(noun) a person's social heritage: previous experience or training |
- |
|---|
| (noun) the part of a scene (or picture) that lies behind objects in the foreground |
Synonyms:
ground |
| (noun) information that is essential to understanding a situation or problem |
Synonyms:
background knowledge |
| (noun) extraneous signals that can be confused with the phenomenon to be observed or measured |
Synonyms:
background signal |
| (noun) relatively unimportant or inconspicuous accompanying situation |
- |
| (noun) the state of the environment in which a situation exists |
Synonyms:
setting,
scope |
| (noun) (computer science) the area of the screen in graphical user interfaces against which icons and windows appear |
Synonyms:
desktop,
screen background |
| (noun) scenery hung at back of stage |
Synonyms:
backcloth,
backdrop |
| backgrounder
|
(noun) a press conference or interview in which a government official explains to reporters the background of an action or policy |
- |
|---|
| backgrounding
|
(noun) the execution of low priority programs while higher priority programs are not using the processing system |
Synonyms:
background processing |
|---|
| backhand
|
(noun) a return made with the back of the hand facing the direction of the stroke |
Synonyms:
backhand shot,
backhand stroke |
|---|
| backhander
|
(noun) a backhanded blow |
- |
|---|
| backhoe
|
(noun) an excavator whose shovel bucket is attached to a hinged boom and is drawn backward to move earth |
- |
|---|
| backing
|
(noun) the act of providing approval and support |
Synonyms:
patronage,
championship,
backup |
|---|
| (noun) something forming a back that is added for strengthening |
Synonyms:
mount |
| (noun) financial resources provided to make some project possible |
Synonyms:
support,
funding,
financial backing,
financial support |
| backlash
|
(noun) a movement back from an impact |
Synonyms:
repercussion,
rebound,
recoil |
|---|
| (noun) an adverse reaction to some political or social occurrence |
- |
| backlighting
|
(noun) lighting from behind |
- |
|---|
| backlog
|
(noun) an accumulation of jobs not done or materials not processed that are yet to be dealt with (especially unfilled customer orders for products or services) |
- |
|---|
| (noun) the large log at the back of a hearth fire |
- |
| (noun) something kept back or saved for future use or a special purpose |
Synonyms:
reserve,
stockpile |
| backpack
|
(noun) a bag carried by a strap on your back or shoulder |
Synonyms:
rucksack,
haversack,
packsack,
knapsack,
back pack |
|---|
| backpacker
|
(noun) a hiker who wears a backpack |
Synonyms:
packer |
|---|
| backpacking
|
(noun) carrying something in a pack on the back |
Synonyms:
packing |
|---|
| backplate
|
(noun) plate armor protecting the back; worn as part of a cuirass |
- |
|---|
| backrest
|
(noun) a support that you can lean against while sitting |
Synonyms:
back |
|---|
| backroom
|
(noun) the meeting place of a group of leaders who make their decisions via private negotiations |
- |
|---|
| backsaw
|
(noun) a handsaw that is stiffened by metal reinforcement along the upper edge |
Synonyms:
back saw |
|---|
| backscratcher
|
(noun) someone who is willing to trade favors or services for mutual advantage |
- |
|---|
| (noun) a long-handled scratcher for scratching your back |
- |
| backseat
|
(noun) a secondary or inferior position or status |
- |
|---|
| (noun) a seat at the back of a vehicle (especially the seat at the back of an automobile) |
- |
| backsheesh
|
(noun) a relatively small amount of money given for services rendered (as by a waiter) |
Synonyms:
tip,
pourboire,
gratuity,
baksheesh,
bakshis,
bakshish |
|---|
| backside
|
(noun) the side of an object that is opposite its front |
Synonyms:
rear,
back end |
|---|
| (noun) the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on |
Synonyms:
rear,
seat,
bottom,
ass,
fundament,
stern,
can,
butt,
tail,
rear end,
rump,
nates,
hind end,
hindquarters,
derriere,
posterior,
prat,
keister,
arse,
behind,
bum,
buns,
buttocks,
fanny,
tail end,
tooshie,
tush |
| backslapper
|
(noun) someone who demonstrates enthusiastic or excessive cordiality |
- |
|---|
| backslider
|
(noun) someone who lapses into previous undesirable patterns of behavior |
Synonyms:
recidivist,
reversionist |
|---|
| backsliding
|
(noun) a failure to maintain a higher state |
Synonyms:
relapse,
relapsing,
reversion,
reverting,
lapse,
lapsing |
|---|
| backspace
|
(noun) the typewriter key used for back spacing |
Synonyms:
backspace key,
backspacer |
|---|
| backspacer
|
(noun) the typewriter key used for back spacing |
Synonyms:
backspace,
backspace key |
|---|
| backspin
|
(noun) spin (usually of a moving ball) that retards or reverses the forward motion |
- |
|---|
| backstage
|
(noun) a stage area out of sight of the audience |
Synonyms:
wing,
offstage |
|---|
| backstairs
|
(noun) a second staircase at the rear of a building |
- |
|---|
| backstay
|
(noun) a stay that supports the back of something |
- |
|---|
| backstitch
|
(noun) an overlapping stitch made by starting the next stitch at the middle of the preceding one |
- |
|---|
| backstop
|
(noun) (baseball) the person who plays the position of catcher |
Synonyms:
catcher |
|---|
| (noun) (baseball) a fence or screen (as behind home plate) to prevent the ball from traveling out of the playing field |
- |
| (noun) a precaution in case of an emergency |
- |
| backstroke
|
(noun) a swimming stroke that resembles the crawl except the swimmer lies on his or her back |
- |
|---|
| backstroker
|
(noun) someone who swims the backstroke |
- |
|---|
| backswimmer
|
(noun) predaceous aquatic insect that swims on its back and may inflict painful bites |
Synonyms:
Notonecta undulata |
|---|
| backsword
|
(noun) a stick used instead of a sword for fencing |
Synonyms:
singlestick,
fencing stick |
|---|
| (noun) a sword with only one cutting edge |
- |
| backtalk
|
(noun) an impudent or insolent rejoinder |
Synonyms:
mouth,
lip,
sass,
sassing,
back talk |
|---|
| backup
|
(noun) an accumulation caused by clogging or a stoppage |
- |
|---|
| (noun) someone who takes the place of another (as when things get dangerous or difficult) |
Synonyms:
relief,
substitute,
reliever,
stand-in,
backup man,
fill-in |
| (noun) a musical part (vocal or instrumental) that supports or provides background for other musical parts |
Synonyms:
support,
accompaniment,
musical accompaniment |
| (noun) (computer science) a copy of a file or directory on a separate storage device |
Synonyms:
computer backup |
| (noun) the act of providing approval and support |
Synonyms:
patronage,
championship,
backing |