English dictionary — definitions & meanings

bicep

noun

Informal singular form of "biceps," the muscle at the front of the upper arm.

biceps

noun

The large muscle on the front of the upper arm that bends the elbow.

bicipital

adj

Of or pertaining to a biceps.

bicker

verb

To argue repeatedly over small, unimportant things.

bickering

noun

Repeated petty arguing.

bicuspid

adj

Having two points or prominences; ending in two points; said of teeth, leaves, fruit, etc.

bicycle

noun

A two-wheeled vehicle steered with handlebars and powered by pedaling.

bicycling

noun

The act of riding a bicycle.

BID

verb

To offer a specific amount of money for something, especially at an auction.

biddable

adj

Docile, amenable or compliant.

bidder

noun

A person who offers a price, especially at an auction.

bidding

noun

A command or instruction someone has been given.

Biddle

name

An English surname.

biddy

noun

An informal, often unkind term for an older woman seen as fussy or gossipy.

bide

verb

To wait patiently for the right moment.

Biden

name

An English surname, notably borne by Joe Biden, the 46th president of the United States.

bidet

noun

A low bathroom fixture used for washing the genital and anal area after using the toilet.

biding

noun

The act of waiting or a place of dwelling, an older or literary usage.

Bieber

name

A German or Jewish surname, notably borne by the singer Justin Bieber.

bield

noun

Boldness, courage; confidence; a feeling of security, assurance.

Bien

name

A surname.

biennial

adjective

Happening once every two years.

bier

noun

A stand or frame used to carry a coffin or a dead body.

biff

noun

A sharp punch or blow, used informally.

bifurcate

verb

To divide or fork into two channels or branches.

bifurcation

noun

The splitting of something into two branches or parts, or the point at which that split happens.

big

adj

Large in size, amount, or extent.

bigamous

adj

involving bigamy

bigamy

noun

The crime or state of being married to two people at the same time.

Bigelow

name

An English surname, and several small towns in the United States named after it.

bigender

adjective

Having a gender identity that encompasses two genders, either at the same time or shifting between them at different times.

Bigfoot

name

A legendary large, hairy, ape-like creature said to roam the forests of North America, especially the Pacific Northwest.

bigger

adj

Comparative form of "big"; larger in size or degree.

biggest

adj

Superlative form of "big"; largest of all in a group.

Biggs

name

An English surname, and a city in Butte County, California.

bigha

noun

A measure of land in India, varying from a third of an acre to an acre.

bighearted

adj

Noble, kind and generous.

bighorn

noun

A North American wild sheep known for its large, curving horns.

bigmouth

noun

Someone who talks too much or blurts out things that should have been kept private.

bigness

noun

The characteristic of being big.

bigot

noun

Someone who clings stubbornly to their own views and won't tolerate people of a different race, religion, gender, or opinion.

bigoted

adj

Showing the intolerant, closed-minded attitude of a bigot; quick to judge others unfairly.

bigotness

noun

The state, quality, or condition of a bigot; bigotry.

bigotry

noun

Intolerant, narrow-minded prejudice, especially over race, religion, or politics.

bigtime

adj

Important, prominent, or operating on a large scale.

bigwig

noun

An important or influential person within an organization.

Bihar

name

A state in eastern India, whose capital and largest city is Patna.

Bihari

adj

Relating to the Indian state of Bihar or its people.

bijou

noun

A small, delicate piece of jewelry or a trinket.

bike

noun

A bicycle or, informally, a motorcycle.

biker

noun

Someone whose life revolves around motorcycles, sometimes as part of a motorcycle club.

biking

noun

The activity or sport of riding a bicycle or motorcycle.

bikini

noun

A minimal two-piece swimsuit that leaves the midriff bare.

Bilal

name

A male given name of Arabic origin.

bilateral

adj

Involving two sides or two parties equally.

Bilbao

name

The largest city in Spain's Basque Country and the capital of Biscay province.

Bilbo

noun

A finely tempered, flexible sword originally made in Bilbao, Spain.

bile

noun

A bitter yellowish-green fluid made by the liver and released into the intestine to help digest fat.

bilge

noun

The lowest part of a ship's hull, where water collects.

bilgewater

noun

Water which collects in the bilges of a ship.

bilingual

adj

Able to speak two languages fluently.

bilious

adj

Of or pertaining to something containing or consisting of bile.

biliousness

noun

The state of being bilious.

bilk

noun

The spoiling of someone's score in the crib.

bill

noun

A request for payment, listing what is owed for goods or services.

billable

adj

Capable of being billed for.

billboard

noun

A large outdoor sign used to display advertising.

billed

adj

Having a particular kind of bill or beak.

billet

noun

Temporary lodging assigned to a soldier or, more generally, a guest staying with a private family.

billfish

noun

Any of several fish, of the families Istiophoridae and Xiphiidae, that have an elongated jaw.

billfold

noun

A small, folding sleeve or case designed to hold paper currency, as well as credit cards, pictures, etc.

billiard

adj

Relating to the game of billiards.

billiards

noun

A cue sport played on a table with balls that are struck to score points, in various forms such as pool and snooker.

Billie

name

A given name, often a diminutive of William or Belinda.

billing

noun

The process of invoicing customers for money owed, or the department that handles it.

Billings

name

An English surname, and the largest city in Montana, its county seat.

Billingsley

name

An English surname, and a town in Autauga County, Alabama.

billion

num

A thousand million: 1,000,000,000 (10⁹), the standard modern meaning.

billionaire

noun

A person whose net worth is a billion or more in some currency.

Billions

noun

The plural of billion, referring to very large quantities in the thousand-millions.

billon

noun

Any of several alloys of precious metals and base metals that are used (where legal) to make coins, medals etc.

billow

noun

A large wave, swell, surge, or undulating mass of something, such as water, smoke, fabric or sound.

billowing

noun

The act of something that billows; a billow.

Bills

noun

Plural of bill: multiple invoices, pieces of paper currency, or proposed laws.

billy

noun

An adult male goat.

Biloxi

name

A city on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, and one of the two county seats of Harrison County.

bim

noun

Informal term for a person from Barbados.

bimbo

noun

A disparaging term for an attractive but unintelligent person, usually a woman.

bimonthly

adjective

Happening once every two months.

bin

noun

A container used to hold or throw away items.

binary

adj

Based on just two options, states, or values.

bind

verb

To tie, fasten, or hold something together tightly, using rope, cord, a band, or similar.

binder

noun

A cover or folder used to hold loose sheets of paper together.

binding

adj

Legally or officially required to be followed; not optional.

bindle

noun

A length of cord, rope, twine, etc, used to bind something.

Binford

name

An English surname, and a town in North Dakota.

bing

noun

A pile or heap, especially of waste rock or ore from mining.

binge

noun

A short spell of doing something, especially eating, drinking, or watching something, to excess.

binge-watch

verb

To watch many episodes of a television series one after another, usually in a single sitting or over a very short period.

Bingham

name

An English surname, from a town of the same name in Nottinghamshire, England.

bingle

noun

A minor collision, especially between motor vehicles.

Bingley

name

A market town in West Yorkshire, England, and the surname derived from it.

bingo

noun

A game in which players mark off numbers on a card as they are called out, winning by completing a line or the whole card.

bink

noun

(chiefly dialectal) A bench, shelf, or similar flat surface for sitting or setting things on.

binky

noun

(informal) A young child's favourite soft toy, blanket, or comfort object.

binned

adj

Placed in a bin (of various kinds).

binoculars

noun

A handheld optical instrument with lenses for each eye, used to magnify distant objects.

bins

noun

(informal, plural) Binoculars.

bio

noun

(informal) A short written account of a person's life or background, especially online.

biocatalyst

noun

A biochemical catalyst, such as an enzyme (either a protein enzyme or a ribozyme) or a biomolecular condensate that has biocatalytic ability.

biochemical

adj

Relating to biochemistry, or to chemical processes that occur inside living organisms.

biochemically

adv

With reference to biochemistry.

biochemist

noun

A scientist who specialises in biochemistry.

biochemistry

noun

The branch of science dealing with the chemical processes and substances that occur within living organisms.

biodegradable

adj

Capable of breaking down naturally through the action of bacteria or other living organisms.

biodiversity

noun

The variety of plant and animal life found in a particular habitat or across the planet.

biofilm

noun

A structured community of microorganisms, such as bacteria, that adhere to a surface and are embedded in a self-produced protective matrix of mucuslike extracellular material.

biographer

noun

Someone who writes an account of another person's life.

biography

noun

A written account of a person's life, usually published as a book.

biohazard

noun

A biological substance, such as bacteria, a virus, or human waste, that poses a risk to health.

biologic

adj

Biological; pertaining to biology or to a living organism.

biological

adj

Relating to biology or to living organisms and their processes.

biologically

adv

In a way that relates to biology or to the natural functioning of living organisms.

biologist

noun

A scientist who studies living organisms.

biology

noun

The scientific study of living organisms and life processes.

biome

noun

Any major regional biological community such as that of forest or desert.

biometric

adj

Relating to the measurement and analysis of unique physical or behavioural traits, used especially for identification.

biometrics

noun

The automated measurement and use of a person's physical or behavioural traits — such as fingerprints, iris patterns, or facial structure — to identify them.

bion

noun

The smallest microscopic unit of orgone.

bionic

adj

Having body parts enhanced or replaced with electronic or mechanical components.

biopsy

noun

A medical procedure in which a small sample of tissue is removed from the body to be examined for disease.

biopsychosocial

adj

Having biological, psychological and social characteristics.

BIOS

noun

The low-level software stored on a chip on a computer's motherboard that runs the moment the machine is switched on, checks the hardware and then hands control to the operating system.

bioscience

noun

Any of several sciences that deal with living organisms

biosphere

noun

The zone of the Earth's surface, water, and atmosphere where life exists.

biospheric

adj

Of or relating to the biosphere or to biospherics

biotech

noun

Biotechnology, the use of living organisms or biological processes to develop products, especially in medicine and agriculture.

biotechnology

noun

The use of living organisms (especially microorganisms) in industrial, agricultural, medical and other technological applications.

biotic

adjective

Relating to living organisms, or caused by them.

bip

verb

To make a short, sharp beeping or blipping noise.

bipartisan

adjective

Supported by or made up of members of two political parties, especially ones that normally oppose each other.

bipartite

adj

Having two parts (two principal or main parts).

bipoc

phrase

Alternative letter-case form of BIPOC.

bipod

noun

A two-legged stand or organism.

bipolar

adj

Relating to or affected by bipolar disorder, a mental health condition marked by extreme swings between depressive lows and manic highs.

birch

noun

A tree with thin, often pale, peeling bark, common across the Northern Hemisphere.

bird

noun

A warm-blooded egg-laying animal with feathers, wings, and a beak.

birdbrain

noun

(informal) A silly or foolish person.

birdbrained

adj

Silly and frivolous; empty-headed.

birdcage

noun

A cage designed to hold a pet or captive bird.