English dictionary — definitions & meanings

banded

adj

Marked with stripes or bands of color.

banding

noun

A pattern of band-like markings.

bandini

noun

A swimsuit consisting of a generally strapless bandeau top and a bikini bottom.

bandit

noun

An armed robber, especially one operating with a gang in a remote or lawless area.

bandito

noun

A bandit, particularly of the type associated with Mexico.

bandleader

noun

A musician who conducts or leads a band of musicians.

bando

noun

A traditional Welsh stick-and-ball team sport related to hockey and shinty.

bandoneon

noun

A small Latin American accordion played with buttons which is frequently used in tango ensembles.

Bandra

name

A coastal suburb of Mumbai, India.

bandstand

noun

A roofed, open-sided platform built for a band to perform on, usually outdoors in a park.

bandwagon

noun

A popular trend or cause that people join simply because it is already popular.

bandwidth

noun

The range of frequencies a signal or channel can carry, often used to describe internet or network speed.

bandy

verb

To pass something back and forth between people, especially words, rumors, or ideas.

bane

noun

A person or thing that causes constant trouble or ruin.

baneful

adj

Poisonous, deadly.

Banerjee

name

A Bengali surname.

bang

noun

A sudden loud noise, such as an explosion or a hard impact.

bangali

noun

A North Indian caste distinct from the ethnic Bengalis.

Bangalore

verb

To outsource a job or business function to India, particularly to the tech hub of Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore).

bangarang

noun

A commotion.

banged

adj

Wearing a hairstyle with bangs — a fringe cut straight across the forehead.

banger

noun

A thing or person which bangs, in any sense.

banging

adj

Informal British slang for excellent or highly enjoyable, often describing music or food.

Bangkok

name

The capital city of Thailand.

Bangladesh

name

A country in South Asia, bordered mostly by India, with its capital at Dhaka.

bangle

noun

A rigid, usually round bracelet worn on the wrist or ankle, typically without a clasp.

Bangor

name

A city in Gwynedd, Wales, and another in County Down, Northern Ireland, both giving their name to towns elsewhere, including in Maine.

bangs

noun

Bang's disease, a bacterial infection (brucellosis) that mainly affects cattle and can spread to humans.

bangtail

noun

The tail of a horse or cow, allowed to grow out and then trimmed horizontally so as to form a tassel; a horse or cow having such a tail.

banian

noun

Archaic spelling of banyan.

banish

verb

To officially force someone to leave a place, usually as punishment, and forbid their return.

banished

adj

Forced to leave and forbidden from returning; exiled.

banishment

noun

The act of forcing someone to leave a place, or the state of being exiled.

banister

noun

The handrail running along the side of a staircase, or one of the upright posts supporting it.

banjaxed

adj

Broken, ruined, shattered; confounded.

banjo

noun

A stringed instrument with a round, drum-like body and a long fretted neck, played by plucking or strumming.

banjolin

noun

A musical instrument, most often with four strings, resembling a small banjo but tuned like a mandolin.

bank

noun

A financial institution that holds deposits, lends money, and manages other financial services.

banked

adj

Piled up steeply, or (of a track or road) built with a slope for turning at speed.

banker

noun

A person who works in or manages a bank, especially in a senior or professional capacity.

bankerage

noun

A brokerage institution that also offers banking services.

banking

noun

The business or industry of running banks and providing financial services.

bankroll

noun

The total money a person or organization has available to spend.

bankrupt

adj

Legally unable to pay one's debts.

bankruptcy

noun

The legally recognized state of being unable to pay one's debts.

banku

noun

A Ghanaian dish made from a fermented corn and cassava dough, steamed into a soft paste.

banned

adj

Officially forbidden or prohibited.

banner

noun

A long strip of fabric or sign, often bearing a message, slogan, or emblem.

bannerman

noun

A person, especially a soldier, responsible for carrying a flag or standard.

banning

noun

The act of officially prohibiting something.

Bannister

name

A surname originally denoting a maker of baskets, notably borne by runner Roger Bannister.

Bannon

name

A surname of Irish origin.

banns

noun

The announcement of a forthcoming marriage (legally required for a church wedding in England and Wales and read on the three Sundays preceding the marriage).

banquet

noun

A large, formal meal held to celebrate a special occasion.

banqueting

noun

The act of holding or participating in a banquet.

banquette

noun

A narrow area behind a defensive wall's parapet elevated above its terreplein and used by defenders to shoot at attackers.

Banquo

name

A character in Shakespeare's play Macbeth, based on a semi-legendary Scottish nobleman.

banshee

noun

In Irish folklore, a female spirit whose mournful wailing is said to warn a household that a death is coming.

banshie

noun

Archaic spelling of banshee.

Banta

name

A surname.

banter

noun

Light, good-humoured teasing conversation exchanged between people who know each other well.

bantling

noun

An infant or young child.

Banu

name

A surname found in South Asian, Bengali, and Romanian traditions, in the first case ultimately from a Persian word for "lady".

banyan

noun

A large Indian fig tree (Ficus benghalensis) whose branches send down aerial roots that grow into new trunks, letting a single tree spread over a huge area.

banzai

intj

A Japanese cheer or war cry, roughly meaning "long live," shouted to express enthusiasm, celebrate a victory, or (historically) launch an attack.

bao

noun

A soft, steamed Chinese bun, often filled with meat, vegetables, or sweet paste.

bap

noun

A soft, flattish bread roll, a term used mainly in the UK (originally Scotland).

baptise

verb

Non-Oxford British English standard form of baptize.

baptised

adj

Having undergone the Christian rite of baptism.

baptism

noun

A Christian ceremony of initiation in which a person is sprinkled with or immersed in water, symbolically welcoming them into the church.

Baptist

noun

A member of a Protestant denomination that practices baptism of believers old enough to choose it, rather than baptizing infants.

Baptiste

name

A French surname, most common in Haiti, meaning "baptist".

baptize

verb

To perform the Christian rite of baptism on someone, using water to admit them into the church.

baptized

adj

Having undergone the Christian rite of baptism.

bapu

noun

An affectionate term for "father," used in Hindi and several other South Asian languages.

bar

noun

A place that sells alcoholic drinks to be consumed on the premises, or the counter inside it.

bara

noun

A genre of homoerotic art and comics from Japan, made by and for gay men, typically depicting muscular, masculine men.

Barabbas

name

In the New Testament, a prisoner released by Pontius Pilate instead of Jesus at the Passover feast.

barack

noun

A Hungarian brandy distilled from apricots.

baragouin

noun

A pidgin spoken by French and First Nations people in the 17th century in the region of North America now called Montreal.

Barak

name

In the Old Testament, the military commander who led Israel's army under the prophetess Deborah.

Baran

name

A city in Belarus, and a district of Rajasthan, India.

barb

noun

A sharp point angled backward on an arrow, hook, or wire, designed to make it hard to pull out.

barbadoes

name

Archaic spelling of Barbados.

Barbados

name

An island nation in the Caribbean, formerly a British colony.

Barbara

name

A female given name, originally from the Latin word barbarus ("foreign").

barbarian

noun

Historically, someone from outside Greek or Roman civilization, viewed by the Greeks and Romans as uncivilized.

barbaric

adj

Extremely cruel, brutal, or uncivilized.

barbarism

noun

An act of extreme cruelty or savagery.

barbarity

noun

The state of being barbarous; brutality

barbarous

adj

Extremely cruel or savage.

Barbary

name

A historical name for the coastal regions of North Africa, once notorious as a base for pirates.

barbecue

noun

A grill or fireplace used for cooking food, usually outdoors over hot coals or gas flame.

barbecued

adj

Cooked on a barbecue, typically over an open flame or hot coals.

barbed

adj

Fitted with sharp backward-pointing points, like on a fish hook or barbed wire.

barbell

noun

A wide steel bar with premeasured weights counterpoised at either end, with the central span open for the hands of the weightlifter.

barber

noun

A person whose job is cutting hair and trimming beards, usually for male customers.

barbershop

noun

A shop where people go to get their hair cut.

barbie

noun

Informal Australian/British term for a barbecue, either the grill or the event.

Barbosa

name

A surname common in Portuguese-speaking countries, also used as a place name in Brazil and Colombia.

Barbra

name

A feminine given name, a nonstandard spelling of Barbara associated with singer Barbra Streisand.

Barbs

name

A diminutive of the feminine given name Barbara.

Barca

name

A shortened nickname for FC Barcelona, the Spanish football club.

Barcelona

name

The capital city of Catalonia in northeastern Spain, known for its architecture and football club.

Barclay

name

A Scottish surname and given name, derived from a place name meaning "birch wood".

bard

noun

A poet, especially one who composes and performs verse celebrating heroes and great deeds.

Barden

name

An English surname, historically derived from a place name meaning "valley of the boar".

bardo

noun

In Tibetan Buddhism, the transitional state a consciousness passes through between death and rebirth.

bare

adj

Not covered by clothing, decoration, or any other covering; exposed.

bare with me

phrase

A very common misspelling of bear with me, the request meaning 'please be patient with me for a moment'. Written literally, bare with me would be an invitation to undress together, which is why the error is often pointed out.

bareback

adj

Riding a horse without a saddle.

barefaced

adj

Undisguisedly offensive and bold; crude.

barefoot

adj

Not wearing shoes or socks.

barefooted

adj

Wearing nothing on the feet; barefoot.

barely

adv

Only just; by the smallest possible margin.

bareskin

adj

Not wearing clothing; not covered by clothing, hair, feathers, etc.

barf

noun

Vomit.

bargain

noun

An item bought for noticeably less than its usual price; a good deal.

bargainer

noun

A person who makes a bargain.

bargaining

noun

The act of negotiating terms, prices, or an agreement.

bargainous

adj

cheap; constituting a bargain.

barge

noun

A large flat-bottomed boat used to carry heavy goods, typically on rivers or canals.

barghest

noun

A legendary monstrous black dog, said to possess large teeth and claws, and (sometimes) to be capable of changing form.

bargirl

noun

A woman who works as a hostess in a bar, typically in Southeast Asia and catering to male clients, and who may provide personal entertainment or sexual services.

bari

noun

Informal short form of "baritone," referring to the saxophone, singer, or voice type.

baric

adj

Of or pertaining to weight, especially to the weight or pressure of the atmosphere as measured by a barometer.

baring

noun

The act of uncovering or exposing something.

barista

noun

Someone who prepares and serves coffee drinks in a café or coffee shop.

baritone

noun

The male voice between tenor and bass.

barium

noun

A soft, silvery-white metallic chemical element (symbol Ba, atomic number 56).

bark

verb

To make the sharp, loud vocal sound typical of dogs.

barked

verb

Past tense of bark: made a sharp dog-like sound, or spoke sharply.

barkeep

noun

A bartender; someone who runs or works behind a bar.

barkeeper

noun

A bartender; a person preparing and serving drinks at a bar.

barker

noun

A person who loudly calls out to attract customers, especially at a fair, market, or carnival.

barking

noun

The sharp, repeated sound a dog makes.

Barkley

name

An English surname and given name, also a common place name meaning "birch meadow".

Barksdale

name

An English surname derived from a place name.

barley

noun

A cereal grain grown for food, animal feed, and brewing beer and whisky.

barleycorn

noun

A grain of barley.

Barlow

noun

A type of compound lens placed in front of a telescope's eyepiece to increase magnification.

barmaid

noun

A woman who serves drinks behind the counter of a pub or bar.

barman

noun

A man who serves drinks behind the counter of a pub or bar.

barmy

adj

Crazy, foolish, or eccentric.

barn

noun

A large farm building used to store crops, equipment, or house animals.

Barnabas

name

A masculine given name of Aramaic origin, meaning "son of encouragement", borne by a companion of the apostle Paul.

Barnaby

noun

Historical: a brisk, energetic country dance, or by extension any quick, jerky movement.

barnacle

noun

A small marine crustacean that attaches itself permanently to rocks, boat hulls, or other surfaces.

Barnard

name

An English surname, derived from the Germanic given name Bernard, meaning "brave as a bear".

Barnes

name

An English surname, originally denoting someone who lived near a barn or stable.