English dictionary — definitions & meanings

bemud

verb

To cover, bespatter, or befoul with mud.

bemuse

verb

To confuse or bewilder.

bemusement

noun

The state of being bemused.

ben

noun

A mountain or high peak, especially in Scotland or Ireland.

Benadryl

noun

A brand-name antihistamine used to relieve allergy symptoms or as a sedative.

bench

noun

A long seat for more than one person, found in parks, courts, or changing rooms.

benched

adjective

Fitted with a bench or benches.

benchmark

noun

A standard used to judge or measure something.

bend

verb

To force something into a curved or angled shape.

bendable

adj

Able to be bent or flexed or twisted without breaking.

bended

adjective

Bent; used chiefly in the fixed phrase "on bended knee."

bendejo

noun

A common misspelling of the Spanish pendejo, an insult meaning idiot, fool or arsehole. Literally it means a pubic hair.

bender

noun

A prolonged period of heavy drinking.

bending

noun

The action of curving or forcing something out of a straight line.

Bendix

name

A surname of German origin, also known as an American manufacturing company brand.

bends

noun

Informal name for decompression sickness, caused by surfacing too quickly from deep water.

bendsome

adj

Marked by bending or flexibility; flexible; pliable.

bendy

adjective

Easy to bend; flexible.

bene

noun

A prayer or humble request, especially one addressed to God (archaic).

beneath

preposition

Directly under or below something.

benedict

noun

A man who has recently married, especially one who was long seen as a confirmed bachelor.

benediction

noun

A short invocation for help, blessing and guidance from God, said on behalf of another person or persons (sometimes at the end of a church worship service).

benefaction

noun

An act of doing good; a benefit, a blessing.

benefactive

adj

Of or pertaining to the linguistic form or case or the semantic role of the beneficiary of an action. Expressed in English as "on behalf of", "in behalf of", "on one's behalf", or similar.

benefactor

noun

A person who gives money or other help, often to a cause, charity, or institution.

benefice

noun

Land granted to a priest in a church that has a source of income attached to it.

beneficence

noun

The practice of doing good, such as acts of philanthropy, kind deeds; or other acts which benefit someone else.

beneficent

adj

Given to acts that are kind, charitable, philanthropic or beneficial.

beneficial

adjective

Producing good results; helpful.

beneficiary

noun

A person who receives an advantage or gain from something.

benefit

noun

An advantage, gain, or help that comes from something.

benefits

noun

public assistance; welfare.

benelux

name

An economic and customs union made up of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

benevolence

noun

A kind and generous disposition; the wish to do good for others.

benevolent

adjective

Kind, generous, and wishing to do good for others.

Bengal

name

A historical and cultural region in South Asia, now split between the country of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal.

Bengali

name

The language spoken in Bangladesh and in the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura, and Assam.

Benghazi

name

A major port city in eastern Libya.

Beni

name

A department (administrative region) in northeastern Bolivia.

Benidorm

name

A coastal city in the Alicante province of Spain, known for its high-rise skyline and beach tourism.

benighted

adj

Overtaken by night; especially of a traveller, etc.: caught out by oncoming night before reaching one's destination.

benightedness

noun

The quality of being benighted.

benign

adjective

Kind, gentle, and well-meaning.

benignant

adj

Kind; gracious; favorable.

benim

verb

To take away; rob; deprive; ravish

Benin

name

A country in West Africa, formerly known as Dahomey until 1975.

Benitez

name

A surname of Spanish origin.

Benito

name

A male given name from Spanish and Italian, equivalent to the English name Benedict.

benjamin

name

A male given name of Hebrew biblical origin, borne by the youngest son of Jacob in the Old Testament.

Benji

name

An informal short form of the name Benjamin.

Benjie

name

An informal short form of the name Benjamin.

Benjy

name

An informal short form of the name Benjamin.

Bennet

name

A surname, a less common spelling of Bennett, ultimately from the given name Benedict.

Bennett

name

An English surname originally derived from a medieval form of the given name Benedict.

Bennie

name

An informal short form of Benjamin, or of the female names Bernice or Bernadette.

Benning

name

A surname of English origin.

benny

noun

Slang for a tablet of amphetamine, historically Benzedrine.

Benoit

name

A French male given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Benedict.

benothing

verb

To reduce to nothing; annihilate.

Benson

name

An English surname, either a habitational name from a place in Oxfordshire or a patronymic meaning "son of Benedict."

bent

adjective

Curved, folded, or twisted out of its original straight shape.

benthon

noun

The habitat at the bottom of a body of water.

Bentley

name

An English surname, originally referring to someone from a place called Bentley.

bento

noun

A Japanese-style boxed meal, typically packed with rice, protein, and vegetables arranged neatly in separate compartments.

Benton

name

An English surname, and the name of numerous towns across the United States.

benumb

verb

To make numb, as by cold or anesthetic.

benumbed

adj

Lacking sensation; numb.

Benz

noun

Informal shorthand for a Mercedes-Benz car.

benzene

noun

A colorless, flammable liquid hydrocarbon with the formula C6H6, made of a ring of six carbon atoms, widely used in industry as a solvent and raw material.

benzine

noun

any flammable petroleum distillate used as a solvent or fuel

benzo

adj

Of a ring compound, especially a heterocycle, which also has a fused benzene ring.

benzol

noun

An impure benzene (mixed with toluene etc), used in the arts as a solvent, and for various other purposes.

Beowulf

name

An epic Old English poem, composed roughly between 975 and 1025 AD, about a hero who battles the monster Grendel.

beplaster

verb

To plaster over; to cover or smear thickly; to bedaub (with something).

bepommel

verb

To pommel; to beat, as with a stick.

bepraise

verb

To praise greatly or extravagantly.

bequeath

verb

To leave property or money to someone through a will.

bequest

noun

Property or money left to someone in a will.

ber

noun

The Indian jujube, a fruit-bearing tree native to South Asia, also known by its scientific name Ziziphus mauritiana.

berate

verb

To scold someone harshly and at length.

beray

verb

To make foul; befoul; soil.

Berber

noun

A member of the indigenous peoples of North Africa, or their group of related languages.

berceuse

noun

A composition that resembles a lullaby, often in 6/8 time.

bereave

verb

To deprive by or as if by violence; to rob; to strip.

bereaved

adj

Left grieving after the death of someone close to you.

bereavement

noun

The experience of losing a close family member or friend to death, and the grief that follows.

bereft

adj

Left in a state of grief or emptiness after a painful loss.

Berenice

name

A feminine given name of Greek origin, meaning "bringer of victory", borne by several ancient queens.

Berenson

name

A surname of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, notably borne by art historian Bernard Berenson.

Beresford

name

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "ford by the barley field".

beret

noun

A soft, round, flat cap with no brim, often associated with French style or worn as a military uniform piece.

Beretta

noun

A firearm, especially a handgun, made by the Italian Beretta company.

berg

noun

A large floating mass of ice broken off from a glacier; short for iceberg.

bergen

noun

A large framed rucksack, historically used by the military, worn on the back for carrying heavy gear.

Berger

name

A surname of German and French origin, historically an occupational name for a shepherd or a mountain dweller.

Bergerac

name

A town in southwestern France, also the surname of the historical figure Cyrano de Bergerac.

Bergman

name

A surname of Swedish and Jewish origin, meaning "mountain man", notably borne by actress Ingrid Bergman and director Ingmar Bergman.

Bering

verb

To surround or fasten something with a ring-shaped band, such as a shackle.

Berk

noun

A foolish or silly person (mild British slang).

Berkeley

name

An English surname and place name, also a city in California, home to the University of California, Berkeley.

Berkowitz

name

A Jewish surname of Eastern European origin, meaning "son of Berko".

Berkshire

noun

A breed of black pig with pink markings, originally bred in Berkshire, England, prized for its flavorful meat.

berlin

noun

A four-wheeled covered carriage with a separate seat at the rear, popular in the 17th and 18th centuries.

berline

noun

A sedan-type (saloon-type) car.

berliner

noun

A native or inhabitant of Berlin.

Berlusconi

name

An Italian surname, notably borne by media magnate and former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.

berm

noun

A raised bank or narrow ledge of earth, often used as a barrier, boundary, or to separate different levels of ground.

Berman

name

A Jewish surname of Eastern European origin, meaning "bear man".

Bermuda

noun

A pale, slightly blue-tinted shade of green, named after the islands.

bermudas

noun

Ellipsis of Bermuda shorts.

bermudian

adj

Of, from, or pertaining to Bermuda, or the Bermudian people.

Bern

name

The capital city of Switzerland, located on the Aare River.

Bernadette

name

A feminine given name of French and Germanic origin, meaning "brave as a bear", associated with Saint Bernadette of Lourdes.

Bernard

noun

Informal shortened form of "Saint Bernard," the large mountain rescue dog breed.

bernarda

name

A female given name of rare usage, masculine equivalent Bernard.

Bernays

name

A surname notably borne by Edward Bernays, considered a founder of modern public relations.

Bernd

noun

Internet slang from German-language forums and imageboards: a stereotypical anonymous poster, used the way "anon" is used in English.

berner

noun

A supporter of Bernie Sanders.

Bernhard

name

A German, Dutch, and Scandinavian surname derived from an old Germanic name meaning "brave as a bear."

Bernhardt

name

A German surname, a variant of Bernhard.

Bernice

name

A feminine given name of Ancient Greek origin, the biblical form of Berenice.

Bernie

noun

Informal nickname for the Bernese mountain dog breed.

Bernini

name

An Italian surname, notably borne by the Baroque sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

Bernstein

name

A German or Yiddish surname, also an English rendering of the Russian surname Bernshtein.

berry

noun

A small, juicy, often sweet fruit that grows on a bush or vine, such as a blueberry or strawberry.

berserk

adj

Out of control with rage or excitement; wildly violent or frenzied.

berserker

noun

A legendary Norse warrior said to fight in an uncontrollable, trance-like fury.

Bert

name

A masculine given name, usually a short form of names like Albert, Robert, or Herbert, also used on its own.

Berta

noun

A member of the Berta people, an ethnic group native to the border region between Ethiopia and Sudan.

berth

noun

A space where a ship can dock, moor, or anchor safely.

bertha

noun

A wide, flat lace or fabric collar that drapes over the shoulders of a dress.

berthe

noun

A decorative trim or collar added around the neckline of a dress.

Berthier

name

A French surname.

berthing

noun

The planking outside of a vessel, above the sheer strake.

Bertie

noun

A pet form of the names Bertram, Albert, or any name ending in "-bert."

Bertram

noun

A male given name of Germanic origin.

Bertrand

noun

A male given name of French origin.

beryl

noun

A hard mineral, sometimes cut as a gemstone, that occurs in varieties such as emerald and aquamarine.

beryllium

noun

The chemical element (symbol Be) with an atomic number of 4; a soft silvery-white low density alkaline earth metal with specialist industrial applications.

bes

noun

A small bronze coin used in the ancient Roman Republic, worth two-thirds of an as.

beseech

verb

To beg someone urgently and earnestly for something.

beseem

verb

Generally with a qualifying word such as ill or well: to appear, look, or seem (a certain way for someone or something).

beset

verb

To trouble or threaten from many directions at once, especially with difficulties or dangers.

beshield

verb

To shield around or about; protect; defend.

beshine

verb

To shine around or upon.

beside

prep

Next to; at the side of.

besides

prep

In addition to; apart from.

besiege

verb

To beset or surround with armed forces for the purpose of compelling to surrender, to lay siege to, beleaguer.

besiegement

noun

The act of besieging.

besmall

verb

To make small; (figurative) to make as though small.