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      bat bats, batting, batted

      NOUN 1 a specially shaped piece of wood with a handle, used for hitting a ball in games such as table tennis or cricket

      2 a small animal like a mouse with leathery wings. Bats fly at night and sleep hanging upside down.

      VERB 3 If you are batting in cricket, baseball or rounders, it is your turn to hit the ball.

      batch batches

      NOUN A batch of things is a group of things that are all the same or are being dealt with at the same time. • They delivered the first batch of books at the start of term.

      bath baths

      NOUN a long container that you fill with water and sit in to wash yourself

      bathe bathes, bathing, bathed

      VERB When you bathe in a sea, river or lake, you swim or play there.

      bathroom bathrooms

      NOUN a room with a bath or shower, a washbasin and often a toilet in it

      baton batons

      NOUN 1 a light, thin stick that a conductor uses to direct an orchestra or choir

      2 a short stick passed from one runner to another at the changeover in a relay race

      battalion battalions

      NOUN an army unit consisting of three or more companies

      batter batters, battering, battered

      NOUN 1 a mixture of flour, eggs and milk, used to make pancakes, or to coat food before frying it

      VERB 2 When someone or something batters someone or something, they hit them many times. • The waves battered the sides of the ship.

      battery batteries

      NOUN a device for storing energy and producing electricity, for example in a torch or a car

      battle battles

      NOUN a fight between armed forces, or a struggle between two people or groups with different aims

      battlefield battlefields

      NOUN a place where a battle has been fought or is being fought

      battlements

      PLURAL NOUN the top part of a castle where there are openings through which arrows or guns could be fired

      battleship battleships

      NOUN a large fighting ship carrying powerful guns

      bawl bawls, bawling, bawled

      VERB If someone bawls, they shout or cry loudly.

      bay bays, baying, bayed

      NOUN 1 part of the coastline where the land curves

      2 a space or an area used for a particular purpose • a loading bay

      3 a tree with dark green leaves. The leaves are used for flavouring food.

      VERB 4 When a dog or a wolf bays, it makes a deep, howling sound.

      PHRASE 5 If you keep something at bay, you stop it hurting you. • Try eating an orange to keep a cold at bay.

      bayonet bayonets

      NOUN a sharp blade that can be fixed to the end of a rifle

      bazaar bazaars

      NOUN 1 an area with many small shops and stalls, especially in Eastern countries

      2 a sale to raise money for charity • a Christmas bazaar

      [from Persian bazar meaning market]

      BC

      ADJECTIVE You use BC to show the dates before the birth of Jesus Christ. It is an abbreviation for before Christ.

be am, is, are; being; was, were; been

      VERB 1 You can use be with the present participle of other verbs. • Look! I am riding on my own!

      2 You can also use be to say that something will happen. • I will be nine in November.

      3 You use be to say more about something or somebody. • His name is Tom.

      beach beaches

      NOUN an area of sand or pebbles beside the sea

      beacon beacons

      NOUN In the past, a beacon was a light or fire on a hill, which acted as a signal or warning.

      bead beads

      NOUN 1 a small, shaped piece of glass, stone or wood with a hole through the middle. Beads are strung together with others to make necklaces or bracelets.

      2 a drop of liquid • beads of perspiration

      beak beaks

      NOUN the hard part of a bird’s mouth that sticks out. It is used for pecking up food and for carrying things such as twigs.

      beam beams, beaming, beamed

      NOUN 1 a long, thick bar of wood or metal, especially one that supports a roof

      2 a band of light that shines from something such as a torch or the sun

      VERB 3 If you beam, you smile broadly.

      bean beans

      NOUN the seed or pod of a plant, eaten as a vegetable or used for other purposes • runner beans • coffee beans • soya beans

      bear bears, bearing, bore, borne

      NOUN 1 a large, strong, wild mammal with thick fur and sharp claws • polar bear • grizzly bear

      VERB 2 If someone or something bears something, they carry it or support its weight. • The ice wasn’t thick enough to bear their weight.

      3 If something bears a mark or typical feature, it has it. • The room bore all the signs of a violent struggle.

      4 If you bear something difficult, you accept it and are able to deal with it. • The loneliness was hard to bear.

      beard beards

      NOUN the hair that grows on the lower part of a man’s face

      beast beasts

      NOUN 1 an old-fashioned word for a large, wild animal

      2 INFORMAL If you call someone a beast, you mean that they are cruel or spiteful.

      beat beats, beating, beat, beaten

      VERB 1 If someone or something beats someone or something else, they hit them hard and repeatedly. • The rain was beating against the window.

      2 If you beat someone in a race or game, you defeat them or do better than them.

      3 When your heart beats, it pumps blood with a regular rhythm.

      NOUN 4 the main rhythm of a piece of music or poetry

      beautiful

      ADJECTIVE very attractive or pleasing