Collins Primary Illustrated Dictionary. Collins DictionariesЧитать онлайн книгу.
A branch of a business or organization is one of its offices or shops.
VERB 3 A road that branches off from another road splits off from it to lead in a different direction.
brand brands
NOUN a particular kind or make of something
brandy
NOUN a strong, alcoholic drink, often drunk after a meal
[from Dutch brandewijn meaning burnt wine]
brass
NOUN OR ADJECTIVE 1 a yellow-coloured metal made from copper and zinc
2 In an orchestra, the brass section consists of instruments such as trumpets and trombones.
brave braver, bravest; braves, braving, braved
ADJECTIVE 1 A brave person is willing to do dangerous things and does not show any fear.
SYNONYMS: courageous, daring
VERB 2 If you brave an unpleasant or dangerous situation, you face up to it in order to do something. • We braved the snow to go to the party.
[from Italian bravo meaning courageous or wild]
brawl brawls, brawling, brawled
NOUN 1 a rough fight
VERB 2 When people brawl, they take part in a rough fight.
bread
NOUN a very common food made from flour, and baked in an oven
breadth breadths
NOUN the distance between two sides of something • I can swim the breadth of the pool.
See width
break breaks, breaking, broke, broken
VERB 1 When an object breaks, or when you break it, it becomes damaged or separates into pieces.
2 If you break a rule or promise, you fail to keep it.
3 To break a record means to do better than the previous recorded best. • She broke the record for the long jump.
NOUN 4 a short period during which you rest or do something different
break down
VERB When a machine or a vehicle breaks down, it stops working.
break up
VERB When schools break up, the term ends. • We break up on Thursday.
breakable
ADJECTIVE easy to break
breakdown breakdowns
NOUN If there is a breakdown in a system, it stops working.
breakfast breakfasts
NOUN the first meal of the day
breast breasts
NOUN A woman’s breasts are the two soft, fleshy parts on her chest, which produce milk after she has had a baby.
breast-feed breast-feeds, breast-feeding, breast-fed
VERB If a woman breast-feeds her baby, she feeds it with milk from her breasts.
breath breaths
NOUN 1 the air you take into your lungs and let out again when you breathe • He took a deep breath before jumping into the pool.
PHRASE 2 If you are out of breath, you are breathing with difficulty after doing something energetic.
breathe breathes, breathing, breathed
VERB When you breathe, you take air into your lungs and let it out again.
breathless
ADJECTIVE If you are breathless, you are breathing very fast or with difficulty. • I was breathless after running to catch the bus.
breathlessly ADVERB
breathlessness NOUN
breed breeds, breeding, bred
NOUN 1 a particular type of animal. For example, an Alsatian is a breed of dog.
VERB 2 Someone who breeds animals or plants keeps them in order to produce more animals or plants with particular qualities. • He used to breed dogs for the police.
3 When animals breed, they produce young.
SYNONYM: reproduce
breeze breezes
NOUN a gentle wind
breezy ADJECTIVE
brewery breweries
NOUN a place where beer is made, or a company that makes beer
bribe bribes, bribing, bribed
NOUN 1 a gift or money given to an official to persuade them to allow you to do something
VERB 2 If someone bribes someone else, they give them a bribe.
brick bricks
NOUN a rectangular block of baked clay used in building
bride brides
NOUN a woman who is getting married or who has just got married
bridegroom bridegrooms
NOUN a man on or near his wedding day
bridesmaid bridesmaids
NOUN a woman or girl who helps a bride on her wedding day
bridge bridges
NOUN 1 a structure built over a river, road or railway so that vehicles and people can cross
2 a card game for four players
bridle bridles
NOUN a set of straps round a horse’s head and mouth, which the rider uses to control the horse
brief briefer, briefest; briefs, briefing, briefed
ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is brief lasts only a short time. • We only had time for a brief visit.
VERB 2 When you brief someone on a task, you give them all the necessary instructions or information about it.
briefcase briefcases
NOUN a small, flat case for carrying papers
bright brighter, brightest
ADJECTIVE 1 strong and startling • a bright light
SYNONYMS: brilliant, dazzling
2 clever • That’s a bright idea.
SYNONYMS: intelligent, quick
brighten brightens, brightening, brightened
VERB If something brightens, it becomes brighter.
brighten up
VERB If you brighten up something, you make it look brighter and more attractive.
brilliant
ADJECTIVE 1 A brilliant person is extremely clever.
2 INFORMAL Something that is brilliant is extremely good or enjoyable.
3 A brilliant colour or light is extremely bright.
brim brims
NOUN 1 the wide part of a hat that sticks outwards from the head
2 If a container is filled to the brim, it is filled right to the top.
bring brings, bringing, brought
VERB If you bring something or someone with you when you go to a place, you take them with you.
bring up
VERB When someone brings up children, they look after them while they grow up.
brink