All Words Glossary

Glossary of Clothing Terms
beginning with letter B
Browse the Clothing Glossary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 

B Tweet Definition of B Like Definition of B on Facebook
noun 
  1. A personality type of someone who is relaxed and easygoing and able to engage in leisure activities without worrying about work.
  2. The quantity one billion (1,000,000,000), usually used to signify a sum of money, e.g. $2.8 B = $2,800,000,000.
  3. An academic grade, better than a C and worse than an A
abbreviation 
  1. (cricket) the number of balls faced by a batsman
     
babushka Tweet Definition of babushka Like Definition of babushka on Facebook
noun 
  1. A woman"s headscarf, tied under the chin.
     
backstay Tweet Definition of backstay Like Definition of backstay on Facebook
noun 
  1. (nautical) A part of the rigging of a sailing ship extending from masthead the top of the mast to the back of the ship; they support the strain on all upper masts and provide additional support to the shrouds when the wind is abaft the beam.
     
backstitch Tweet Definition of backstitch Like Definition of backstitch on Facebook
noun 
  1. A type of sewing stitch where the stitch goes backwards on the top side of the fabric and doubles forward on the bottom, coming out farther in front, then repeats. The backstitch is a very tight and secure stitch, and also looks very neat.
     
badger Tweet Definition of badger Like Definition of badger on Facebook
noun 
  1. A common name for any animal of three subfamilies, which belong to the family Mustelidae: Melinae (Eurasian badgers), Mellivorinae (Ratel or honey badger), and Taxideinae (American badger).
  2. A native or resident of the State of Wisconsin (US).
  3. (context, plural, vulgar, cant) A crew of desperate villains who robbed near rivers, into which they threw the bodies of those they murdered.
  4. A person who makes badges.
verb (badgers, badgering, badgered)
  1. (context, UK, colloquial) Passing gas.
  2. To pester, to annoy persistently.
He kept badgering her about her bad habits.
     
balaclava Tweet Definition of balaclava Like Definition of balaclava on Facebook
noun 
  1. A warm cap shielding the neck and head, often made out of wool.
  2. (context, especially, Canadian English) A ski mask with holes for the eyes and, sometimes, the nose and mouth, which may be rolled up and worn like a toque or pulled over the face for greater protection.
    • 1969, "Robbed seven banks, Balaclava Bill given 15-year term in jail," Globe and Mail (Toronto), 10 Jan., p. 1,
    • :George Ronald Waite, 33, known as Balaclava Bill because of the dark blue woollen hood he wore while robbing seven banks of $46,200 over the past two years, was sentenced yesterday to 15 years in Kingston Penitentiary.
     
ballerina Tweet Definition of ballerina Like Definition of ballerina on Facebook
noun 
  1. A female ballet dancer.
     
Balmoral Tweet Definition of Balmoral Like Definition of Balmoral on Facebook
proper noun (wikipedia, Balmoral Castle)
  1. A castle and associated estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland that is a private residence of the British sovereign
     
band Tweet Definition of band Like Definition of band on Facebook
noun 
  1. A strip of material wrapped around things to hold them together.
  2. A strip along the spine of a book where the pages are attached.
  3. A group of musicians, especially (a) wind and percussion players, or (b) rock musicians.
  4. A type of orchestra originally playing janissary music; i.e. marching band.
  5. A group of people loosely united for a common purpose (a band of thieves).
  6. (physics) A part of radio spectrum.
  7. (physics) A group of energy levels in a solid state material. Valence band, conduction band.
  8. (Canadian English) A group of aboriginals that has official recognition as an organized unit by the federal government of Canada.
verb 
  1. (intransitive) To group together for a common purpose.
  2. To fasten together with a band.
  3. (ornithology) To fasten an identifying band around (a bird's) leg.
     
bandanna Tweet Definition of bandanna Like Definition of bandanna on Facebook
noun 
  1. (alternative spelling of, bandana)
     
bandeau Tweet Definition of bandeau Like Definition of bandeau on Facebook
noun 
  1. A band for the hair.
She wore a in her hair.
  1. (context, medicine) A band.
  2. A brassiere, especially when narrow or strapless; a top made from a narrow band of fabric.
     
bang Tweet Definition of bang Like Definition of bang on Facebook
noun 
  1. A sudden percussive noise.
When he struck it with a hammer, there was a loud .
  1. A strike upon an object causing such a noise.
  2. An explosion.
  3. (especially plural) A fringe of hair cut across the forehead. (British: fringe)
Tiffany has long hair and bangs.
1902: She was not much to look at. Her red hair hung in an uncurled bang over her forehead — w:Barbara Baynton, Barbara Baynton, short story Squeaker's Mate (variously reprinted, including in The Penguin Century of Australian Stories, ed. Carmel Bird, 2000, ISBN 0-670-89233-5)
  1. The symbol !, known as an exclamation point.
An e-mail address with an ! is called a path.
  1. (math) A factorial, in mathematics, because the factorial of n is often written as n!
  2. (figuratively) An act of sexual intercourse.
  3. plural: Brucellosis, a bacterial disease (a corruption of the alternate name "Bang's disease")
  4. An offbeat figure typical of reggae songs and played on guitar and piano.
  5. (slang) An explosive product, in mining
Load the bang into the hole.
  1. (slang) An abrupt left turn, in Boston slang; the opposite of this, an abrupt right turn, is a hang
verb (bangs, banging, banged)
  1. To make sudden loud noises, and often repeatedly, especially by exploding or hitting something.
The fireworks banged away all through the night.
  1. (slang, figuratively) To engage in sexual intercourse.
  2. (i, with "in") To hammer or to hit anything hard.
Hold the picture while I in this nail.
     
Bangkok Tweet Definition of Bangkok Like Definition of Bangkok on Facebook
proper noun 
  1. The capital of Thailand. Also known as "Krungthep" ((THchar, �รุ����)).
     
barb Tweet Definition of barb Like Definition of barb on Facebook
noun 
  1. The point that stands backward in an arrow, fishhook, etc., to prevent it from being easily extracted. Hence: Anything which stands out with a sharp point obliquely or crosswise to something else.
Having two barbs or points. Ascham.
  1. A beard, or that which resembles it, or grows in the place of it.
  2. (Armor) (Corrupt) Armor for a horse, corrupted from bard.
Quotations
  • 1786: The defensive armor with the horses of the ancient knights ... These are frequently, though improperly, stiled barbs. — Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page 29.
The barbel, so called by reason of his barbs, or wattles in his mouth. Walton.
  1. (zoology) One of the side branches of a feather, which collectively constitute the vane.
  2. (zoology) Several species of freshwater fish of the Cyprinid family.
  3. (zoology) A southern name for the kingfishes of the eastern and southeastern coasts of the United States; -- also improperly called whiting.
  4. (botany) A hair or bristle ending in a double hook.
  5. (zoology) A blackish or dun variety of the pigeon, originally brought from Barbary.
  6. (obsolete) A muffler, worn by nuns and mourners.
  7. Paps, or little projections, of the mucous membrane, which mark the opening of the submaxillary glands under the tongue in horses and cattle. The name is mostly applied when the barbs are inflamed and swollen. Written also barbel and barble.
  8. (obsolete) A bit for a horse.
verb to barb (barbed, barbing)
  1. To furnish with barbs, or with that which will hold or hurt like barbs, as an arrow, fishhook, spear, etc.
But rattling storm of arrows barbed with fire. Milton.
  1. (Armor) (Corrupt) To cover a horse in armor, corrupted from bard.
Quotations
  • 1592: And now, in stead of mounting barbed steeds To fright the souls of fearful adversaries, He capers nimbly in a lady's chamber... — William Shakespeare, Richard III, Act I, Scene I, line 10.
    1. (obsolete) To shave or dress the beard of.
    2. (obsolete) To clip; to mow.
     
bark Tweet Definition of bark Like Definition of bark on Facebook
noun 
  1. (countable) (uncountable) The exterior covering of the trunk and branches of a tree; the rind.
  2. (medicine) Peruvian Bark or Jesuit's bark, the bark of the cinchona from which quinine is produced.
verb 
  1. To strip the bark from; to peel.
  2. To abrade or rub off any outer covering from.
to bark one"s heel
  1. To girdle.
  2. To cover or inclose with bark, or as with bark.
bark the roof of a hut
     
barker Tweet Definition of barker Like Definition of barker on Facebook
noun 
  1. Someone or something who bark
    1. Etymology_2, barks.
    My neighbor's dog is a constant that keeps me awake at night.
    1. A person employed to solicit customers by calling out to passersby, e.g. at a carnival.
    Bob had amassed a considerable stockpile of double entendres from his days working as a for a strip joint.
     
barrette Tweet Definition of barrette Like Definition of barrette on Facebook
noun 
  1. A clasp or clip for gathering and holding the hair.
     
Basque Tweet Definition of Basque Like Definition of Basque on Facebook
noun 
  1. A member of a people living in the western Pyrenees and the Bay of Biscay in France and Spain.
proper noun 
  1. The language of the Basque people.
adjective 
  1. Relative to the Basque people or their language.
     
baste Tweet Definition of baste Like Definition of baste on Facebook
verb (bast, ing)
  1. To sprinkle flour and salt and drip butter or fat on, as on meat in roasting.
  2. To sew with wide stitches.
  3. (1811) To beat.
     
bate Tweet Definition of bate Like Definition of bate on Facebook
noun 
  1. strife, Strife; contention.
    • 1598, William Shakespeare, King Henry IV, Part 2
    • :... and wears his boots very smooth, like unto the sign of the leg, and breeds no with telling of discreet stories;
    • 1888, Sir Richard Burton, The Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night (Arabian Nights)
    • :So the strife redoubled and the weapons together clashed and ceased not and debate and naught was to be seen but blood flowing and necks bowing;
    • 1911, H.G. Wells, The New Machiavelli
    • :The other merely needs jealousy and , of which there are great and easily accessible reservoirs in every human heart. =
verb (bat, ing)
  1. (transitive) To reduce the force of something; to abate.
  2. (transitive) To restrain, usually with the sense of being in anticipation; as, with bated breath.
     
bathing suit Tweet Definition of bathing suit Like Definition of bathing suit on Facebook
noun 
  1. a tight-fitting garment worn for swimming; a swimsuit
     
bathrobe Tweet Definition of bathrobe Like Definition of bathrobe on Facebook
noun 
  1. A robe usually made of terrycloth intended to be worn to preserve modesty when there is no immediate need to fully dress.
     
beanie Tweet Definition of beanie Like Definition of beanie on Facebook
noun (plural: beanies)
  1. A cap that fits the head closely, usually knitted from wool.
Enrique Iglesias is often seen wearing a .
  1. Short for beanie babies, Beanie Baby, a small soft toy filled with beans or similar stuffing.
     
bearskin Tweet Definition of bearskin Like Definition of bearskin on Facebook
noun 
  1. The pelt of a bear, especially when used as a rug
  2. A tall ceremonial hat worn by members of some British regiments for ceremonial occasions; see busby
     
beaver Tweet Definition of beaver Like Definition of beaver on Facebook
noun (pl2=beaver)
  1. An aquatic mammal of the genus Castor, having a wide, flat tail and webbed feet.
  2. (context, coarse, slang) The pubic hair and/or vulva of a woman.
     
bells Tweet Definition of bells Like Definition of bells on Facebook
noun 
  1. (plural of, bell)
  2. (nautical) ship's bells, Ship's bells; the strokes on a ship's bell, every half hour, to mark the passage of time.
     
belt Tweet Definition of belt Like Definition of belt on Facebook
noun 
  1. A band worn around the waist to hold clothing to one's body (usually pants), hold weapons (such as a gun or sword), or serve as a decorative piece of clothing.
As part of the act, the fat clown's broke, causing his pants to fall down.
  1. A band used as a restraint for safety purposes, such as a seat belt.
Keep your fastened; this is going to be quite a bumpy ride.
  1. A band that is used in a machine to help transfer motion or power.
The motor had a single that snaked its way back and forth around a variety of wheels.
  1. A powerful blow, often made with a fist.
After the bouncer gave him a solid to the gut, Simon had suddenly had enough of barfighting.
  1. (usually capitalized) A geographical region known for a particular product or feature (Corn Belt, Bible Belt).
verb 
  1. (transitive) To encircle.
The small town was belted by cornfields in all directions.
  1. (transitive) To fasten a belt.
Edgar belted himself in and turned the car's ignition.
The rotund man had difficulting belting his pants, and generally wore suspenders to avoid the issue.
  1. (transitive) To hit with a belt.
The child was remanded to state custody when the lacerations on her back where her parents had belted her in punishment were revealed.
  1. (transitive) To sing in a loud manner.
He belted out the national anthem.
  1. (transitive) To drink quickly, often in gulps.
He belted down a shot of whisky.
  1. (context, transitive, slang) To hit someone or something.
The angry player belted the official across the face, and as a result was ejected from the game.
  1. (intransitive) To move very fast
He was really belting along.
     
bend Tweet Definition of bend Like Definition of bend on Facebook
noun 
  1. A curve.
    • There's a sharp in the road ahead.
      1. (nautical) Any of the various knots which join the ends of two lines.<!-- or the end of a line into some other object; (the latter are called hitch)
    • Note: In naval parlance, a knot involves splicing the strands of a rope.-->
      1. (context, in plural, medicine, diving) (the bends) A severe condition caused by excessively quick decompression, causing bubbles of nitrogen to form in the blood; decompression sickness.
    • A diver who stays deep for too long must ascend very slowly in order to prevent the bends.
      1. (heraldry) One of the honourable ordinary, ordinaries formed by two diagonal lines drawn from the dexter chief to the sinister base; it generally occupies a fifth part of the shield if uncharged, but if charged one third.
verb (bends, bending, bent)
  1. (transitive) To cause (something) to change its shape into a curve, by physical force, chemical action, or any other means.
    • If you the pipe too far, it will break.
    • Don"t your knees.
      1. (context, transitive, nautical) To tie, as in securing a line to a cleat; to shackle a chain to an anchor; make fast.
    • Bend the sail to the yard.
      1. (context, transitive, music) To smoothly change the pitch of a note.
    • You should the G sligthly sharp in the next measure.
      1. (context, intransitive, nautical) To swing the body when rowing.
      2. (intransitive) To become curved.
    • Look at the trees bending in the wind.
    • To bow properly, at the waist.
      1. (intransitive) To change direction.
    • The road bends to the right
     
beret Tweet Definition of beret Like Definition of beret on Facebook
noun 
  1. A type of round, brimless cap with a soft top and a headband to secure it to the head.
     
Bermuda shorts Tweet Definition of Bermuda shorts Like Definition of Bermuda shorts on Facebook
noun 
  1. A type of knee-high shorts.
     
Bertha Tweet Definition of Bertha Like Definition of Bertha on Facebook
proper noun 
  1. (given name, female) from Germanic berht"bright, famous"
     
bib Tweet Definition of bib Like Definition of bib on Facebook
noun (plural: bibs)
  1. An item of clothing for baby, babies tied around their neck to protect their clothes from getting dirty when eating.
  2. The upper part of an apron.
     
big Tweet Definition of big Like Definition of big on Facebook
adjective (bigg, er)
  1. Of a great size; large; the weakest sense of great size.
Elephants are animals, and they eat a lot.
  1. (colloquial) Adult.
Kids should get help from people if they want to use the kitchen.
  1. (colloquial) fat, Fat.
Gosh, she is big!
  1. important, Important or significant.
What's so about that? I do it all the time.
  1. popular, Popular.
That style is very right now in Europe, especially among teenagers.
  1. (colloquial) (construed with on) enthusiastic, Enthusiastic (about).
I'm not on the idea, but if you want to go ahead with it, I won't stop you.
  1. Of an industry or other field: Thought to have undue influence.
There were concerns about the ethics of science.
     
biggin Tweet Definition of biggin Like Definition of biggin on Facebook
noun 
  1. (archaic) A child's cap; (figuratively) childhood.
  • 1819: "my brain has been topsy-turvy, they say, ever since the was bound first round my head; so turning me upside down may peradventure restore it again." " Walter Scott, Ivanhoe
    1. (historical) An official's hood or coif.
    2. Coffee pot that has separate areas for heating the coffee and water.
     
bikini Tweet Definition of bikini Like Definition of bikini on Facebook
noun (plural bikinis)
  1. A brief two-piece bathing suit worn by women.
     
biretta Tweet Definition of biretta Like Definition of biretta on Facebook
noun 
  1. A square cap, originally with four ridges across the top, (or three,) surmounted by a tuft, worn by Roman Catholic clergy (and by some in the Anglican Church.)
     
black tie Tweet Definition of black tie Like Definition of black tie on Facebook
adjective 
  1. Evening dress which is less formal than white tie, consisting of black dinner jacket, and matching trousers, white shirt and black bow tie, alternatively military dress, or national costume.
  2. A occasion.
    • I'm off to a dinner tonight.
     
black-tie Tweet Definition of black-tie Like Definition of black-tie on Facebook
adjective 
  1. moderately formal; usually requiring a dinner jacket (tuxedo) for men
     
blazer Tweet Definition of blazer Like Definition of blazer on Facebook
noun 
  1. A semi-formal, casual jacket.
  2. A person or thing that blazes (marks or cuts a route.)
  3. (context, slang, US) One who smokes cannabis; a stoner.
  4. (rfv-sense) One who spreads rumors or reports or otherwise blazes matters abroad.
     
bloomer Tweet Definition of bloomer Like Definition of bloomer on Facebook
noun 
  1. a circular loaf of white bread
  2. a blooming flower
     
blouse Tweet Definition of blouse Like Definition of blouse on Facebook
noun 
  1. an outer garment, usually loose, that is similar to a shirt and reaches from the neck to the waist or below. Nowadays, in colloquial use, blouse refers almost always to a woman's shirt that buttons down the front.
     
blucher Tweet Definition of blucher Like Definition of blucher on Facebook
noun 
  1. (historical) A form of horse-drawn carriage; a Blucher coach.
  2. A sturdy laced leather half-boot.
     
blue jeans Tweet Definition of blue jeans Like Definition of blue jeans on Facebook
noun (plural: )
  1. a pair of trousers made from denim cotton and dyed dark blue.
     
boa Tweet Definition of boa Like Definition of boa on Facebook
noun 
  1. Any of a group of large American snakes, of the genus Boa, including the boa constrictor, the emperor boa of Mexico, and the chevalier boa of Peru.
  2. A type of scarf typically made from feathers.
     
bodice Tweet Definition of bodice Like Definition of bodice on Facebook
noun (bodices)
  1. An article of clothing for women, covering the body from the neck to the waist, lacking sleeves or with detachable sleeves.
  2. A woman's blouse-like garment, especially with European folk dress.
  3. The upper portion of a one- or two-piece dress, in distinction to the skirt and sleeves.
     
bodkin Tweet Definition of bodkin Like Definition of bodkin on Facebook
noun 
  1. A small sharp pointed tool for making holes in cloth or leather.
  2. A blunt needle used for threading ribbon or cord through a hem or casing
  3. A hairpin.
  4. A dagger.
  5. A type of arrowhead.
     
body Tweet Definition of body Like Definition of body on Facebook
noun (bodies)
  1. The physical structure of a human or animal seen as one single organism.
I saw them walking from a distance, their bodies strangely angular in the dawn light.
  1. The fleshly or corporeal nature of a human, as opposed to the spirit or soul.
The is driven by desires, but the soul is at peace.
  1. A corpse.
Her was found at four o'clock, just two hours after the murder.
  1. The torso, the main structure of a human or animal frame excluding the extremity, extremities (limbs, head, tail).
The boxer took a blow to the .
  1. The largest or most important part of anything, as distinct from its appendages or accessory, accessories.
The bumpers and front tyres were ruined, but the of the car was in remarkable shape.
  1. (archaic) The section of a dress extending from the neck to the waist, excluding the arms.
Penny was in the scullery, pressing the of her new dress.
  1. An organisation, company or other authoritative group.
The local train operating company is the managing for this section of track.
  1. A group of men or people having a common purpose or opinion; a mass.
I was escorted from the building by a of armed security guards.
  1. A unified collection of details, knowledge or information.
We have now amassed a of evidence which points to one conclusion.
  1. Any physical object or material thing.
All bodies are held together by internal forces.
  1. Substance; physical presence.
We have given to what was just a vague idea.
  1. Comparative viscosity, solidity or substance (in wine, colours etc.).
The rioja, sadly, lacked .
  1. (programming) The code of a subroutine, contrasted to its signature and parameters.W:Subroutine, W
     
bolo Tweet Definition of bolo Like Definition of bolo on Facebook
noun 
  1. A long, heavy, single-edged machete.
     
bomber Tweet Definition of bomber Like Definition of bomber on Facebook
noun (wikipedia, bomber, bomber (aircraft))
  1. A military aircraft designed to carry and drop bombs.
  2. A person who makes and detonates bombs.
     
bomber jacket Tweet Definition of bomber jacket Like Definition of bomber jacket on Facebook
noun 
  1. a short leather jacket, with an elasticated waist and cuffs, a fleece collar and a zip front
     
bone Tweet Definition of bone Like Definition of bone on Facebook
noun 
  1. (uncountable) A composite material consisting largely of calcium phosphate and collagen and making up the skeleton of most vertebrates.
  2. (countable) Any of the components of an endoskeleton, made of bone.
  3. A bone of a fish; a fishbone
  4. One of the rigid parts of a corset that forms its frame, the boning, originally made of whalebone.
  5. (colour) an off-white colour, like the colour of bone.
<table><tr><td>bone colour: &nbsp;</td><td bgcolor="
  1. E4D4BA?" width="80">&nbsp; </td></tr></table>
    1. (context, US, colloquial) A dollar.
    2. (slang) An erect penis; a boner.
    3. (slang) domino, Dominoes or dice.
    4. (slang) (form of, shortened form, trombone)
verb (bon, ing)
  1. (transitive) To prepare (meat, etc) by removing the bone or bones from.
"They boned the roast before placing it in the oven."
  1. (context, transitive, vulgar, slang) To have sexual intercourse with.
So, did you her?
adjective 
  1. (colour) of an off-white colour, like the colour of bone.
  2. (colloquial) of something that is rubbish or broken
=      
bonnet Tweet Definition of bonnet Like Definition of bonnet on Facebook
noun 
  1. A type of hat, once worn by women or children, held in place by ribbons tied under the chin.
  2. A traditional Scottish woollen brimless cap, also spelled bunnet.
  3. (context, AU, UK, automotive) The hinged cover over the engine of a motor car.
  4. (nautical) A length of canvas attached to a fore-and-aft sail to increase the pulling power.
     
bootee Tweet Definition of bootee Like Definition of bootee on Facebook
noun 
  1. A soft, woolen shoe for a baby.
Take off the baby's bootees before you put her in the crib.
  1. A thick sock worn under a wetsuit.
  2. An overshoe or sock worn to cover dirty shoes or feet.
Surgeons often slip on bootees before entering the operating room. (trans-top, shoe cover)
  • Finnish: suojatossu
    (trans-mid)
  • Korean: ë�§ì�  (deotsin)
    (trans-bottom)
     
bootlace Tweet Definition of bootlace Like Definition of bootlace on Facebook
noun 
  1. A long lace for fastening boots.
     
bootleg Tweet Definition of bootleg Like Definition of bootleg on Facebook
noun 
  1. that part of a boot that is above the instep
  2. an illegally produced, transported or sold product; contraband
verb (bootleg, g, ed)
  1. (context, mostly, US, transitive) to make, transport and/or sell illegal alcoholic liquor
  2. (transitive) to make, transport and/or sell an illegal version or copy of a copyright product
  3. (intransitive) to engage in bootlegging
adjective 
  1. illegally produced, transported or sold; pirated
  2. undesirable or unwanted effects or outcomes
  3. poor quality
     
bootstrap Tweet Definition of bootstrap Like Definition of bootstrap on Facebook
noun 
  1. A loop of leather or other material sewn at the side or top rear of a boot to help in pulling the boot on.
  2. (computing) The process by which the operating system of a computer is loaded into its memory
  3. (computing) The process necessary to compile the tools that will be used to compile the rest of the system or program.
verb (bootstrap, p, ed)
  1. (computing) to load the operating system into the memory of a computer. Usually shortened to boot. (see pull oneself up by one's bootstraps)
  2. (computing) To compile the tools that will be used to compile the rest of the system or program.
Bootstrapping means building the GNU C Library, GNU Compiler Collection and several other key system programs.http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=1&chap=6
     
border Tweet Definition of border Like Definition of border on Facebook
noun 
  1. The outer edge of something.
a solid 1px around a table
  1. A decorative strip around the edge of something.
  2. A strip of ground in which ornamental plants are grown.
  3. The line or frontier area separating political or geographical regions.
verb 
  1. (transitive) To put a border on something.
  2. (transitive) To lie on, or adjacent to a border.
     
bosom Tweet Definition of bosom Like Definition of bosom on Facebook
noun (bosoms)
  1. chest, breast; the pectoral muscles and mammae of the human, especially the female human.
In the book The Scarlet Letter, the protagonist wears a red "A" on her chest, giving the author the excuse to mention her bosom 66 times.
The buxom wench had an ample bosom.
adjective bosom (no comparative or superlative form)
  1. Describes a very close relationship.
bosom buddy, buddies
     
bouffant Tweet Definition of bouffant Like Definition of bouffant on Facebook
noun 
  1. A popular hairstyle in the mid-to-late 16th century, nowadays common with poodles.
adjective 
  1. Of hair or clothing, full-bodied or puffy; puffed out away from head or body.
Her suit made her seem much heavier than her petite figure actually was.
     
bow Tweet Definition of bow Like Definition of bow on Facebook
noun verb      
bow tie Tweet Definition of bow tie Like Definition of bow tie on Facebook
noun 
  1. alternative spelling of bowtie
     
boxer shorts Tweet Definition of boxer shorts Like Definition of boxer shorts on Facebook
noun 
  1. shorts worn as underwear by men.
     
bra Tweet Definition of bra Like Definition of bra on Facebook
noun (wikipedia, Brassiere)
  1. a brassiere
     
braid Tweet Definition of braid Like Definition of braid on Facebook
noun 
  1. A weave of three of more strands of fibers, ribbons, cords or hair often for decoration.
verb (braids, braiding, braided, braided or obsolete browden)
  1. (obsolete) (transitive) To make a sudden movement with, to jerk.
  2. (archaic) (intransitive) To start into motion.
    • Late C14: For verray wo out of his wit he breyde. " Geoffrey Chaucer, "The Franklin's Tale", Canterbury Tales
      1. (transitive) To weave together, intertwine (strands of fibers, ribbons, etc.); to arrange (hair) in braids.
     
brassiere Tweet Definition of brassiere Like Definition of brassiere on Facebook
noun 
  1. An item of underwear worn to support the breasts; now commonly shortened to bra.
     
breasting Tweet Definition of breasting Like Definition of breasting on Facebook
verb 
  1. (present participle of, breast)
     
breechcloth Tweet Definition of breechcloth Like Definition of breechcloth on Facebook
noun 
  1. An apron-like garment held on by a belt tied around the waist to cover the loins; a loincloth.
     
breeches Tweet Definition of breeches Like Definition of breeches on Facebook
noun 
  1. (plural of, breech)
  2. A garment worn by men, covering the hips and thighs; smallclothes.
    • 1829, w:Samuel_Taylor_Coleridge, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and w:Robert_Southey, Robert Southey, "The Devil's Thoughts,"
    • :And how then was the Devil drest?
    • :Oh! he was in his Sunday's best:
    • :His jacket was red and his were blue,
    • :And there was a hole where the tail came through.
      1. (colloquial) Trousers; pantaloons; britches.
     
Breton Tweet Definition of Breton Like Definition of Breton on Facebook
proper noun (Bretons)
  1. A person from Brittany.
  2. A language of w:Brittany, Brittany.
adjective 
  1. Of or pertaining to Brittany.
     
bride Tweet Definition of bride Like Definition of bride on Facebook
noun 
  1. A woman who is going to marry or has just been married.
     
brief Tweet Definition of brief Like Definition of brief on Facebook
noun 
  1. An attorney's legal argument in written form for submission to a court.
  2. (colloquial) A short news story or report.
    • We got a news .
      1. (i, in plural for singular object) A short, legless undergarment; briefs.
verb 
  1. (transitive) To knowledgeably summarize a recent development to some person with decision-making power.
The U.S. president was briefed on the military coup and its implications on African stability.
  1. (transitive, law) To write a legal argument and submit it to a court.
adjective 
  1. Of short duration or distance.
  2. concise, Concise.
     
brilliantine Tweet Definition of brilliantine Like Definition of brilliantine on Facebook
noun 
  1. A hair pomade, making the hair shine brilliantly.
1921 "I wouldn't regret it," said Linda, "if I took Eileen by the shoulders and shook her till I shook the rouge off her cheek, and the brilliantine off her hair, and a million mean little subterfuges out of her soul. Gene Stratton-Porter, Her father`s daughter http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/ot2www-pubeng?specfile=/texts/english/modeng/publicsearch/modengpub.o2w&act=surround&offset=603552087&tag=Stratton-Porter,+Gene,+1863-1924:+Her+father`s+daughter,+1921&query=brilliantine&id=StrFath Chapter 4.
  1. A smooth shiny, luxurious fabric, often of alpaca or vicuí±a.
Sunday June 11, 1916 No. 112. Bathing Suit of Brilliantine in Navy Blue and Black, trimmed with white mohair braid and buttons (no bloomers). Special 3.95 " The New York Times, http://memory.loc.gov/service/sgp/sgpnyt/1916/191606/19160611/0010.pdf
  • .pdf
verb (brilliantin, ing)
  1. To apply brilliantine to the hair.
     
brogue Tweet Definition of brogue Like Definition of brogue on Facebook
noun 
  1. Gaelic term for a strong dialectal accent. In Ireland it used to be a term for Erse spoken with a strong English accent, but gradually changed to mean English spoken with a strong Irish accent as English control of Ireland gradually increased and Erse waned as the standard language.
  2. A strong oxford shoe, usually with ornamental perforations and wing tips.
  3. (formerly) A heavy shoe of untanned leather. Also: Brogan.
     
buck Tweet Definition of buck Like Definition of buck on Facebook
noun 
  1. A male deer or goat.
  2. A male rabbit or hare.
  3. A male of other species, such as the ferret.
  4. An uncastrated sheep, a ram.
  5. (context, US, Canadian English, colloquial) A dollar (one hundred cents).
  6. (context, Canadian English, colloquial) By extension, one hundred of anything.
The police caught me driving a -forty on the freeway.
  1. (context , North America, derogatory) A black or Native American man.
  2. A young buck; an adventurous or high-spirited young man.
  3. (context, UK, obsolete) Hence, a fop or dandy.
  4. (rfv-sense) (poker) A plastic disc used to represent the player in dealer position.
  5. blame, Blame; responsibility; scapegoating; finger-pointing.
    • w:Harry S. Truman, Harry S. Truman,
    • : The stops here.
verb 
  1. Of a horse: to rise sharply up on its hind legs.
  2. Of a horse: to leap upward arching its back.
1848: At the same time we got speared, the horses got speared too, and jumped and bucked all about &mdash; Statement by Jackey Jackey (an Aborigine) published in William Carron Narrative of an Expedition Undertaken Under the Direction of the Late Mr. Assistant Surveyor E. B. Kennedy (http://gutenberg.net.au/plusfifty.html
  • carron at Project Gutenberg Australia)
    1. By extension, to move in any sharp or jerking manner.
    2. By extension, to resist obstinately.
  •      
    buckskin Tweet Definition of buckskin Like Definition of buckskin on Facebook
    noun 
    1. (colour) a grayish yellow in colour.
    <table><tr><td>buckskin colour: &nbsp;</td><td bgcolor="
    1. 977F73" width="80">&nbsp; </td></tr></table>
      1. the skin of a male deer, a buck
      2. clothing made from buckskin
    adjective 
    1. (colour) of a grayish yellow in colour.
         
    buff Tweet Definition of buff Like Definition of buff on Facebook
    noun 
    1. Undyed leather from the skin of buffalo or similar animals.
    2. A tool, often one covered with buff leather, used for polishing.
    3. (colloquial) : a person who is very interested in a particular subject.
    He"s a history buff.
    1. (colour) A brownish yellow colour.
    <table><tr><td>buff colour: &nbsp;</td><td bgcolor="
    1. E3A857?" width="80">&nbsp; </td></tr></table>
      1. A military coat made of buff leather.
      2. (computer and video games) An effect that makes a gaming character stronger.
    verb 
    1. To polish and make shiny.
    2. (computer and video games) To make a character stronger.
    The enchanter buffed the paladin to prepare him to fight the dragon.
    adjective 
    1. (colour) Of the color of buff leather, a brownish yellow.
    2. (bodybuilding): Unusually muscular. (also buffed)
    3. (slang) attractive.
         
    buffalo robe Tweet Definition of buffalo robe Like Definition of buffalo robe on Facebook
    noun 
    1. (historical) A cured bison hide, with the hair left on, used as a blanket or wrap.
    <b>1920</b> The snow was too thick and the ruts frozen too hard for the motor. They drove out in a clumsy high carriage. Tucked over them was a blue woolen cover, prickly to her wrists, and outside of it a <b>buffalo robe</b>, humble and moth-eaten now, used ever since the bison herds had streaked the prairie a few miles to the west. " Lewis Sinclair, http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/ot2www-pubeng?specfile=/texts/english/modeng/publicsearch/modengpub.o2w&act=surround&offset=432953106&tag=Lewis,+Sinclair:+Main+Street,+1920&query=buffalo+robe&id=LewMain Main Street.
         
    bugle Tweet Definition of bugle Like Definition of bugle on Facebook
    noun 
    1. (music) a simple brass instrument consisting of a horn with no valves, playing only pitches in its harmonic series
    2. the often cultivated plant Lamiaceae, lamiaceae
    3. anything shaped like a bugle, round or conical and having a bell on one end
    verb (bugl, ing)
    1. to announce, sing, or cry in the manner of a musical bugle
         
    bulky Tweet Definition of bulky Like Definition of bulky on Facebook
    adjective (bulk, ier)
    1. Being large in size, mass, or volume.
    2. unwieldy, Unwieldy
    3. (bodybuilding) Having excess body mass, especially muscle.
         
    bullion Tweet Definition of bullion Like Definition of bullion on Facebook
    noun 
    1. A bulk quantity of gold or silver, assessed by weight and typically cast as ingots.
         
    bun Tweet Definition of bun Like Definition of bun on Facebook
    noun (plural: buns)
    1. A small bread roll, oftened sweetened or spiced.
    2. A tight roll of hair worn at the back of the head.
    3. (slang), : A drunken spree.
    4. (slang) (plural): The buttocks.
    5. (Internet): A n00b.
         
    bunting Tweet Definition of bunting Like Definition of bunting on Facebook
    noun 
    1. (nautical) A thin cloth of woven wool from which flags are made; it is light enough to spread in a gentle wind but resistant to fraying in a strong wind.
    2. Flags considered as a group.
    3. Strips of material used as festive decoration, especially in the colours of the national flag.
    4. Any of various songbirds of the family Emberizidae having short bills and brown or gray plumage.
         
    burka Tweet Definition of burka Like Definition of burka on Facebook
    noun 
    1. A veil that covers the head except for a slit for the eyes.
    2. A garment that covers the whole body, with a net screen covering the eyes so they cannot be seen.
         
    busby Tweet Definition of busby Like Definition of busby on Facebook
    noun (busbies)
    1. (British),(military) A tall fur hat worn by members of some British guards regiments
         
    bushel Tweet Definition of bushel Like Definition of bushel on Facebook
    noun 
    1. A dry measure, containing four pecks, eight gallons, or thirty-two quarts.
    The Winchester bushel, formerly used in England, contained 2150.42 cubic inches, being the volume of a cylinder 181/2 inches in internal diameter and eight inches in depth. The standard bushel measures, prepared by the United States Government and distributed to the States, hold each 77.6274 pounds of distilled water, at 39.8° Fahr. and 30 inches atmospheric pressure, being the equivalent of the Winchester bushel. The imperial bushel now in use in England is larger than the Winchester bushel, containing 2218.2 cubic inches, or 80 pounds of water at 62° Fahr.
    Quotations
    • 1882: The quarter, bushel, and peck are nearly universal measures of corn. &mdash; James Edwin Thorold Rogers, A History of Agriculture and Prices in England, Volume 4, p. 207.
      1. A vessel of the capacity of a bushel, used in measuring; a bushel measure.
      2. A quantity that fills a bushel measure; as, a heap containing ten bushels of apples.
    In the United States a large number of articles, bought and sold by the bushel, are measured by weighing, the number of pounds that make a bushel being determined by State law or by local custom. For some articles, as apples, potatoes, etc., heaped measure is required in measuring a bushel.
    1. A large indefinite quantity. Colloq.
    2. The iron lining in the nave of a wheel. Eng. In the United States it is called a box.
         
    buskin Tweet Definition of buskin Like Definition of buskin on Facebook
    noun 
    1. A half-boot.
      • 1819: Isaac, relieved of one half of his apprehensions, by learning that his daughter lived, and might possibly be ransomed, threw himself at the feet of the generous Outlaw, and, rubbing his beard against his buskins, sought to kiss the hem of his green cassock. " Walter Scott, Ivanhoe
      • 1997: Alexius was acclaimed with the imperial titles and formally shod with the purple buskins, embroidered in gold with the double-headed eagles of Byzantium " John Julius Norwich, A Short History of Byzantium (Penguin 1998, p. 248)
        1. A type of boot worn by the ancient Athenian tragic actors; tragic drama, tragedy.
         
    bustier Tweet Definition of bustier Like Definition of bustier on Facebook
    noun 
    1. A tight-fitting women's top, frequently strapless, worn either as an undergarment or as outerwear.
         
    bustle Tweet Definition of bustle Like Definition of bustle on Facebook
    noun 
    1. An excited activity; a stir.
      • 1748. David Hume. Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral. London: Oxford University Press, 1973. § 34.
      • : we are, perhaps, all the while flattering our natural indolence, which, hating the of the world, and drudgery of business seeks a pretence of reason to give itself a full and uncontrolled indulgence
        1. (obsolete) A frame worn underneath a woman's skirt.
        2. A cover to protect and hide the back panel of a computer or other office machine.
    verb (bustles, bustling, bustled)
    1. To move busily and energetically.
         
    Butch Tweet Definition of Butch Like Definition of Butch on Facebook
    proper noun 
    1. A male nickname
         
    button Tweet Definition of button Like Definition of button on Facebook
    noun 
    1. A knob or disc that is passed through a slit (buttonhole) in the adjacent material, serving as a fastener.
    April fastened the buttons of her overcoat to keep out the wind.
    1. A mechanical device meant to be pressed with a finger in order to open or close an electric circuit or to activate a mechanism.
    Pat pushed the marked "shred" on the blender.
    1. (computing) In computer software, an on-screen control that can be selected as an activator of an attached function.
    Click the that looks like a house to return to your browser's home page.
    1. A badge worn on clothes, fixed with a pin through the fabric.
    The politician wore a bright yellow with the slogan "Vote Smart" emblazoned on it.
    1. (botany) A bud.
    2. (slang) The clitoris.
    3. (curling) The center (bullseye) of the house.
    4. (fencing) The soft circular tip at the end of a foil.
    5. (poker) A plastic disk used to represent the person in last position in a poker game; also dealer's .
    6. (poker) The player who is last to act, who possesses the button.
    verb 
    1. (transitive) To fasten with a button.
         
    buttonhole Tweet Definition of buttonhole Like Definition of buttonhole on Facebook
    noun 
    1. A hole through which a button is pushed to secure a garment or some part of one.
    2. (context, mostly, UK) a flower worn in a buttonhole for decoration
    verb (buttonhol, ing)
    1. To detain (a person) in conversation against their will.
    2. (rfv-sense) (slang) To grab (a person) by the shirt.
         

    Browse the Dictionary
    A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

     Find:
      Words Starting With:
      Words Ending With:
      Words Containing:
      Words That Match:

     
     Translate Into:
      
    Dutch   French   German
      
    Italian   Spanish
        Show results per page.

       
    Allwords Copyright 1998-2024 All rights reserved.