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Glossary of Construction Terms
beginning with letter B
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backing Tweet Definition of backing Like Definition of backing on Facebook
noun 
  1. Support, especially financial.
It's a volunteer organization that works with from the city and a few grants.
  1. A liner or other material added behind or underneath.
The cardboard gives the notebook a little extra stiffness.
  1. (music) Support for the main performer
verb 
  1. (present participle of, back)
adjective 
  1. (music) That which provides support for the main performer
     
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.
     
baffle Tweet Definition of baffle Like Definition of baffle on Facebook
noun 
  1. A device used to restrain or regulate, e.g. sound, light, gas, or a fluid.
Tanker trucks use baffles to keep the fluids in them from sloshing around inside.
verb (baffl, ing)
  1. Totally bewilder; confuse or perplex.
I am baffled by the contradictions and omissions in the instructions.
     
balk Tweet Definition of balk Like Definition of balk on Facebook
noun 
  1. ridge, an unplowed strip of land. (One use is to walk on it.)
  2. beam.
  3. hindrance.
  4. blunder.
  5. (baseball) an illegal motion intended to deceive a runner.
verb 
  1. (archaic) to pass over or by.
  2. to stop, check, block.
  3. to stop short and refuse to go on.
  4. to refuse suddenly.
     
ball-peen hammer Tweet Definition of ball-peen hammer Like Definition of ball-peen hammer on Facebook
noun 
  1. A hammer having, besides the normal flat head, an opposite, rounded or peen, peening head.
     
banker Tweet Definition of banker Like Definition of banker on Facebook
noun 
  1. One who conducts the business of banking; one who, individually, or as a member of a company, keeps an establishment for the deposit or loan of money, or for traffic in money, bills of exchange, etc.
  2. A money changer.
  3. The dealer, or one who keeps the bank in a gambling house.
  4. A vessel employed in the cod fishery on the banks of Newfoundland.
  5. A ditcher; a drain digger.
  6. The stone bench on which a mason cuts or squares his work.
  7. (context, rail transport, UK, Australia) A railway locomotive temporarily attached to the rear of a train to assist the train to climb an incline. US: A helper engine.
     
barbed wire Tweet Definition of barbed wire Like Definition of barbed wire on Facebook
noun 
  1. twisted strands of steel wire, often coated with zinc, having barbs evenly spaced along them; used to construct agricultural and military fences.
     
barefoot Tweet Definition of barefoot Like Definition of barefoot on Facebook
adjective 
  1. wearing nothing on the feet
After removing their shoes, socks and sandals at the doorway, the kids were .
adverb 
  1. wearing nothing on the feet
She likes going in the summertime.
     
batten Tweet Definition of batten Like Definition of batten on Facebook
noun 
  1. A thin strip of wood used in construction to hold members of a structure together or to provide a fixing point.
  2. (nautical) A long strip of wood, metal, fibreglass etc used for various purposes aboard ship, esp. one inserted in a pocket sewn on the sail in order to keep the sail flat.
  3. In stagecraft, a long pipe, usually metal, affixed to the ceiling or fly system in a Theater.
verb 
  1. (nautical) to fasten or secure a hatch etc using battens.
     
bead Tweet Definition of bead Like Definition of bead on Facebook
noun 
  1. (archaic) prayer, Prayer, later especially with a rosary.
    • 1760: That he must believe in the Pope;"go to Mass;"cross himself;"tell his beads;"be a good Catholick, and that this, in all conscience, was enough to carry him to heaven. " Laurence Sterne, The Life & Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (Penguin 2003, p. 115)
      1. Each in a string of small balls making up the rosary or paternoster.
      2. A small round object with a hole to allow it to be threaded on a cord or wire.
      3. A small drop of water or other liquid.
      beads of sweat
verb 
  1. (intransitive) To form into a bead.
The raindrops beaded on the car's waxed finish.
  1. (transitive) To apply beads to.
She spent the morning beading the gown.
  1. (transitive) To form into a bead.
He beaded some solder for the ends of the wire.
     
bearer Tweet Definition of bearer Like Definition of bearer on Facebook
noun 
  1. (context, generally) One who bears.
  2. Someone who helps carry the coffin or a dead body during a funeral procession.
  3. A domestic servant in India.
    • 1888, Rudyard Kipling, "Watches of the Night", Plain Tales from the Hills, Folio 2005, p. 60:
    • :The bar of the watch-guard worked through the buttonhole, and the watch"Platte's watch"slid quietly on to the carpet; where the found it next morning and kept it.
     
beetle Tweet Definition of beetle Like Definition of beetle on Facebook
noun 
  1. Any of numerous species of insect in the order Coleoptera characterized by a pair of hard, shell-like, front wings which cover and protect a pair of rear wings when at rest.
  2. A type of mallet with a large wooden head.
  3. Nickname of two models of car made by w:Volkswagen, Volkswagen.
     
bench Tweet Definition of bench Like Definition of bench on Facebook
noun 
  1. A long seat, for example, in the park.
They sat on a park and tossed bread crumbs to the ducks and pigeons.
  1. In law, the people who decide on the verdict; the judiciary.
They are awaiting a decision on the motion from the .
  1. (context, law, figurative) The place where the judges sit.
She sat on the for 30 years before she retired.
  1. The place where players of a sport sit when not playing.
    He spent the first three games on the , watching.
  2. A place where assembly or hand work is performed; a workbench.
    She placed the workpiece on the , inspected it closely, and opened the cover.''
    1. (weightlifting) A horizontal padded surface, usually with a weight rack, used for support during exercise.
verb (bench, es)
  1. (context, transitive, sports) To sideline; to remove a player from play.
They benched him for the rest of the game because they thought he was injured.
  1. (context, transitive, weightlifting) To lift by bench pressing
I heard he can 150 pounds.
  1. (slang) To push the victim back on the person behind them who is on their hands and knees and end up falling over
     
bevel Tweet Definition of bevel Like Definition of bevel on Facebook
noun 
  1. An edge that is canted, one that is not a 90 degree angle.
     
bezel Tweet Definition of bezel Like Definition of bezel on Facebook
noun 
  1. The rim which encompasses and fastens a jewel or other object, as the crystal of a watch, in the cavity in which it is set.
  1. The panel that covers the front of a computer case, or the panel covering each drive bay that can be removed to install a removable drive that requires external access, such as a CD/DVD-ROM drive, which will generally but not always have its own preinstalled bezel.
     
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.
     
bibb Tweet Definition of bibb Like Definition of bibb on Facebook
noun 
  1. A bibcock.
     
bibcock Tweet Definition of bibcock Like Definition of bibcock on Facebook
noun 
  1. An appliance allowing the provision of hose connections outside of buildings
     
bit Tweet Definition of bit Like Definition of bit on Facebook
noun 
  1. A piece of metal placed in a horse's mouth and connected to reins to direct the animal.
  2. A rotary cutting tool fitted to a drill, used to make holes.
  3. An eighth of a dollar. Note that there is no coin minted worth 12.5 cents.
A quarter is two bits.
  1. (context, dated, UK) A coin of a specified value.
A threepenny .
  1. A small piece of something.
There were bits of paper all over the floor.
  1. A portion of something.
I'd like a big of cake, please.
  1. (slang) A prison sentence.
  2. An excerpt of material from a stand-up comedian's repertoire.
verb 
  1. (simple past of, bite)
Your dog me!
adverb 
  1. To a small extent; in a small amount (usually with "a").
That's a too sweet. =
     
blanket Tweet Definition of blanket Like Definition of blanket on Facebook
noun 
  1. A cloth, usually large, used for warmth or sleeping.
''The baby was cold, so his mother put a over him.
  1. A layer of anything.
The city woke under a thick of fog.
  1. A thick rubber mat used in the offset printing process to transfer ink from the plate to the paper being printed.
A press operator must carefully wash the whenever changing a plate.
adjective 
  1. In general; covering or encompassing everything.
They sought to create a solution for all situations.
     
blister Tweet Definition of blister Like Definition of blister on Facebook
noun 
  1. A small bubble on the skin, that contains watery fluid and is caused by burning, pressure or infection.
  2. A swelling on a plant.
  3. A bubble, as on a painted surface.
verb (blisters, blistering, blistered)
  1. To cause blisters to form.
  2. (transitive) To criticise severely.
  3. (intransitive) To break out in blisters.
     
block Tweet Definition of block Like Definition of block on Facebook
noun 
  1. A substantial, often approximately cuboid, piece of any substance.
A of ice.
A of stone.
  1. A cuboid of wood, plastic or other material used as a base on which to cut something.
Anne Boleyn placed her head on the and awaited her execution.
  1. A group of urban lots of property, several acres in extent, not crossed by public streets
I'm going for a walk around the .
  1. A group of buildings in a city or town, demarcated by streets.
A of flats.
  1. The distance from one street to another in a city that is built (approximately) to a grid pattern.
The place you are looking for is two long blocks east and one short north.
  1. (slang) The human head.
I'll knock your off.
  1. A set of sheets (of paper) joined together at one end.
A of 100 tickets.
  1. (computing) A logical data storage unit containing one ore more physical sector, sectors (see cluster).
  2. (context, rigging) A case with one or more sheaves/pulleys, used with ropes to increase or redirect force, for example, as part of the rigging of a sailing ship.
  3. (chemistry) A portion of a macromolecule, comprising many units, that has at least one feature not present in adjacent portions.
  4. Something that prevents something from passing (see blockage).
There's a in the pipe that means the water can't get through.
  1. (sports) An action to interfere with the movement of an opposing player or of the object of play (ball, puck).
  2. (Cricket) A shot played by holding he bat vertically in the path of the ball, so that it loses momentum and drops to the ground.
  3. (volleyball) A defensive play by one or more players meant to deflect a spiked ball back to the hitter"s court.
(WikiSaurus?-link, head)
verb 
  1. (transitive) To fill (something) so that it is not possible to pass.
The pipe is blocked.
  1. (transitive) To prevent (something or someone) from passing.
You're blocking the road - I can't get through.
  1. (transitive) To prevent (something from happening or someone from doing something).
His plan to take over the business was blocked by the boss.
  1. (transitive) The act of impeding an opponent in sports.
He blocked the basketball player's shot.
The offensive lineman, offensive linemen tried to the blitz.
  1. (transitive, theater) To specify the positions and movements of the actors.
It was very difficult to this scene convincingly.
  1. (transitive, Cricket) To hit with a block.
  2. (intransitive, Cricket) To play a block shot.
     
block and tackle Tweet Definition of block and tackle Like Definition of block and tackle on Facebook
noun 
  1. A system of two or more pulleys (the tackles) each enclosed by a housing (the block) with a rope or cable threaded between them, usually used to lift or pull heavy loads.
     
blocking Tweet Definition of blocking Like Definition of blocking on Facebook
verb 
  1. (present participle of, block)
     
boarding Tweet Definition of boarding Like Definition of boarding on Facebook
noun 
  1. the act of people getting aboard a ship or aircraft; embarkation
  2. the act of a sailor or boarding party attacking an enemy ship
  3. a structure made of boards
  4. riding a skateboard
  5. (ice hockey) a penalty called for pushing into the boards
     
boardwalk Tweet Definition of boardwalk Like Definition of boardwalk on Facebook
noun 
  1. a path for pedestrians, typically made out of wood and typically along a beach
proper noun Boardwalk
  1. the most expensive property in the game of Monopoly
     
boast Tweet Definition of boast Like Definition of boast on Facebook
noun 
  1. A brag, a loud appraisal of oneself
  2. (squash) A shot where the ball is driven off a side wall and then strikes the front wall
verb 
  1. to brag; to talk loudly in praise of oneself
    • 2005, w:Plato, Plato, Sophist. Translation by Lesley Brown. w:Stephanus pagination, 235c.
    • : On no account will he or any other kind be able to that he's escaped the pursuit of those who can follow so detailed and comprehensive a method of enquiry.
      1. (squash) To play a boast shot
     
boiler room Tweet Definition of boiler room Like Definition of boiler room on Facebook
noun 
  1. A room in a building that houses the boiler(s) and similar equipment.
  2. A compartment on a steamship that houses the boiler.
  3. (colloquial) A room full of telemarketers making cold calls.
     
bolster Tweet Definition of bolster Like Definition of bolster on Facebook
noun 
  1. A large cushion or pillow.
verb 
  1. To brace, reinforce, secure, or support.
     
bond Tweet Definition of bond Like Definition of bond on Facebook
noun 
Evidence of a long-term debt, by which the bond issuer (the borrower) is obliged to pay interest when due, and repay the principal at maturity, as specified on the face of the bond certificate. The rights of the holder are specified in the bond indenture, which contains the legal terms and conditions under which the bond was issued. Bonds are available in two forms: registered bonds, and bearer bonds.
  1. A documentary obligation to pay a sum or to perform a contract; a debenture.
Many say that government and corporate bonds are a good investment to balance against a portfolio consisting primarily of stocks.
  1. A physical connection which binds, a band; often plural.
The prisoner was brought before the tribunal in iron bonds.
  1. An emotional link, connection or union.
They had grown up as friends and neighbors, and not even vastly differing political views could break the of their friendship.
  1. (context, chemistry) A link or force between neighbouring atoms in a molecule.
Organic chemistry primarily consists of the study of carbon bonds, in their many variations.
  1. A binding agreement, a covenant.
Herbert resented his wife for subjecting him to the bonds of matrimony; he claimed they had gotten married while drunk.
  1. A sum of money paid as bail or surety.
The bailiff released the prisoner as soon as the was posted.
  1. Any constraining or cementing force or material.
A of superglue adhered the teacups to the ceiling, much to the consternation of the cafe owners.
  1. (context, construction) In building, a specific pattern of bricklaying.
  2. In Scotland, a mortgage.
verb 
  1. (transitive) To connect, secure or tie with a bond; to bind.
The gargantuan ape was bonded in iron chains and carted onto the stage.
  1. (transitive) To cause to adhere (one material with another).
The children bonded their snapshots to the scrapbook pages with mucilage.
  1. (context, transitive, chemistry) To form a chemical compound with.
Under unusual conditions, even gold can be made to bond with other elements.
  1. (transitive) To guarantee or secure a financial risk.
The contractor was bonded with a local underwriter.
  1. To form a friendship or emotional connection.
The men had bonded while serving together in Vietnam.
  1. (transitive) To put in a bonded warehouse.
  2. (context, transitive, construction) To lay bricks in a specific pattern.
  3. (context, transitive, electricity) To make a reliable electrical connection between two conductors (or any pieces of metal that may potentially become conductors).
A house's distribution panel should always be bonded to the grounding rods via a panel bond.
     
boss Tweet Definition of boss Like Definition of boss on Facebook
noun 
  1. A person in charge of a business or company.
  • Chat turned to whisper when the entered the conference room.
    1. A person who oversees and directs the work of others; a supervisor; someone who fires people.
  • My complains that I'm always late to work.
    1. A leader, the head of an organized group or team.
  • They named him because he had good leadership skills.
    1. The head of a political party in a given region or district.
  • He is the Republican in Kentucky.
    1. (context, mechanical) A protrusion, frequently a cylinder of material that extends beyond a hole.
    2. (architecture) A knob or projection, usually at the intersection of ribs in a vault.
    3. a hassock or footrest
    4. the strengthened area at the centre of a shield to the hand grip, which is attached to the rear of the boss. The boss is frequently made of metal even when the remainder of the shield is of wood or leather
  • verb (boss, es)
    1. To exercise authoritative control; to lord over; to boss around; to tell someone what to do, often repeatedly.
    • You aren't my father. You can't me around!.
      1. (rare) To decorate with bosses; to emboss.
    adjective 
    1. (slang) of excellent quality, first-rate
         
    bow Tweet Definition of bow Like Definition of bow on Facebook
    noun verb      
    bowl Tweet Definition of bowl Like Definition of bowl on Facebook
    noun 
    1. A roughly hemispherical container used to hold, mix or present food, such as salad, fruit or soup, or other items.
    2. As much as is held by a bowl.
    You can't have any more soup - you've had three bowls already.
    1. The ball rolled by players in the game of lawn bowls.
    2. (also pudding bowl or bowl cut) A haircut in which straight hair is cut at an even height around the edges, forming a bowl shape.
    3. A round crater (or similar) in the ground.
    4. The action of bowling a ball.
    5. (in plural bowls but used with a singular verb) The game of lawn bowls.
    6. (American football) an important annual game, such as the Orange Bowl, the Rose Bowl, or the Superbowl
    verb 
    1. (transitive) To roll or throw (a ball) in the correct manner in cricket and similar games and sports.
      1. (intransitive) To throw the ball (in cricket and similar games and sports).
         
    brace Tweet Definition of brace Like Definition of brace on Facebook
    noun 
    1. That which holds anything tightly or supports it firmly; a bandage or a prop.
    2. A cord, ligament, or rod, for producing or maintaining tension, as a cord on the side of a drum.
    3. The state of being braced or tight; tension.
    4. A piece of material used to transmit, or change the direction of, weight or pressure; any one of the pieces, in a frame or truss, which divide the structure into triangular parts. It may act as a tie, or as a strut, and serves to prevent distortion of the structure, and transverse strains in its members. A boiler brace is a diagonal stay, connecting the head with the shell.
    5. A vertical curved line ('{' or '}') connecting two or more words or lines, which are to be taken together; thus, boll, bowl; or, in music, used to connect staves.
    6. (nautical) A rope reeved through a block at the end of a yard, by which the yard is moved horizontally; also, a rudder gudgeon.
    7. A curved instrument or handle of iron or wood, for holding and turning bits, etc.; a bitstock.
    8. A pair; a couple; as, a brace of ducks; now rarely applied to persons, except familiarly or with some contempt.
    9. Harness; warlike preparation.
    10. Armor for the arm; vambrace.
    11. The mouth of a shaft.
    12. (usually plural) Straps or bands to sustain trousers; suspenders.
    13. (usually plural) A system of wires, brackets, and elastic bands used to correct crooked teeth.
    verb to brace
    1. To prepare for something bad, as an impact or blow. All hands, brace for impact!
    1. (nautical) To swing round the yards of a square rigged ship, using braces, to present a more efficient sail surface to the direction of the wind
      1. To stop someone for questioning, usually said of police
      2. To confront with questions, demands or requests
         
    bracket Tweet Definition of bracket Like Definition of bracket on Facebook
    noun 
    1. Item attached to a wall to hold up a shelf.
    2. Generically any of "(", ")", "", "", "{", "}", and, in the area of computer languages, "<", ">".
    3. "(" and ")" specifically, the other forms above requiring adjectives for disambiguation.
    4. (Technical) "" and "" specifically - opposed to the other forms which have their own technical names.
    5. (sports)
    1. printed diagram of games in a tournament
    2. prediction of the outcome of games in a tournament, used for betting purposes
      1. one of several ranges of numbers
      tax bracket, age bracket
    verb 
    1. To bound on both sides, to surround as enclosing with brackets.
    I tried to hit the bullseye by first bracketing it with two shots and then splitting the difference with my third, but I missed.
         
    bracketing Tweet Definition of bracketing Like Definition of bracketing on Facebook
    verb 
    1. (present participle of, bracket)
         
    Brad Tweet Definition of Brad Like Definition of Brad on Facebook
    proper noun 
    1. (given name, male) sometimes short for Bradley, Bradly, Bradford or Braddeus.
         
    bradawl Tweet Definition of bradawl Like Definition of bradawl on Facebook
    noun 
    1. An awl for making holes, especially in wood to take screws.
         
    brick Tweet Definition of brick Like Definition of brick on Facebook
    noun 
    1. A hardened block of mud, clay, etc, used for building.
    This house is made of bricks.
    1. (uncountable) Considered collectively, as a building material.
    This house is made of .
    1. (basketball) A shot which misses, particularly one which bounces directly out of the basket.
    We can't win if we keep throwing up bricks from three-point land.
    1. Term of endearment, especially towards a subject who has performed a favour of an act of kindness without expectation of reciprocity.
    Thanks for helping me wash the car. You're a .
    1. (slang) An electronic device, especially a heavy box-shaped one, that has been rendered non-functional and, usually, non-repairable.
    2. (colloquial) a mobile phone, especially one that is large and/or heavy relative to current models
    3. (colloquial) An external power supply consisting of a small box with an integral male power plug and an attached electric cord terminating in a power plug. A power brick.
    verb 
    1. (slang) To hit someone using a brick.
    2. (rfv-sense) (slang) To be a high state of anxiety: "Bricking it"
    3. (rfv-sense) (slang) To make an electronic device nonfunctional and usually unrepareable, resulting in a device with a utility on par with a masonry brick.
    My VCR was bricked during the lightning storm.
    adjective 
    1. Made of brick.
    All that was left after the fire was the chimney.
         
    brickwork Tweet Definition of brickwork Like Definition of brickwork on Facebook
    noun 
    1. Those parts of items that are made of brick.
    2. The quality of the construction of brick built items.
         
    bridge Tweet Definition of bridge Like Definition of bridge on Facebook
    noun 
    1. A construction or natural feature that spans a divide.
    The rope crosses the river.
    1. (anatomy) The upper bony ridge of the human nose.
    Rugby players often break the of their noses.
    1. (dentistry) A prosthesis replacing one or several adjacent tooth, teeth.
    The dentist pulled out the decayed tooth and put in a .
    1. (nautical) An elevated platform above the upper deck of a mechanically propelled ship from which it is navigated and from which all activities on deck can be seen and controlled by the captain, etc; smaller ships have a wheelhouse, and sailing ships were controlled from a quarterdeck.
    The first officer is on the .
    1. (music) The piece, on string instruments, that support the strings from the sounding board.
    2. (computing) A device which connects two or more computer bus, buses, typically in a transparent manner.
    This chip is the between the front-side bus and the I/O bus.
    1. (communication) A system which connects two or more LAN, local area networks at layer 2.
    The LAN uses a spanning tree algorithm.
    1. (music) A song contained within another song, often demarcated by meter, key, or melody.
    The lyrics in the song's inverted its meaning.
    1. (chemistry) A valence bond, atom or chain of atoms that connects two different parts of a molecule; the atoms so connected being bridgeheads.
    2. (electronics) An unintended solder connection between two or more components or pins.
    3. (electronics) Any of several electrical devices that measure characteristics such as impedance and inductance by balancing different parts of a circuit
    4. (billiards, snooker, pool) A particular form of one hand placed on the table to support the cue when making a shot in cue sports.
    verb (bridg, ing)
    1. To be or make a bridge over something.
    With enough cable, we can this gorge.
    1. (idiomatic) To span as if with a bridge.
    The two groups were able to their differences.
         
    broach Tweet Definition of broach Like Definition of broach on Facebook
    noun 
    1. A series of chisel points mounted on one piece of steel.
    1. (alternative spelling of, brooch)
    verb (broach, es)
    1. (transitive) To make a hole in, especially a cask of liquor, and put in a tap in order to draw the liquid.
    2. (transitive) (figuratively) To begin discussion about (something).
      I broached the subject of contraceptives carefully when the teenager mentioned his promiscuity.
         
    broom Tweet Definition of broom Like Definition of broom on Facebook
    noun 
    1. Fibers bound together at the end of a long handle, used for sweeping.
    2. (curling) An implement with which players sweep the ice to make a stone travel further and curl less; a broom or sweeper.
    3. (botany) Any of several shrubs in the subfamily Faboidae.
      • See wikipedia article on (w, broom (shrub))
    verb 
         
    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.
  •      
    built-in Tweet Definition of built-in Like Definition of built-in on Facebook
    adjective 
    1. constructed as a non-detachable part of a larger structure
    2. being an essential and permanent part of something
    3. of an included feature that normally come as an extra
         
    bulb Tweet Definition of bulb Like Definition of bulb on Facebook
    noun 
    1. Any solid object rounded at one end and tapering on the other, possibly attached to a larger object at the tapered end
    2. A light bulb
    3. The bulb-shaped root portion of a plant such as a tulip, from which the rest of the plant may be regrown.
      • 2005, w:Plato, Plato, Sophist. Translation by Lesley Brown. w:Stephanus pagination, 265c.
      • : the plants which grow in the earth from seed or bulbs.
         
    burin Tweet Definition of burin Like Definition of burin on Facebook
    noun 
    1. a chisel with a sharp point, used for engraving; a graver
    2. a prehistoric flint tool
         
    burr Tweet Definition of burr Like Definition of burr on Facebook
    noun 
    1. A sharp, pointy object, such as a sliver or splinter.
    2. A seed pod with sharp features that stick in fur or clothing.
    3. A small piece of material left on an edge after a cutting operation.
         
    butt Tweet Definition of butt Like Definition of butt on Facebook
    noun 
    1. The rear end of an animal or human; rear end.
    2. (slang) The buttocks; used as a euphemism, less objectionable than arse/[[ass
      • Get up off your and get to work.
        1. (slang) Body; self.
      • Get your to the car.
      • We can't chat today. I have to get my to work before I'm late.
        1. The larger or thicker end of anything; the blunt end, in distinction from the sharp end; as, the butt of a rifle. Formerly also spelled but.
        2. A limit; a bound; a goal; the extreme bound; the end.
      • 1604, William Shakespeare, Othello, Act V, Scene II, line 267.
      • :Here is my journey's end, here is my / And very sea-mark of my utmost sail.
        1. A mark to be shot at; a target.
      • 1598, William Shakespeare, Henry V, Act I, Scene II, line 186.
      • :To which is fixed, as an aim or ...
      • 1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page 37.
      • :The inhabitants of all cities and towns were ordered to make butts, and to keep them in repair, under a penalty of twenty shillings per month, and to exercise themselves in shooting at them on holidays.
        1. A piece of land left unplowed at the end of a field.
        2. A person at whom ridicule, jest, or contempt is directed; as, the butt of the company.
        3. A push, thrust, or sudden blow, given by the head of an animal; as, the butt of a ram.
        4. A thrust in fencing.
        5. (lacrosse) The plastic or rubber cap used to cover the open end of a lacrosse stick's shaft in order to prevent injury.
        6. The portion of a half-coupling fastened to the end of a hose.
        7. The end of a connecting rod or other like piece, to which the boxing is attached by the strap, cotter, and gib.
        8. (context, mechanical) A joint where the ends of two objects come squarely together without scarfing or chamfering; " also called a butt joint.
        9. (context, carpentry) A kind of hinge used in hanging doors, etc.; so named because fastened on the edge of the door, which butts against the casing, instead of on its face, like the strap hinge; also called butt hinge.
        10. (context, shipbuilding) The joint where two planks in a strake meet.
        11. (context, leather trades) The thickest and stoutest part of tanned oxhides, used for soles of boots, harness, trunks.
        12. The hut or shelter of the person who attends to the targets in rifle practice.
        13. (context, English units) An English measure of capacity for liquids, containing 126 wine gallon]s; [[equivalent to the pipe.
      • 1882, James Edwin Thorold Rogers, A History of Agriculture and Prices in England, p. 205.
      • : Again, by 28 Hen. VIII, cap. 14, it is re-enacted that the tun of wine should contain 252 gallons, a of Malmsey 126 gallons, a pipe 126 gallons, a tercian or puncheon 84 gallons, a hogshead 63 gallons, a tierce 41 gallons, a barrel 31.5 gallons, a rundlet 18.5 gallons. "
        1. A wooden cask for storing wine, usually containing 126 gallons.
      • 1611, William Shakespeare, The Tempest, Act II, Scene II, line 121.
      • : ...I escap'd upon a of sack which the sailors heav'd o'erboard...
    verb (butts, butting, butted, butted)
    1. To strike bluntly, particularly with the head.
         
    butterfly Tweet Definition of butterfly Like Definition of butterfly on Facebook
    noun (butterflies)
    1. (insect) A flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, distinguished from moths by their diurnal activity and generally brighter colouring.
    2. A swimming stroke in which the body is prone, the arms are moved in simultaneous circles, and the feet are kicked up and down.
    3. A use of surgical tape, cut into thin strips and placed across an open wound to hold it closed.
    tape
    verb (butterfl, i, ed)
    1. To cut almost entirely in half and spread the halves apart, in a shape suggesting the wings of a butterfly.
    butterflied shrimp
    1. To cut strips of surgical tape or plasters into thin strips, and place across a gaping wound to close it.
         
    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.
         

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