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English Words Starting With B
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- bitter/ˈbɪtə(r)/Having a sharp, pungent, unpleasant taste; not sweet.adjectiveadverbnoun+2High
- bitter apple/ˌbɪt.ər ˈæp.əl/A literal, botanical compound noun: 1) A plant (Citrullus colocynthis), also known as colocynth or desert gourd, bearing a very bitter, yellow fruit. 2) The extremely bitter fruit of this plant, historically used as a potent purgative in medicine.nounLow
- bitter end/ˌbɪt.ər ˈend/The very end of something, especially a difficult or unpleasant situation, pursued with grim determination until no more can be done.nounC1-C2
- bitter herb/ˌbɪtə ˈhɜːb/A plant with a sharp, pungent, and generally unpleasant taste, used for culinary seasoning, medicinal purposes, or ritual significance.nounC1/C2
- bitter lake/ˌbɪtə ˈleɪk/A lake with high salinity, containing significant quantities of sodium sulfate or other bitter-tasting salts.nounC1
- bitter lakes/ˌbɪt.ə ˈleɪks/A proper noun referring to the Bitter Lakes in Egypt, a series of highly saline lakes through which the Suez Canal passes.plural-nounC1/C2
- bitter melon/ˌbɪtə ˈmɛlən/A tropical and subtropical vine cultivated for its edible fruit, which has a warty, oblong appearance and a distinctively bitter taste.nounLow
- bitter orange/ˌbɪtər ˈɒrɪndʒ/A type of orange (Citrus × aurantium) with a sour, bitter taste, used primarily for marmalade, flavorings, and essential oils rather than for eating fresh.nounB2
- bitter pill/ˌbɪt.ə ˈpɪl/An unpleasant fact, situation, or outcome that one must accept.nounMedium
- bitter principle/ˌbɪtə ˈprɪnsɪp(ə)l/A chemical compound found in plants that imparts a bitter taste, often serving as a defence mechanism against herbivores.nounC2/Rare
- bitter rot/ˌbɪt.ə ˈrɒt/A destructive fungal disease affecting the fruit of certain trees, especially apples, causing brown, sunken, and bitter-tasting lesions.nounLow / Technical
- bitterbark/ˈbɪtəbɑːk/A tree or shrub, typically from Australia or South America, with bark that has a notably bitter taste and is used in traditional medicine or as a tonic.nounC2
- bitterbrush/ˈbɪtəbrʌʃ/A common name for a North American shrub genus (Purshia), especially antelope bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata).nounLow
- bittercress/ˈbɪtəkrɛs/A common name for various small, wild, edible plants in the Brassicaceae family, characterized by their peppery-tasting leaves.nounLow
- bitterender/ˌbɪtərˈɛndə/A person who continues to fight or resist stubbornly, especially in a hopeless cause or after most opposition has ceased.nounLow
- bitterling/ˈbɪtəlɪŋ/A small freshwater fish of the carp family (genus Rhodeus), native to Europe and parts of Asia, known for its symbiotic breeding relationship with freshwater mussels.nounC2 / Low
- bittern/ˈbɪtən/A type of wading bird in the heron family, known for its secretive behaviour, camouflage plumage, and deep booming call.nounC1/C2
- bitterness/ˈbɪtənəs/A sharp, pungent taste, often considered unpleasant, that is not sour, salty, or sweet.nounB2
- bitternut/ˈbɪtənʌt/A North American hickory tree (Carya cordiformis) known for its extremely bitter-tasting nuts.nounLow
- bitterroot/ˈbɪtəruːt/A perennial flowering plant native to western North America, known for its edible but bitter-tasting root.nounLow
Showing 4861–4880 of 10030 words.