Browse by letter
English Words Starting With B
10,030 entries — pick a word to see its definition, pronunciation, and usage.
Filter
Parts of speech
- bovril/ˈbɒvrɪl/A brand name for a thick, dark, salty meat extract paste, typically made from beef, used to make a hot drink (a 'beef tea') or as a spread or flavouring.nounLow
- bovver/ˈbɒvə(r)/deliberately aggressive and violent behavior, especially associated with gang culture or football hooliganism.nounLow (very informal, specific subculture slang, dated outside of specific contexts)
- bovver boots/ˈbɒvə buːts/A heavy, lace-up leather boot, typically with steel toe caps, associated with British working-class youth subcultures and football hooliganism in the 1970s-80s.plural-nounLow
- bow/baʊ/ (to bow, a bow); /bəʊ/ (a bow, bow tie)Two distinct words: 1) a verb/noun meaning to bend the body forward as a sign of respect or acknowledgment; 2) a noun for a weapon that shoots arrows or a decorative knot.nounverbverb-intransitive+1B1
- bow back/ˌbaʊ ˈbæk/To bend the body at the waist as a formal sign of respect, submission, or acknowledgement.nounC1
- bow bells/ˌbəʊ ˈbelz/The bells of the church of St Mary-le-Bow in Cheapside, London; the sound of these bells, historically used to define the area of London considered to be a 'true Cockney'.plural-nounC2
- bow collector/ˈbəʊ kəˌlɛktə/A device on an electric railway vehicle (especially a tram or trolleybus) that collects current from an overhead wire via a sprung, upward-facing bow-shaped contact.nounLow
- bow compass/ˌbəʊ ˈkʌmpəs/A drawing instrument with a fixed central pivot and two legs, used for drawing circles or arcs, where the legs are connected by a bow-shaped mechanism, often with an adjustable radius.nounC2
- bow divider/ˈbaʊ dɪˌvaɪdə/A navigational instrument used on ships, consisting of a pair of compasses with a curved bow-shaped spring, primarily for measuring distances on charts.nounVery Low (Technical/Historical)
- bow front/ˌbəʊ ˈfrʌnt/A curved or rounded front, especially on a piece of furniture or a building.nounLow
- bow hand/ˈbəʊ ˌhænd/The hand that holds the bow in archery or string-playing (violin, cello, etc.).nounC2
- bow legs/ˌbəʊ ˈleɡd/ (adjective: bow-legged)A condition where a person's legs curve outward at the knees, leaving a visible space when the feet and ankles are together.plural-nounC1
- bow net/ˈbəʊ ˌnɛt/A type of trap or net, typically conical or arched in shape, used for catching fish or crustaceans, often set on the seabed or riverbed.nounC2/Rare
- bow oar/ˌbaʊ ˈɔː/The oar on the port (left) side of a rowing boat, nearest the bow, which is typically the first to be pulled.nounVery low
- bow out/ˌbaʊ ˈaʊt/to withdraw or retire from a competition, position, or activity, often gracefullyverbC1/C2
- bow rudder/ˈbaʊ ˌrʌd.ə/A kayaking or canoeing steering technique where a paddle stroke is applied at the front (bow) of the boat to initiate a turn.nounLow (technical/specialist)
- bow saw/ˈbəʊ ˌsɔː/A hand saw with a narrow, flexible blade stretched in a C-shaped frame, designed for cutting curves.nounC2
- bow shock/ˈbaʊ ˌʃɒk/The region where the solar wind (a stream of charged particles from the sun) abruptly slows down as it encounters a planet's magnetic field or atmosphere.nounVery Low
- bow street/ˌbəʊ ˈstriːt/A street in the Covent Garden area of London, historically famous as the location of a principal magistrate's court and, earlier, the Bow Street Runners.nounC1
- bow street runner/ˌbəʊ striːt ˈrʌnə(r)/A member of an early, quasi-official police force in 18th- and 19th-century London, organized from the Bow Street magistrates' court.nounC2
Showing 7301–7320 of 10030 words.