English Words Starting With B

• ball mill

  nounC2
  /ˈbɔːl ˌmɪl/A piece of industrial equipment, typically a rotating drum, that uses heavy balls to grind and mix materials into a fine powder or paste.
• ball of fire

  nounC2 (Low frequency, mostly in informal/specialized contexts)
  /ˌbɔːl əv ˈfaɪə/A person who is full of energy, enthusiasm, and talent; someone who achieves great things quickly.
• ball of wax

  nounLow
  /ˌbɔːl əv ˈwæks/The entirety or whole of a situation, matter, or set of circumstances; the whole thing.
• ball race

  nounLow
  /ˈbɔːl ˌreɪs/A mechanical bearing consisting of a ring of hardened steel balls running in a grooved track, used to reduce friction between rotating parts.
• ball tearer

  nounLow
  A person or thing that is outstanding, impressive, or excellent, often with an energetic or forceful quality.
• ball turning

  nounVery Low / Technical
  /ˈbɔːl ˌtɜː.nɪŋ/A lathe machining operation that creates a perfectly spherical or ball-shaped component.
• ball valve

  nounLow
  /ˈbɔːl ˌvælv/A mechanical device that controls fluid flow using a spherical ball with a hole through it, which rotates to open or close the passage.
• ball-and-claw foot

  nounLow
  /ˌbɔːl ən ˈklɔː ˌfʊt/A decorative furniture foot shaped like an animal's claw grasping a ball.
• ball-and-socket joint

  nounC1/C2
  /ˌbɔːl ən ˈsɒkɪt ˌdʒɔɪnt/A mechanical joint or anatomical structure where a spherical end (ball) fits into a concave cup (socket), allowing rotational movement in multiple directions.
• ball-buster

  nounLow
  /ˈbɔːl ˌbʌs.tər/An extremely difficult or demanding task; something that requires exceptional effort or endurance.
• ball-carrier

  nounMedium-low
  /ˈbɔːl ˌkæ.ri.ə/The player who has possession of the ball during play.
• ball-peen hammer

  nounC2
  /ˌbɔːl ˈpiːn ˌhæm.ər/A type of hammer with one flat face and one rounded, hemispherical face (the peen).
• balla

  nounLow (slang, niche cultural usage)
  /ˈbɔːlə/A slang term for a person who is exceptionally successful, wealthy, or stylish, typically associated with extravagant or flashy lifestyle (originally from hip-hop culture; derives from 'baller').
• ballad

  nounB2
  /ˈbæləd/A poem or song narrating a story in short stanzas, typically with a repeating refrain, often traditional and dealing with romance, tragedy, or heroic deeds.
• ballad metre

  nounC2
  /ˈbæləd ˌmiːtə/A traditional poetic metre consisting of alternating lines of iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter, commonly used in English folk ballads and narrative poetry.
• ballad of reading gaol, the

  nounC2
  /ðə ˌbæləd əv ˌredɪŋ ˈdʒeɪl/The specific title of a long poem by Oscar Wilde, written in 1897 about his experiences in prison and the execution of a fellow inmate.
• ballad opera

  nounC2
  /ˈbæləd ˈɒp(ə)rə/A form of popular 18th-century comic opera that combines spoken dialogue with new lyrics set to pre-existing, often well-known, melodies.
• ballad stanza

  nounC1
  /ˈbæləd ˈstænzə/A four-line poetic stanza, typically used in ballads, with alternating lines of iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter, rhyming ABCB.
• ballade

  nounLow (C1+ vocabulary, literary/musical domain)
  /bæˈlɑːd/A poetic form or musical composition, typically consisting of three stanzas with a repeated refrain and often an envoi, dealing with serious or romantic themes.
• balladeer

  nounC2/Rare
  /ˌbæl.əˈdɪər/A singer of ballads, often as a profession; especially one who performs narrative folk songs or romantic popular songs in a traditional style.

Showing 821–840 of 10030 words.