Collins Primary Illustrated Dictionary
NOUN 1 a flower on a plant
VERB 2 When a plant blooms, it produces flowers.
blossom blossoms, blossoming, blossomed
NOUN 1 all the flowers that appear on a tree before the fruit
VERB 2 When a tree blossoms, it produces flowers.
blot blots
NOUN a mark made by a drop of liquid, especially ink
blouse blouses
NOUN a light shirt, worn by a girl or a woman
blow blows, blowing, blew, blown
VERB 1 When the wind blows, the air moves.
2 If you blow, you send a stream of air from your mouth.
3 If you blow your nose, you force air out of it through your nostrils in order to clear it.
NOUN 4 If you receive a blow, someone or something hits you.
blow up
VERB 1 If something blows up, it is destroyed by an explosion.
2 If you blow up a balloon or a tyre, you fill it with air.
blubber
NOUN the layer of fat beneath the skin of animals such as whales and seals that protects them from the cold
blue bluer, bluest
ADJECTIVE OR NOUN the colour of the sky on a clear, sunny day
bluebell bluebells
NOUN a woodland plant with blue, bell-shaped flowers
bluff bluffs, bluffing, bluffed
NOUN 1 an attempt to make someone believe that you will do something when you do not really intend to do it
VERB 2 If you are bluffing, you are trying to make someone believe that you are in a strong position when you are not.
[from Dutch bluffen meaning to boast]
blunder blunders, blundering, blundered
NOUN 1 a silly mistake
VERB 2 If you blunder, you make a silly mistake.
blunt blunter, bluntest
ADJECTIVE 1 A blunt object has a rounded point or edge, rather than a sharp one. • My pencil was blunt so I could not write with it.
2 If you are blunt, you say exactly what you think, without trying to be polite.
SYNONYMS: outspoken, straightforward
blur
NOUN If something is a blur, you can’t see it clearly. • The mountain was a blur through the mist.
blurb blurbs
NOUN the description of a book printed on the back cover
blurt out blurts out, blurting out, blurted out
VERB If you blurt out something, you say it suddenly, after trying to keep it a secret.
blush blushes, blushing, blushed
VERB If you blush, your face becomes red, because you are embarrassed or ashamed.
[from Old English blyscan meaning to glow]
boa boas
NOUN a large snake that kills its prey by coiling round it and crushing it
boar boars
NOUN 1 a male wild pig
2 a male domestic pig used for breeding
board boards, boarding, boarded
NOUN 1 a long, flat piece of wood
2 a flat piece of wood, plastic or cardboard, which is used for a particular purpose • a chessboard • a surfboard
3 the group of people who control a company or organization • My mum is on the board of governors.
4 the meals provided when you stay in a hotel or guesthouse • The price includes full board.
VERB 5 If you board a ship or aircraft, you get on it or in it.
PHRASE 6 If you are on board a ship or aircraft, you are on it or in it.
boarder boarders
NOUN 1 a pupil who lives at school during term
2 a lodger
boast boasts, boasting, boasted
VERB If you boast, you talk proudly about what you have or what you can do.
SYNONYM: brag
boat boats
NOUN a small vehicle for travelling across water
body bodies
NOUN 1 Your body is all of you, from your head to your feet.
2 You can say body when you mean just the main part of a human or other animal, not counting head, arms and legs.
bodyguard bodyguards
NOUN a person employed to protect someone
bog bogs
NOUN an area of wet, spongy ground
boil boils, boiling, boiled
VERB 1 When a hot liquid boils, or when you boil it, it starts to bubble and to give off steam.
2 When you boil food, you cook it in boiling water.
boiler boilers
NOUN a piece of equipment that burns fuel to provide hot water
boisterous
ADJECTIVE Someone who is boisterous is noisy and lively.
SYNONYMS: loud, rowdy
boisterously ADVERB
bold bolder, boldest
ADJECTIVE 1 brave or confident • He was bold enough to ask for her autograph.
2 clear and noticeable • The sign was painted in bold colours.
[from Old Norse ballr meaning dangerous or terrible]
bollard bollards
NOUN a short, thick post used to stop vehicles from entering a road
bolt bolts, bolting, bolted
NOUN 1 a metal object that screws into a nut and is used to fasten things together
VERB 2 If you bolt one thing to another, you fasten them together using a bolt. • They bolted the chair to the floor.
3 If you bolt a door or window, you slide a metal bar across in order to fasten it.
bomb bombs, bombing, bombed
NOUN 1 a container filled with material that explodes when it hits something or when it is set off by a timer
VERB 2 If you bomb something, you attack it with a bomb.
[from Greek bombos meaning a booming sound]
bond bonds
NOUN a close relationship between people • the bond between mothers and babies
bone bones
NOUN the hard parts that form the framework of a person’s or animal’s body
bonfire bonfires
NOUN a large fire made outdoors, to burn rubbish or to celebrate something
[from bone + fire – bones were used as fuel in the Middle Ages]
bonnet bonnets
NOUN 1 the metal cover over a car’s engine
2 a baby’s or woman’s hat tied under the chin
bonus bonuses
NOUN 1 an amount of money added to a person’s usual pay
2 a good thing that you get in addition to something else
bony bonier, boniest
ADJECTIVE Bony people or animals are very thin, with not much flesh covering their bones.
book books, booking, booked
NOUN 1 a number of pages held together inside a cover
VERB 2 When you book something, you arrange to have it or use it at a particular time. • Mum booked two rooms at the hotel.
bookcase bookcases
NOUN a piece of furniture where you keep books
booklet booklets
NOUN a small book with a paper cover
boom booms, booming, boomed
NOUN 1 a deep, echoing sound
2 a fast increase in something • There has been a boom in the sale of sun cream this summer.
VERB 3 If something booms, it makes a loud booming sound. • We heard the foghorn boom in the distance.
boomerang boomerangs
NOUN a curved, wooden missile that can be thrown so that it returns to the thrower. Boomerangs were traditionally used as weapons by Australian Aborigines.
boost boosts, boosting, boosted
VERB If someone boosts something, they improve or increase it. • The teacher boosted Juliet’s confidence when she praised her story.
boot boots
NOUN 1 strong shoes that come up over your ankle, and sometimes your calf
2 the covered space in a car, usually at the back, for carrying things in
booth booths
NOUN 1 a small, partly-enclosed area • a telephone booth
2 a stall where you can buy things, for example at a market or a fair
border borders
NOUN 1 the dividing line between two countries
2 a strip or band round the edge of something
3 flower beds round the edges of a garden
borderline borderlines
NOUN If someone or something is on the borderline, they are on the division between two different categories.
bore bores, boring, bored
VERB 1 If something bores you, you find it dull and uninteresting.
2 If you bore a hole in something, you make it using a tool such as a drill.
3 the past tense of bear
NOUN 4 someone or something that bores you
bored
ADJECTIVE If you are bored, you are miserable because you have nothing interesting to do.
boring
ADJECTIVE dull and uninteresting
ANTONYM: interesting
born
VERB When an animal such as a human baby is born, it comes out of its mother’s body and starts to live.
borrow borrows, borrowing, borrowed
VERB If you borrow something that belongs to someone else, they let you have it for a period of time. • I borrowed a book from my friend.
boss bosses, bossing, bossed
NOUN 1 Someone’s boss is the person in charge of the place where they work.
VERB 2 If someone bosses you, they keep telling you what to do.
bossy bossier, bossiest
ADJECTIVE If you are bossy, you like to order other people around.
botany
NOUN the study and classification of plants
both
ADJECTIVE OR PRONOUN Both is used when saying something about two things or two people. • You can both come to my party.
bother bothers, bothering, bothered
VERB 1 If you don’t bother to do something, you don’t do it because it takes too much effort or it’s not important.
2 If something bothers you, you are worried about it.
3 If you are not bothered about something, you don’t care about it.
4 If you bother someone, you interrupt them when they are busy.
NOUN 5 trouble, fuss or difficulty • Mum’s having a bit of bother with the car.
bottle bottles, bottling, bottled
NOUN 1 a glass or plastic container for keeping liquids in
VERB 2 If you bottle something, you put it in a bottle to store it.
bottom bottoms
NOUN 1 the lowest part of something • It sank to the bottom of the pond.
2 Your bottom is the part of your body that you sit on.
bottomless
ADJECTIVE If something is bottomless, it has no bottom or it is very deep.
bough boughs
Rhymes with “cow” NOUN a large branch of a tree
bought
VERB the past tense and past participle of buy
boulder boulders
NOUN a large, rounded rock
bounce bounces, bouncing, bounced
VERB When an object bounces, it springs back from something after hitting it. • The ball bounced high off the ground.
bound bounds, bounding, bounded
ADJECTIVE 1 If you say that something is bound to happen, you mean that it is certain to happen. • He’s bound to find out.
NOUN 2 a large leap
VERB 3 When humans or other animals bound, they move quickly with large leaps.
boundary boundaries
NOUN the limit of an area
bouquet bouquets
NOUN an attractively arranged bunch of flowers
bout bouts
NOUN 1 something that lasts for a short period of time • I had a bout of flu.
2 a boxing or wrestling match
boutique boutiques
NOUN a small shop that sells fashionable clothes
bow bows, bowing, bowed
Rhymes with “now” VERB 1 When you bow, you bend your body or lower your head as a sign of respect or greeting.
NOUN 2 the movement you make when you bow
3 the front part of a ship
Rhymes with “low” NOUN 4 a knot with two loops and two loose ends • The ribbon was tied in a bow.
5 a long, thin piece of wood with horsehair strings stretched along it, used to play some stringed instruments, such as the violin and the cello
6 a long, flexible piece of wood used for shooting arrows
bowel bowels
NOUN the tubes leading from your stomach, through which waste passes before it leaves your body
[from Latin botellus meaning little sausage]
bowl bowls, bowling, bowled
NOUN 1 a round container with a wide, uncovered top, used for holding liquid or for serving food • a bowl of soup
2 the hollow, rounded part of something • a toilet bowl
VERB 3 When you bowl in cricket and rounders, you throw the ball towards the batsman.
bowling
NOUN a game in which you roll a heavy ball down a narrow track towards a set of wooden objects called pins, and try to knock them down
bowls
NOUN a game in which the players try to roll large wooden balls as near as possible to a small ball
box boxes, boxing, boxed
NOUN 1 a container with a firm base and sides, and usually a lid
VERB 2 If someone boxes, they fight according to special rules.
boxer boxers
NOUN 1 a person who boxes
2 a medium-sized, smooth-haired dog with a flat face
Boxing Day
NOUN the day after Christmas Day
boy boys
NOUN a male child
boyfriend boyfriends
NOUN Someone’s boyfriend is the man or boy with whom they are having a romantic relationship.
bra bras
NOUN a piece of underwear worn by a woman to support her breasts
brace braces, bracing, braced
NOUN 1 an object fixed to something to straighten or support it • I wore a brace on my teeth for two years.
PLURAL NOUN 2 Braces are elastic straps worn over the shoulders to hold trousers up.
VERB 3 If you brace yourself, you stiffen your body to steady yourself. • We braced ourselves as the bus went round the corner.
4 If you brace yourself for something unpleasant, you prepare yourself to deal with it.
bracelet bracelets
NOUN a chain or band worn around someone’s wrist as an ornament
[from Old French bracel meaning little arm]
bracken
NOUN a plant like a large fern that grows on hills and in woods
bracket brackets
NOUN a pair of written marks, ( ), { } or [ ], placed round a word or sentence that is not part of the main text, or to show that the items inside the brackets belong together
brag brags, bragging, bragged
VERB If you brag, you boast about something.
Braille
NOUN a system of printing for blind people in which letters are represented by raised dots that can be felt with the fingers
brain brains
NOUN the organ inside your head that controls your body and enables you to think and feel
brainstorm brainstorms
NOUN 1 a clever idea that you think of suddenly
2 If you have a brainstorm, you become confused and cannot think clearly.
brainy brainier, brainiest
ADJECTIVE clever and good at learning things
brake brakes, braking, braked
NOUN 1 a device for making a vehicle stop or slow down
VERB 2 When drivers brake, they make a vehicle stop or slow down by using its brakes.
bramble brambles
NOUN a wild, trailing bush with thorns, which produces blackberries
branch branches, branching, branched
NOUN 1 part of a tree that grows out from the trunk
2 A branch of a business or organization is one of its offices or shops.
VERB 3 A road that branches off from another road splits off from it to lead in a different direction.
brand brands
NOUN a particular kind or make of something
brandy
NOUN a strong, alcoholic drink, often drunk after a meal
[from Dutch brandewijn meaning burnt wine]
brass
NOUN OR ADJECTIVE 1 a yellow-coloured metal made from copper and zinc
2 In an orchestra, the brass section consists of instruments such as trumpets and trombones.
brave braver, bravest; braves, braving, braved
ADJECTIVE 1 A brave person is willing to do dangerous things and does not show any fear.
SYNONYMS: courageous, daring
VERB 2 If you brave an unpleasant or dangerous situation, you face up to it in order to do something. • We braved the snow to go to the party.
[from Italian bravo meaning courageous or wild]
brawl brawls, brawling, brawled
NOUN 1 a rough fight
VERB 2 When people brawl, they take part in a rough fight.
bread
NOUN a very common food made from flour, and baked in an oven
breadth breadths
NOUN the distance between two sides of something • I can swim the breadth of the pool.
See width
break breaks, breaking, broke, broken
VERB 1 When an object breaks, or when you break it, it becomes damaged or separates into pieces.
2 If you break a rule or promise, you fail to keep it.
3 To break a record means to do better than the previous recorded best. • She broke the record for the long jump.
NOUN 4 a short period during which you rest or do something different
break down
VERB When a machine or a vehicle breaks down, it stops working.
break up
VERB When schools break up, the term ends. • We break up on Thursday.
breakable
ADJECTIVE easy to break
breakdown breakdowns
NOUN If there is a breakdown in a system, it stops working.
breakfast breakfasts
NOUN the first meal of the day
breast breasts
NOUN A woman’s breasts are the two soft, fleshy parts on her chest, which produce milk after she has had a baby.
breast-feed breast-feeds, breast-feeding, breast-fed
VERB If a woman breast-feeds her baby, she feeds it with milk from her breasts.
breath breaths
NOUN 1 the air you take into your lungs and let out again when you breathe • He took a deep breath before jumping into the pool.
PHRASE 2 If you are out of breath, you are breathing with difficulty after doing something energetic.
breathe breathes, breathing, breathed
VERB When you breathe, you take air into your lungs and let it out again.
breathless
ADJECTIVE If you are breathless, you are breathing very fast or with difficulty. • I was breathless after running to catch the bus.
breathlessly ADVERB
breathlessness NOUN
breed breeds, breeding, bred
NOUN 1 a particular type of animal. For example, an Alsatian is a breed of dog.
VERB 2 Someone who breeds animals or plants keeps them in order to produce more animals or plants with particular qualities. • He used to breed dogs for the police.
3 When animals breed, they produce young.
SYNONYM: reproduce
breeze breezes
NOUN a gentle wind
breezy ADJECTIVE
brewery breweries
NOUN a place where beer is made, or a company that makes beer
bribe bribes, bribing, bribed
NOUN 1 a gift or money given to an official to persuade them to allow you to do something
VERB 2 If someone bribes someone else, they give them a bribe.
brick bricks
NOUN a rectangular block of baked clay used in building
bride brides
NOUN a woman who is getting married or who has just got married
bridegroom bridegrooms
NOUN a man on or near his wedding day
bridesmaid bridesmaids
NOUN a woman or girl who helps a bride on her wedding day
bridge bridges
NOUN 1 a structure built over a river, road or railway so that vehicles and people can cross
2 a card game for four players
bridle bridles
NOUN a set of straps round a horse’s head and mouth, which the rider uses to control the horse
brief briefer, briefest; briefs, briefing, briefed
ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is brief lasts only a short time. • We only had time for a brief visit.
VERB 2 When you brief someone on a task, you give them all the necessary instructions or information about it.
briefcase briefcases
NOUN a small, flat case for carrying papers
bright brighter, brightest
ADJECTIVE 1 strong and startling • a bright light
SYNONYMS: brilliant, dazzling
2 clever • That’s a bright idea.
SYNONYMS: intelligent, quick
brighten brightens, brightening, brightened
VERB If something brightens, it becomes brighter.
brighten up
VERB If you brighten up something, you make it look brighter and more attractive.
brilliant
ADJECTIVE 1 A brilliant person is extremely clever.
2 INFORMAL Something that is brilliant is extremely good or enjoyable.
3 A brilliant colour or light is extremely bright.
brim brims
NOUN 1 the wide part of a hat that sticks outwards from the head
2 If a container is filled to the brim, it is filled right to the top.
bring brings, bringing, brought
VERB If you bring something or someone with you when you go to a place, you take them with you.
bring up
VERB When someone brings up children, they look after them while they grow up.
brink
NOUN 1 the edge of a deep hole, cliff or ravine
PHRASE 2 If you are on the brink of something, you are about to do it. • They were on the brink of discovering a cure for the common cold.
brisk brisker, briskest
ADJECTIVE 1 quick and energetic • a brisk walk
2 If someone’s manner is brisk, it shows that they want to get things done quickly and efficiently.
briskly ADVERB briskness NOUN
bristle bristles, bristling, bristled
NOUN 1 Bristles are strong animal hairs used to make brushes.
VERB 2 If the hairs on an animal’s body bristle, they rise up because it is frightened.
bristly ADJECTIVE
brittle
ADJECTIVE An object that is brittle is hard but breaks easily.
broad broader, broadest
ADJECTIVE 1 A broad river is wide.
2 The broad outline of a story gives the main points, but no details.
broadband
NOUN a digital system for sending data to and from televisions, computers and telephones • What is the broadband speed like here?
broadcast broadcasts, broadcasting, broadcast
NOUN 1 a programme or announcement on radio or television
VERB 2 When someone broadcasts something, they send it out by radio waves, so that it can be seen on television or heard on radio.
broccoli
NOUN a vegetable with green stalks and green or purple flower buds
brochure brochures
NOUN a booklet that gives information about a product or a service • holiday brochure
broke
VERB 1 the past tense of break
ADJECTIVE 2 If you are broke, you have no money.
broken
ADJECTIVE A broken object is damaged in some way.
bronchitis
NOUN an illness in which the tubes connecting your windpipe to your lungs become infected, making you cough
brontosaurus brontosauruses
NOUN a very large, plant-eating dinosaur
bronze
NOUN a yellowish-brown metal that is a mixture of copper and tin
brooch brooches
Rhymes with “coach” NOUN a piece of jewellery with a pin at the back for attaching to clothes
brood broods, brooding, brooded
NOUN 1 a family of baby birds