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bite on
something
1. to chew on
something; to grasp something
with the teeth.
2. to respond to a
lure.
bite
one’s
nails to be nervous or
anxious; to bite one’s nails from
nervousness or anxiety.
bite
one’s
tongue to struggle not to
say something that one really
wants to say.
bite the dust to fall to defeat; to
die.
bite the hand that feeds
one
to
do harm to someone who does
good things for one.
bitten ["bIt n] Past participle of
bite.
bitter ["bIt #] 1. adj. very sharp or
harsh in taste; not sweet, salty, or
sour. (Adv: bitterly.)
2. adj. [of
wind or weather] extremely cold.


(Adv: bitterly.)
3. adj. emotionally
painful; distressful. (Adv: bitterly.)
4. adj. resentful; hateful. (Adv: bit-
terly.)

take the bitter with the sweet
bizarre [bI "zar] adj. very strange;
eccentric; weird. (Adv: bizarrely.)
black ["blAk] 1. adj. the color of
coal; the color of the darkest
night; the opposite of white.
(Comp: blacker; sup: blackest.)
2. adj. [of coffee served] without
cream or milk.
3. adj. evil; wicked.
(Adv: blackly. Comp: blacker; sup:
blackest.)
4. adj. [of people, usu-
ally of African descent] having
dark-colored skin. (Occasionally
capitalized.)
5. adv. [of coffee
served] without cream or milk.
6. n. someone who is of African
descent having dark-colored skin.
(Sometimes capitalized.)

get a black eye
→ give

someone
a black eye
→ in black and white
→ in the black
→ pitch black
→ the pot calling the kettle black
black and blue bruised; showing
signs of having been physically
harmed.
black out 1. to pass out; to become
unconscious.
2. [for lights] to go
out.
black
something
out 1. to cut or
turn out the lights or electric
power.
2. to prevent the broadcast
of a specific television or radio
program in a specific area.
blacken ["blAk @n] 1. tv. to make
something black; to cause some-
thing to become black.
2. iv. to
become very dark or black; to turn
black.
blackness ["blAk n@s] n. the state
of being black. (No plural.)
blackout ["blAk aUt] 1. n. a com-

plete loss of all electricity or
power; a situation of complete
darkness, especially caused by a
loss of electrical power.
2. n. a
state of not being conscious.
blade ["bled] 1. n. the flat, sharp-
ened edge of a knife or tool.
2. n.
the flat, wide part of an oar or
propeller.
3. n. a long, flat leaf of
grass or other plant.
4. n. the
metal part of an ice skate that
makes contact with the ice.
blame ["blem] 1. n. the responsibil-
ity for causing something that is
bad or wrong. (No plural.)
2. tv. to
bite on something
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place the responsibility for doing
something wrong on a person.
blame
someone
for
something

to
hold someone responsible for
something; to name someone as
the cause of something.
blame
something
on
someone
to
say that something is someone’s
fault; to place the guilt for some-
thing on someone.
blank ["blANk] 1. n. an empty line
or a space on a form.
2. adj. with-
out marks; having no writing.
(Comp: blanker; sup: blankest.)
3. adj. [of a facial expression] not
showing recognition or response.
(Adv: blankly. Comp: blanker; sup:
blankest.)

draw a blank
a blank check freedom or permis-
sion to act as one wishes or thinks
necessary.
blank
something
out 1. to forget
something, perhaps on purpose;

to blot something out of memory.
2. to erase something, as on a
computer screen.
blanket ["blAN kIt] 1. n. a piece of
thick fabric, used to keep someone
warm.
2. n. a layer of something
that covers something else. (Figu-
rative on Q.)
3. tv. [for something
as in W] to cover something.
→ a
wet blanket
blare ["blEr] 1. n. a loud, harsh
noise.
2. iv. to make a loud, harsh
noise.
blast ["blAst] 1. n. a strong, sudden
gust of air; a sudden, heavy wind.
2. n. the noise and violent gust of
air created by an explosion.
3. n.
an explosion.
4. tv. to blow some-
thing up; to explode something.
blast off (for
someplace
) 1. [for a
rocket ship] to take off and head
toward a destination.

2. [for
someone] to leave for a destina-
tion.
blaze ["blez] 1. n. a fire; a flame.
2. iv. to burn brightly; to burn
with bright flames.
blaze down (on
someone or some-
thing
) [for the sun or other hot
light] to burn down on someone
or something.
blaze up 1. [for flames] to expand
upward suddenly.
2. [for trouble,
especially violent trouble] to erupt
suddenly.
bleach ["blitS] 1. n. a substance that
removes color or stains. (Plural
only for types and instances.)
2. iv.
to become white or lighter; to turn
white or lighter.
3. tv. to turn
something white or lighter; to
cause something to become white
or lighter.
bled ["blEd] past tense and past par-
ticiple of
bleed.

bleed ["blid] 1. iv., irreg. to lose
blood, as from a wound. (Past
tense and past participle:
bled.)
2. iv., irreg. [for color, ink, or dye]
to seep or soak into other colors or
dyes.
blend ["blEnd] 1. n. a mixture.
2. tv. to combine something with
something else.
3. iv. to mix well
or attractively with people or
things.
blend in (with
someone or some-
thing
) to mix well with someone
or something; to combine with
someone or something.
blend in (with someone or something)
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blend in(to
something
) to combine
nicely with something; to mix well
with something.
blend
something

in(to
something
)
to mix something evenly into
something else.
blend
something
together (with
something
) to mix something
evenly with something else.
bless ["blEs] 1. tv. to make someone
or something holy through a reli-
gious ritual.
2. tv. to ask God to
place favor on the food that is to
be eaten.
blessing ["blEs IN] 1. n. a prayer
calling for God’s favor or protec-
tion.
2. n. God’s favor or good
fortune given to someone or
something.
3. n. approval.

thankful for small blessings
blew ["blu] past tense of blow.
blind ["blaInd] 1. adj. unable to see;
sightless. (Adv: blindly. Comp:
blinder; sup: blindest.)

2. adj. [of
anger] irrational. (Adv: blindly.
Comp: blinder; sup: blindest.)
3. tv. to take away someone’s or
something’s sight permanently or
temporarily.

(as) blind as a bat
→ turn a blind eye to
someone or
something
→ up a blind alley
blinds n. a kind of window shade
made of horizontal, or sometimes
vertical, slats that can be tilted to
block vision or shut out light.
(Treated as plural.)
blink ["blINk] 1. n. a quick closing
and opening of the eyes.
2. iv. [for
a light] to flash on and off quickly.
3. tv. to close and open one’s eyes
quickly.
4. iv. [for one’s eyelids] to
close and open quickly.
5. tv. to
turn a light on and off quickly; to
flash a light.
blink back
one’s

tears to fight
back tears; to try to keep from cry-
ing.
bliss ["blIs] n. complete happiness;
joy. (No plural.)
blister ["blIs t#] 1. n. a bubble of
fluid under the skin, formed by a
burn or irritation.
2. iv. [for a part
of the skin] to raise up and fill
with fluid in response to a burn or
irritation.
3. tv. to cause Q to
form on someone or something.
blizzard ["blIz #d] n. a snowstorm
with strong winds, heavy snow,
and possible thunder and light-
ning.
block ["blak] 1. n. a solid piece of
something, such as wood, stone,
or ice.
2. n. a large, flat piece of
stone or wood on which items are
cut, chopped, or split.
3. n. the
distance along a street from one
intersection to the next.
4. n. a
group of seats or tickets for seats
that are next to each other, as with

the theater, an airline flight, or a
sporting event.
5. tv. to be or get
in the way of something.
→ a
chip off the old block
→ on the block
→ stumbling block
block
something
off to prevent
movement through something by
putting up a barrier; to close a
passageway.
block
something
out 1. to lay
something out carefully; to map
out the details of something.
2. to
obscure a clear view of something.
blend in(to something)
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block
something
(up) to obstruct
something; to stop the flow within
a channel.

blond ["bland] 1. adj. [of hair] fair
or light in color. (Comp: blonder;
sup: blondest.)
2. n. someone with
light-colored hair. (
Blonde is
sometimes used for females.)
blonde ["bland] n. a woman or a
girl with light-colored hair. (See
also
blond.)
blood ["bl^d] n. a red fluid moving
through the bodies of animals.
(No plural.)

blue blood
→ curdle
someone’s
blood
→ draw blood
→ flesh and blood
→ fresh blood
→ have
someone’s
blood on
one’s
hands
→ in
one’s
blood

→ in the blood
→ make
someone’s
blood boil
→ make
someone’s
blood run cold
→ new blood
blood vessel ["bl^d vEs @l] n. a
tube that carries blood through
the bodies of living things.
bloodshed ["bl^d SEd] n. injury or
death caused by violence. (No plu-
ral.)
bloody adj. covered with blood.

cry bloody murder
→ scream bloody murder
bloom ["blum] 1. iv. [for a plant] to
produce flowers or blossoms.
2. iv.
[for a flower bud] to open.

in bloom
blossom ["blas @m] 1. n. a flower.
2. iv. to produce flowers; to
bloom.
3. iv. [for a flower bud] to
open.


in blossom
blot ["blat] 1. n. a spot or smeared
area of ink.
2. tv. to remove an
excess amount of moisture by
placing an absorbent paper over it
and pressing.
3. tv. to dry or clean
something by placing an absorb-
ent paper over it and pressing.
blot
someone or something
out to
forget someone or something by
covering up memories or by trying
to forget.
blouse ["blaUs] n. a woman’s shirt.
blow ["blo] 1. iv., irreg. [for wind or
air] to be in motion. (Past tense:
blew; past participle: blown.) 2.
iv., irreg. [for something] to be
lifted by or carried in the air or
wind.
3. iv., irreg. [for a sound-
producing device, such as a horn]
to make sound.
4. iv., irreg. [for a
fuse] to burn out.
5. tv., irreg. to
exhale air or smoke.

6. tv., irreg. to
sound a whistle or a horn, trum-
pet, or similar instrument.
7. n.
a hard hit or knock; a punch or
sock.
blow a fuse to burn out a fuse.
blow away [for something light] to
be carried away by the wind.
blow in [for something] to cave in
to the pressure of moving air.
blow itself out [for a storm or a
tantrum] to lose strength and
stop; to subside.
blow off 1. [for something] to be
carried off of something by mov-
ing air.
2. [for a valve or other
pressure-maintaining device] to
be forced off or away by high
pressure.
blow off steam Go to let off
steam
.
blow off steam
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blow
one’s

nose to drive mucus
and other material from the nose
using air pressure.
blow
one’s
own horn Go to toot
one’s
own horn.
blow over [for something, such as
a storm] to diminish; to subside.
blow
someone or something
away
[for the wind] to carry someone or
something away.
blow
someone or something
down
[for a rush of air] to knock some-
one or something over.
blow
someone or something
over
[for the wind] to move strongly
and upset someone or something.
blow
someone or something
up 1.
to destroy someone or something
by explosion.

2. to exaggerate
something [good or bad] about
someone or something.
blow
something
out to extinguish a
flame by blowing air on it.
blow
something
out of (all) pro-
portion
to cause something to be
unrealistically proportioned rela-
tive to something else.
blow
something
up 1. to inflate
something.
2. to enlarge a photo-
graph.
blow the whistle (on
someone
) to
report someone’s wrongdoing to
someone (such as the police) who
can stop the wrongdoing.
blow up 1. [for something] to
explode.
2. [for someone] to have
an outburst of anger.

blown ["blon] Past participle of
blow.
blue ["blu] 1. n. the color of a clear
sky on a bright day; the color of a
deep, clear ocean. (Plural only for
types and instances.)
2. the adj.
use of Q. (Comp: bluer; sup:
bluest.)
3. adj. sad. (Adv: bluely.
Comp: bluer; sup: bluest.)

between the devil and the deep
blue sea
→ black and blue
→ burn with a low blue flame
→ like a bolt out of the blue
→ once in a blue moon
→ out of a clear blue sky
→ out of the blue
→ talk a blue streak
→ talk until
one
is blue in the face
blue blood the blood (heredity) of
a noble family; aristocratic ances-
try.
the
blues 1. n. sadness; depression.
(Sometimes treated as singular.

See also
get the blues.) 2. n. a type
of music, similar to slow jazz.
(Sometimes treated as singular.)
bluff ["bl^f] 1. n. a steep hill or cliff
with a wide front.
2. n. a harmless
deception; a trick that will not
result in harm.
3. tv. to deceive
someone or some creature; to mis-
lead someone or some creature
into doing something.
blunder ["bl^n d#] 1. n. a stupid
mistake; a clumsy error.
2. iv. to
make a stupid mistake.
blunt ["bl^nt] 1. adj. without a
sharp edge or point. (Adv: bluntly.
Comp: blunter; sup: bluntest.)
2. adj. to the point; frank; not sub-
tle. (Adv: bluntly. Comp: blunter;
sup: bluntest.)
3. tv. to make some-
thing dull; to make something less
sharp.
board ["bord] 1. n. a flat, thin piece
of wood; a plank.
2. n. a flat piece
of wood or other rigid material,

blow one’s nose
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used for a specific purpose. 3. n.
daily meals [when associated with
one’s lodging]. (No plural. Treated
as singular.)
4. n. a group of peo-
ple who manage a company or
other organization.
5. n. a flat,
sturdy piece of material on which
a game is played.
6. tv. to get on a
ship, bus, train, or plane.
7. iv. to
receive meals and living space in
exchange for money or work.

back to the drawing board
→ bulletin board
boast ["bost] 1. n. a bragging state-
ment.
2. iv. to brag or exaggerate.
3. tv. [for something] to offer or
have a particular characteristic.
boat ["bot] n. a floating means of
transportation, smaller than a
ship, that carries people and cargo.


in the same boat
→ rock the boat
bob ["bab] 1. n. a quick up-and-
down movement.
2. iv. to move up
and down quickly, as with some-
thing floating on water.
3. tv. to
cut something, especially hair,
short.
body ["bad i] 1. n. the whole physi-
cal structure of a living creature or
plant.
2. n. a dead human or ani-
mal; a corpse.
3. n. the main part
of something.
4. n. a collection of
people or things taken as a group;
a group; a collection.
5. n. a large
mass of something; an object.

keep body and soul together
bog down to become encumbered
and slow down; to slow down.
boggle
someone’s
mind to over-

whelm someone; to mix up
someone’s thinking; to astound
someone.
boil ["boIl] 1. n. a painful sore place
surrounding an infection.
2. n. the
condition of something that
boils
as in T. (No plural.) 3. tv. to
make a liquid so hot that it bub-
bles and turns into vapor.
4. tv. to
cook something by putting it in a
liquid that is very hot as in T.
5. iv. [for a liquid] to become so
hot that it bubbles and turns into
vapor.
6. iv. [for something] to
cook in a liquid that is very hot as
in T.

have a low boiling point
→ make
someone’s
blood boil
boil down to
something
1. [for a
liquid] to be condensed to some-
thing by boiling.

2. [for a complex
situation] to be reduced to its
essentials.
boil over [for a liquid] to overflow
while being boiled.
boil
something
out (of
something
)
to remove something from some-
thing by boiling.
bold ["bold] 1. adj. confident; sure
of oneself; courageous. (Adv:
boldly. Comp: bolder; sup: boldest.)
2. adj. without shame; rude; not
shy. (Adv: boldly. Comp: bolder;
sup: boldest.)
3. adj. [of printing]
darker and thicker. (Comp: bolder;
sup: boldest.)
bolt ["bolt] 1. n. a metal pin or rod,
with
threads, used to connect or
attach things.
2. n. a rod that fas-
tens a door, window, or gate.
3. n.
a flash or streak of lightning.
4. n.

a sudden, quick movement; an
unexpected, quick movement.
5. n. a roll of cloth. 6. tv. to fasten
two or more objects together with
Q.
7. tv. to lock a door, gate, or
bolt
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window by sliding a metal W into
place.
8. iv. to run away from
someone or something; to move
away from someone or something
quickly and suddenly.

like a bolt out of the blue
→ nuts and bolts (of
something
)
bomb ["bam] 1. n. an explosive
weapon or device.
2. tv. to attack
an area by dropping Q on it from
planes.
3. tv. to use Q to cause
damage or injury to someone or
something.
bond ["band] 1. n. a link or some-

thing in common that brings
together two people or two groups
of people.
2. n. something that
causes two objects to stick
together.
3. n. an agreement in
which someone or a company
promises, as an investment, to pay
back a certain sum of money by a
particular date.
4. iv. [for an adhe-
sive or paint] to become firmly
attached.
bone ["bon] 1. n. any one of the
many parts of an animal’s skele-
ton.
2. n. the hard substance of
which Q is made. (No plural.)
3. tv. to remove Q from meat
before cooking it.

all skin and bones
→ chilled to the bone
→ cut
something
to the bone
→ feel
something
in

one’s
bones
→ have a bone to pick (with
someone
)
→ know
something
in
one’s
bones
→ nothing but skin and bones
→ work
one’s
fingers to the bone
a bone of contention the subject
or point of an argument; an unset-
tled point of disagreement.
bonfire ["ban faI#] n. a large, con-
trolled outdoor fire.
bonnet ["ban @t] n. a cloth hat for
women or girls; any hat for
women or girls.

have a bee in
one’s
bonnet
→ put a bee in
someone’s
bonnet
bonus ["bon @s] 1. n. something

extra.
2. the adj. use of Q.
book ["bUk] 1. n. a stack of pages,
held within a cover.
2. n. a subdi-
vision of a longer written work.
3. n. a set of objects that are held
together under a cover.
4. tv. to
process a charge against someone
who has been arrested for com-
mitting a crime.
5. tv. to reserve
space in advance for something,
such as a play, an airplane flight, a
room in a hotel, or a table in a
restaurant.
6. tv. to reserve the
services of a performer in
advance.

have
one’s
nose in a book
→ know
someone or something
like a
book
→ an open book
→ read

someone
like a book
→ take a leaf out of
someone’s
book
→ use every trick in the book
book
someone
through (to
some-
place
) to make transportation
arrangements for someone that
involve a number of changes and
transfers.
bookcase ["bUk kes] n. a set of
shelves for books.
bookkeeper ["bUk kip #] n. some-
one who keeps track of the
accounts of a company or an
organization.
bookkeeping ["bUk kip IN] n. the
job of keeping track of the
accounts of a company or an
bomb
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organization. (No plural.)
booklet ["bUk l@t] n. a thin book; a

pamphlet.
bookmark ["bUk mark] n. some-
thing placed between the pages of
a book to keep the reader’s place.
books n. the records of the money
spent and earned by a company or
organization. (Treated as plural,
but not countable.)
bookshelf ["bUk SElf] n., irreg. a
horizontal board for holding and
displaying books, as in a bookcase.
(Plural:
bookshelves.)
bookshelves ["bUk SElvz] plural of
bookshelf.
bookshop ["bUk Sap] n. a store
where books are sold.
bookstore ["bUk stor] n. a store
where books are sold.
boom ["bum] 1. n. a large, echoing
noise made when something
explodes or crashes.
2. n. a time of
strong economic growth.
3. n. a
large, horizontal pole or beam
used for support or in the lifting of
a weight.
4. iv. to make a large,
echoing noise like an explosion or

a crash.

lower the boom on
someone
boom out [for a loud sound] to
sound out like thunder.
boost ["bust] 1. n. an upward push;
an upward movement.
2. tv. to
push someone or something
upward from beneath.
3. tv. to
increase something; to raise some-
thing.
boot ["but] 1. n. a heavy shoe, often
waterproof.
2. tv. to kick someone
or something.
3. tv. to start a com-
puter, causing it to make a series of
checks and set up its operating sys-
tem.

quake in
one’s
boots
→ shake in
one’s
boots
boot

someone
out (of
something
)
to force someone to leave some-
thing or someplace.
boot (
something
) up to start up a
computer.
booth ["buT] 1. n., irreg. a seating
area in a restaurant having bench
seats with backs, placed on two
sides of the table or around the
table. (Plural: [
"buDz] or ["buTs].)
2. n., irreg. a small, enclosed
space, such as the enclosure con-
taining a public telephone.
3. n.,
irreg. a display table or area—pos-
sibly enclosed—at a fair or a
market.
border ["bor d#] 1. n. a decorated
area at the edge of something, and
the edge itself.
2. n. the dividing
line between two countries, states,
or other political units.
3. tv. to

adjoin or be next to a particular
area.
border (up)on
something
1. [for
something] to touch upon a
boundary.
2. [for some activity or
idea] to be very similar to some-
thing else.
borderline ["bor d# laIn] n. the
line that marks a border—not
clearly on either side of the border.

on the borderline
bore ["bor] 1. past tense of bear.
2. tv. to drill a hole in something.
3. tv. to make someone tired by
being dull.
4. iv. to drill; to make a
hole.
5. n. someone or something
that is boring; someone or some-
thing that is dull.
bore
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boredom ["bor d@m] n. a state or
condition where one is bored and

finds everything dull and uninter-
esting.

die of boredom
boring ["bor IN] adj. dull; not enter-
taining; causing people to lose
interest and perhaps become
sleepy. (Adv: boringly.)
born ["born] 1. a past participle of
bear. 2. adj. possessing a certain
quality or character since birth; by
birth; natural. (Prenominal only.)
3. adj. having a particular place of
birth or national heritage. (Usu-
ally in hyphenated combinations.)

not born yesterday
born with a silver spoon in
one’s
mouth born with many advan-
tages; born to a wealthy family;
already showing the signs of great
wealth at birth.
borne ["born] a past participle of
bear.
borrow ["bar o] 1. tv. to ask for,
accept, and use something from
someone with the intention of
returning or replacing it.
2. tv. to

take something, such as a custom,
trait, or idea, and use it as one’s
own.
boss ["bOs] n. someone who is in
charge of other people’s work or of
other workers.
boss
someone
around to order
someone around.
botch
something
up to mess some-
thing up; to do a bad job of
something.
both ["boT] 1. adj. one and one
other; the two [people or things].
(See also
each and every.) 2. pron.
one thing or person and another
thing or person; the two things or
people.

burn the candle at both ends
→ cut both ways
→ have a foot in both camps
→ play both ends (against the
middle)
→ with both hands tied behind
one’s

back
bother ["baD #] 1. n. something
that is time-consuming or annoy-
ing to do.
2. tv. to annoy someone
or something; to upset someone or
something.
3. tv. to interrupt or
disturb someone.
bottle ["bat @l] 1. n. a container,
usually glass or plastic, with an
opening at the end of a short or
long neck.
2. n. the contents of Q.
3. tv. to put something in Q, usu-
ally for future use or sale.
bottle
something
up (inside
(
someone
)) [for someone] to keep
serious emotions within and not
express them.
bottleneck ["bat l nEk] n. a narrow
or crowded passage, like the neck
of a bottle.
bottom ["bat @m] 1. n. the lowest
level of something; the deepest
point of something.

2. n. the
underside of something; the low-
est surface of something.
3. n.
land underneath water; the ground
under a body of water.
4. n. the
part of the body on which one sits;
the buttocks.
5. adj. relating to the
lowest part of something; relating
to the underneath part of some-
thing.

(as) soft as a baby’s bottom
→ at the bottom of the ladder
→ from the bottom of
one’s
heart
boredom
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→ from top to bottom
→ get to the bottom of
something
→ hit bottom
→ learn
something
from the bottom

up
→ scrape the bottom of the barrel
bottom out finally to reach the
lowest or worst point.
bought ["bOt] past tense and past
participle of
buy.
boulder ["bol d#] n. a huge stone.
boulevard ["bUl @ vard] n. a wide
city street, usually lined with trees.
bounce ["baUns] 1. n. the return
movement of an object when it
hits a surface.
2. iv. to spring up or
away after hitting a surface.
3. tv.
to toss someone upward gently,
causing an upward movement as
in W.
4. tv. to cause something to
hit against a surface and spring
back.
bounce off ((of)
something
) to
rebound from something.
bounce out (of
something
) to
rebound out of or away from

something.
bounce
something
off (of)
some-
one or something
1. to make
something rebound off someone
or something.
2. to try an idea or
concept out on someone or a
group. (Figurative.)
bound ["baUnd] 1. past tense and
past participle of
bind. 2. adj. tied
up; fastened; glued into covers.
3. iv. to jump; to leap forward; to
bounce up.
4. n. an upward jump;
a forward jump.

by leaps and bounds
bound hand and foot with hands
and feet tied up.
boundary ["baUn dri] n. a border; a
line that marks the edge of a thing
or a place.
bouquet [bo "ke] n. an arrange-
ment of cut flowers; a grouping of
cut flowers that can be held in one

hand.
bout ["baUt] 1. n. an attack of a dis-
ease.
2. n. a specific contest or
event, especially a boxing match.
bow 1. ["bo] n. a pretty knot, usu-
ally with two or more large loops.
2. ["bo] n. a weapon that shoots
arrows.
3. ["bo] n. a stick with
strings of hair stretched from end
to end, used to play a stringed
instrument, such as a violin.
4. ["baU] n. an act of bending the
body to show respect or in
response to applause.
5. ["baU] n.
the front part of a ship or a boat.
6. ["bo] iv. to bend into a curve,
similar to W; to form a curve.
7. ["baU] iv. to bend the body
when greeting or honoring some-
one.
8. ["bo] tv. to cause
something to bend into a curve,
like the curve of W; to cause
something straight to form a
curve.
bow and scrape ["baU ] to be
very humble and subservient.

bow out (of
something
) ["baU ]
to withdraw from something.
bowel ["baU @l] n. the upper or
lower intestine; the upper and
lower intestine.
bowel movement ["baUl muv
m@nt
] n. an act of expelling or get-
ting rid of feces.
bowel movement
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