| BBQ |
abbreviation of "barbeque," a party, often held outdoors, at which meat and sometimes vegetables are roasted on a grill or spit over an open fire. |
| B.C.1 |
abbreviation of "before Christ" (used in designating dates in history, now usually replaced by "BCE," "before the common era"). |
| B.C.2 |
abbreviation of "British Columbia," a Canadian province on the Pacific coast. |
| B.C.E. |
abbreviation of "before the common era" (used in designating dates in history). |
| B cell |
a type of white blood cell, produced in the bone marrow, that makes antibodies that fight off disease. |
| bd. ft. |
abbreviation of "board foot," or "board feet," a unit of measure for lumber, equal to one foot square and one inch thick. |
| Be |
symbol of the chemical element beryllium. |
| be |
to remain in a state of existence; have reality; exist. [10 definitions] |
| be- |
to cause to be; treat as; make (used to change nouns, adjectives, and intransitive verbs into transitive verbs). [3 definitions] |
| beach |
the land at the edge of a body of water, usu. sandy and sometimes part of a swimming area; shore. [2 definitions] |
| beach ball |
a large inflatable ball of brightly colored plastic, usu. used for games played in or near the water. |
| beachcomber |
a person who lives by finding and selling miscellaneous items that wash ashore or are discarded there. [2 definitions] |
| beachfront |
a strip of land bordering on a beach. [2 definitions] |
| beach grass |
any of several tough, deeply rooted perennial grasses that grow wild on beaches and are sometimes planted there to combat erosion. |
| beachhead |
the initial position or area that invading troops try to secure when landing on an enemy shore. [2 definitions] |
| beacon |
a signal of light that guides or gives warning, often located in an elevated position. [7 definitions] |
| bead |
a small, generally round object, usu. made of glass, wood, or the like with a hole through its center for stringing to make necklaces or for decorating clothing. [8 definitions] |
| beading |
the decorative use of beads, as on dresses or purses; beadwork. [4 definitions] |
| beadle |
an official of an English church who ushers and maintains order during church services. |
| beadwork |
art or craft work with beads, or the beaded products themselves; beading. |
| beady |
small, round, and bright or shiny; beadlike. [2 definitions] |