| bestseller |
a book or other product that outsells most others of its kind during a specified period. |
| bet |
to agree to give up (usu. money) to another person if one's prediction of some future result does not occur. [7 definitions] |
| beta |
the name of the second letter of the Greek alphabet. [3 definitions] |
| beta blocker |
any of a class of drugs that inhibit the absorption of adrenalin and the activity of the autonomic nervous system, and are used to control the heartbeat and relieve angina and hypertension. |
| beta-carotene |
a molecule of the carotene family that has a red-orange color and is abundant in plants. |
| betake |
to take (usu. oneself) somewhere. |
| beta particle |
a high-speed positron or electron ejected from a nucleus in radioactive decay or fission. |
| beta ray |
a stream of beta particles, esp. those with a negative charge. |
| betatron |
in physics, an electron accelerator in which the speed of the electrons is increased to high energies, from a few million to a few hundred million electron volts, by the action of a rapidly changing magnetic field. |
| betel |
a climbing East Indian pepper plant. [2 definitions] |
| Betelgeuse |
a red variable star in the constellation Orion, having a magnitude of 0.7. |
| betel nut |
the nut of the betel palm, chewed together with betel pepper leaves and lime in southeastern Asia as a mild stimulant and narcotic. |
| betel palm |
a tall palm tree of the Asian tropics that has feathery leaves and produces orange or red fruit and the betel nut. |
| betel pepper |
a climbing plant of tropical Asia; betel. |
| bête noire |
(French) black beast; someone or something that is intensely disliked or feared. |
| beth |
the name of the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet. |
| bethel |
a holy place or religious sanctuary. [2 definitions] |
| be there for (someone) |
to give one's support to (another), esp. during a difficult time for that person emotionally. |
| bethink |
to think about; consider (usu. used reflexively). [2 definitions] |
| Bethlehem |
a hill town north of Jerusalem in Israeli-occupied Jordan, traditionally considered the birthplace of Jesus Christ. |
| betide |
to happen to; befall. [2 definitions] |