| breccia |
rock consisting of sharp-angled fragments of older rocks cemented together in sandstone, clay, or the like. |
| bred |
past tense and past participle of breed. |
| breech |
the lower posterior region of the human torso; buttocks. [3 definitions] |
| breechcloth |
a piece of material worn as covering for the loins; loincloth. |
| breeches |
(used with a pl. verb) trousers that reach to the knee; knickers. [2 definitions] |
| breeches buoy |
a nautical rescue device consisting of a canvas sling with leg holes that is suspended from a life preserver, used to transfer the rescued person up a rope to a ship. |
| breeching |
the part of a draft horse's harness that passes behind its hindquarters. |
| breechloader |
a gun that is loaded at the rear of the barrel. (Cf. muzzleloader.) |
| breed |
to produce (offspring); give birth to. [9 definitions] |
| breeder |
one whose occupation is breeding plants or animals. [3 definitions] |
| breeder reactor |
a nuclear reactor that is designed to produce more fissionable material than it consumes, and thus generate additional fuel for its own operation. |
| breeding |
the act or process of reproduction; propagation. [3 definitions] |
| breeze |
a light or gentle wind. [4 definitions] |
| breezeless |
combined form of breeze. |
| breezeway |
a passageway with a roof and no sides that connects two buildings. |
| breezy |
slightly windy. [2 definitions] |
| bremsstrahlung |
electromagnetic radiation, such as x-rays, produced by the sudden deceleration or acceleration of an electron caused by its approach to an atomic nucleus. |
| Bren gun |
a .303 caliber gas-operated submachine gun used by the British army in World War II. |
| brethren |
a plural form of "brother," used to refer to fellow members of a religious or social group, society, or profession, and used esp. when addressing a formal gathering of such members; colleagues. [2 definitions] |
| Breton |
a native of Brittany, or a descendant thereof. [3 definitions] |
| breve |
a diacritical mark ( ˇ ), placed over a vowel to indicate that the vowel is short. [2 definitions] |