2 a slow, romantic pop song
ballerina ballerinas
NOUN a female ballet dancer
ballet
NOUN a type of artistic dancing based on precise steps
[from Italian balletto meaning little dance]
balloon balloons
NOUN 1 a small bag made of thin rubber that you blow into until it becomes larger. Balloons are often used as party decorations.
2 a large, strong bag filled with gas or hot air, that travels through the air carrying passengers in a basket underneath it • They went on a hot air balloon flight over the city.
ballpoint ballpoints
NOUN a pen with a small, metal ball at the writing point
bamboo
NOUN a tall tropical grass with hard, hollow stems used for making furniture
ban bans, banning, banned
VERB 1 If you ban something, you forbid it to be done.
SYNONYMS: forbid, prohibit
NOUN 2 If there is a ban on something, it is not allowed.
banana bananas
NOUN a long, curved fruit with a yellow skin
band bands
NOUN 1 a group of musicians who play jazz or pop music together
2 a group of people who share a common purpose
3 a narrow strip of something used to hold things together • She tied her hair back with an elastic band.
bandage bandages
NOUN a strip of cloth wrapped round a wound to protect it
bang bangs, banging, banged
NOUN 1 a sudden, short, loud noise
2 a hard, painful bump against something
VERB 3 If you bang something, you hit it or put it down violently so that it makes a loud noise.
4 If you bang a part of your body against something, you accidentally bump it.
banish banishes, banishing, banished
VERB 1 If someone is banished, they are sent away and never allowed to return.
2 If you banish something from your thoughts, you try not to think about it.
banishment NOUN
banister banisters
NOUN a rail supported by posts up the side of a staircase
banjo banjos or banjoes
NOUN a musical instrument, like a small guitar with a round body
bank banks, banking, banked
NOUN 1 a business that looks after people’s money
2 the raised ground along the edge of a river or lake
VERB 3 If you bank on something happening, you rely on it. • I know we said we’d go swimming, but don’t bank on it.
banner banners
NOUN 1 a long strip of cloth with a message or slogan on it • We saw banners advertising the fair.
ADJECTIVE 2 A banner headline is a headline printed right across the page of a newspaper.
banquet banquets
NOUN a grand, formal dinner, often followed by speeches
[from Old French banquet, originally meaning little bench]
baptism baptisms
NOUN the ceremony in which someone has water sprinkled on them, or they are immersed in water, as a sign that they have become a Christian