baptize baptizes, baptizing, baptized; also spelt baptise
VERB When a church official baptizes someone, they sprinkle water on them, or immerse them in water, as a sign that they have become a Christian.
bar bars, barring, barred
NOUN 1 a long, straight piece of metal
VERB 2 If you bar someone’s way, you stop them going somewhere by standing in front of them.
NOUN 3 a counter or room where alcoholic drinks are served
4 a piece of something made in a rectangular shape • a bar of soap
barbecue barbecues
NOUN 1 a grill with a charcoal fire on which you cook food, usually outdoors
2 an outdoor party where you eat food cooked on a barbecue
[from a Caribbean word meaning framework]
barber barbers
NOUN a man who cuts men’s hair
bar chart bar charts
NOUN a kind of graph where the information is shown in rows or bars
bar code bar codes
NOUN a pattern of lines and numbers on something that is for sale, so that the price can be read by a machine
bare barer, barest
ADJECTIVE 1 If a part of your body is bare, it is not covered by any clothing. • bare feet
SYNONYMS: naked, uncovered
2 If something is bare, it is not covered or decorated with anything. • bare wooden floors
3 The bare minimum, or the bare essentials, means the very least that is needed.
barely
ADVERB If you barely manage to do something, you only just succeed in doing it.
bargain bargains, bargaining, bargained
NOUN 1 an agreement in which two people or groups discuss and agree what each will do, pay or receive
2 something that is sold at a low price and that is good value • The apples are a bargain at this price.
VERB 3 When people bargain with each other, they discuss and agree terms about what each will do, pay or receive.
barge barges, barging, barged
NOUN 1 a boat with a flat bottom used for carrying heavy loads, especially on canals
VERB 2 INFORMAL If you barge into a place, you push into it in a rough or rude way.
bark barks, barking, barked
VERB 1 When a dog barks, it makes a short, loud noise, once or several times.
NOUN 2 the tough material that covers the outside of a tree
barley
NOUN a cereal that is grown for food and is also used for making beer and whisky
bar mitzvah
NOUN A Jewish boy’s bar mitzvah is a ceremony that takes place on his 13th birthday, after which he is regarded as an adult.
barn barns
NOUN a large farm building used for storing crops or animal food
[from Old English beren meaning barley room]
barnacle barnacles
NOUN a small shellfish that fixes itself to rocks and to the bottom of boats
barometer barometers
NOUN an instrument that measures air pressure and shows when the weather is changing
barrel barrels
NOUN 1 a wooden container with rounded sides and flat ends
2 The barrel of a gun is the long tube through which the bullet is fired.
barricade barricades, barricading, barricaded
NOUN 1 a temporary barrier put up to stop people getting past