VERB 2 If you barricade yourself inside a room or building, you put something heavy against the door to stop people getting in.
[from Old French barriquer meaning to block with barrels]
barrier barriers
NOUN a fence or wall that prevents people or animals getting from one area to another
barrister barristers
NOUN a lawyer who is qualified to represent people in the higher courts
barrow barrows
NOUN 1 another word for wheelbarrow
2 a large cart from which fruit or other goods are sold in the street
base bases, basing, based
NOUN 1 the lowest part of something • The waves crashed at the base of the cliffs.
2 The base of a triangle or a square-shaped pyramid is the bottom.
3 a place where part of an army, navy or air force works from
VERB 4 If you base one thing on another, you develop from it. • She based the film on a true story.
5 If you are based somewhere, you live there or work from there. • My dad is based in Cardiff, but spends a lot of time abroad.
baseball
NOUN a team game played with a bat and a ball. It is popular in the USA.
basement basements
NOUN a room or set of rooms below the level of the street • My aunt lives in the basement of our house.
basic
ADJECTIVE 1 The basic aspects of something are the most necessary ones. • The basic ingredients of bread are flour, yeast and water.
2 having only the essentials, and no extras or luxuries
basically ADVERB
basin basins
NOUN 1 a round, wide container which is open at the top
2 A river basin is a bowl of land from which water runs into the river.
basis bases
NOUN If something is the basis of something else, it is the main principle on which it is based, and from which other points and ideas can be developed.
bask basks, basking, basked
VERB If you bask in hot weather, you lie in the sun and enjoy the warmth.
basket baskets
NOUN a container made of thin strips of wood or metal woven together • a shopping basket
basketball
NOUN a game in which two teams try to score goals by throwing a large ball through one of two circular nets that are suspended high up at each end of the basketball court
bass basses
NOUN 1 a man with a very deep singing voice
ADJECTIVE 2 In music, a bass instrument produces a very deep sound. • a bass guitar
bassoon bassoons
NOUN a large woodwind instrument
bat bats, batting, batted
NOUN 1 a specially shaped piece of wood with a handle, used for hitting a ball in games such as table tennis or cricket
2 a small animal like a mouse with leathery wings. Bats fly at night and sleep hanging upside down.
VERB 3 If you are batting in cricket, baseball or rounders, it is your turn to hit the ball.
batch batches
NOUN A batch of things is a group of things that are all the same or are being dealt with at the same time. • They delivered the first batch of books at the start of term.
bath baths
NOUN a long container that you fill with water and sit in to wash yourself
bathe bathes, bathing, bathed
VERB When you bathe in a sea, river or lake, you swim or play there.
bathroom bathrooms