146 words starting with B

• baby noun

  a very young child who cannot yet walk or talk

  The baby slept in her mother’s arms.

  Like infant

• back adverb

  to the place or state where someone or something was before

  After the picnic we walked back to the bus.

• background noun

  the part of a picture behind the main thing; a person’s family, education, and experience

  In the background of the photo, you can see Machhapuchhre.

  Like setting, backdrop

• backward adverb

  toward the back, or in the opposite direction from usual

  He took one step backward to see the whole painting.

  Like back, in reverse

• bacteria noun

  tiny one-celled living things, too small to see, some of which cause disease

  Washing your hands with soap removes most of the bacteria on them.

• bacterial adjective

  caused by or relating to tiny one-celled germs

  A bacterial infection can often be treated with medicine from a doctor.

• bad adjective

  not good or pleasant; of low quality

  The bad weather kept us inside all afternoon.

  Like poor, awful, terrible

• badly adverb

  in a poor or unpleasant way; very much

  I played badly in the first game but much better in the second.

  Like poorly

• bag noun

  a container of cloth, paper, or plastic used for carrying things

  I carry my books to school in a blue bag.

  Like sack

• balance noun

  the ability to stay steady without falling

  You need good balance to ride a bicycle.

  Like stability

• ball noun

  a round object used in games and sports

  He kicked the ball straight into the goal.

• ban verb

  to officially say that something must not be done or used

  The city banned plastic bags to keep the rivers clean.

  Like forbid, prohibit

• band noun

  a small group of musicians who play together

  The school band played at the sports day opening.

  Like group

• bang noun

  a sudden very loud noise, like something hitting hard or exploding

  The door shut with a bang when the wind blew through the house.

  Like boom, crash

• bank noun

  a place where people keep and borrow money; the land beside a river

  We sat on the bank of the Bagmati and watched the ducks.

  Like shore, riverside

• bar noun

  a long, straight piece of metal or wood; a place that serves drinks

  The window had iron bars to keep out monkeys.

  Like rod, pole

• barely adverb

  only just; almost not

  I could barely see the road through the thick fog.

  Like hardly, scarcely, just

• bargain noun

  something bought for much less than its usual price

  The jacket was a real bargain at only five hundred rupees.

  Like good deal, steal

• barrel noun

  a large round container with flat ends and curved sides, used for liquids

  The farmer stored rainwater in a big plastic barrel.

  Like cask, drum

• barrier noun

  something that blocks the way

  A barrier was put across the road while workers fixed it.

  Like obstacle, barricade

• base noun

  the lowest part of something, on which it stands

  We camped at the base of the mountain.

  Like bottom, foundation

• basic adjective

  simple and most important, forming the starting point

  First, you must learn the basic rules of the game.

  Like simple, fundamental, essential

• basically adverb

  in the most important or simple way

  The game is basically the same as football, but you use your hands.

  Like essentially, mainly

• basin noun

  a large bowl for holding water; an area of land drained by a river

  She filled the basin with warm water to wash her face.

  Like bowl, sink

• basis noun

  the most important facts or ideas from which something develops

  The basis of a healthy life is good food and enough sleep.

  Like foundation, base

• bat noun

  a small flying animal that is active at night; a wooden stick used to hit the ball in cricket or baseball

  A bat flew out of the cave just as the sun went down.

• bath noun

  the act of washing your whole body in water

  The baby splashed happily in her warm bath while her father washed her hair.

  Like wash

• battle noun

  a fight between armies; a hard struggle

  The history book tells the story of a famous battle in 1814.

  Like fight, combat

• beach noun

  an area of sand or small stones beside the sea or a lake

  We built sandcastles on the beach during our holiday.

  Like shore, seaside

• beam noun

  a line of light shining from something; a long heavy piece of wood or metal that supports a building

  A beam of sunlight came through the window and lit up the dust.

  Like ray, shaft

• bear verb

  to carry or support the weight of something; to accept something unpleasant

  The thin branch could not bear the weight of the monkey.

  Like support, tolerate

• beat verb

  to defeat someone in a game or contest; to hit again and again

  Our team beat the other school by two goals.

  Like defeat

• beautiful adjective

  very pleasant to look at or hear

  The view of the mountains at sunrise was beautiful.

  Like lovely, pretty, gorgeous

• beauty noun

  the quality of being pleasing to look at or hear

  Tourists come from all over the world to see the beauty of the Himalaya.

  Like loveliness

• become verb

  to begin to be something

  The caterpillar will become a butterfly in a few weeks.

  Like turn into, grow

• bed noun

  a piece of furniture for sleeping on

  I go to bed at nine o’clock on school nights.

• bedroom noun

  a room used for sleeping in

  My little sister and I share a bedroom with two beds.

• beer noun

  an alcoholic drink made from grain such as barley

  Beer is made by letting yeast ferment grain such as barley.

• begin verb

  to start doing something

  The concert will begin at five o’clock, so please find your seats early.

  Like start, commence

• behave verb

  to act in a certain way; to act in a polite or correct way

  The children behaved very well during the museum visit.

  Like act, conduct oneself

• behavior noun

  the way a person or animal acts

  The teacher praised the class for their good behavior on the school trip.

  Like conduct, manners

• behavioral adjective

  relating to the way a person or animal acts

  The scientist studied behavioral changes in birds during the cold season.

• belief noun

  a feeling that something is true or real

  It was once a common belief that the Earth was flat.

  Like opinion, conviction

• believe verb

  to think that something is true

  I believe that we can win the match if we practice hard.

  Like think, trust, accept

• bell noun

  a hollow metal object that rings when struck

  The school bell rings at nine o’clock.

• belong verb

  to be owned by someone; to be in the right place or group

  Does this red pencil belong to you or to your brother?

  Like be owned by

• belt noun

  a strip of leather or cloth worn around the waist

  His trousers were too big, so he wore a belt.

  Like strap

• bend verb

  to make something curved or not straight; to move your body forward and down

  Bend your knees when you lift something heavy.

  Like curve, flex

• benefit noun

  a good result or help that something gives

  One benefit of cycling is that it keeps you fit.

  Like advantage, gain

• bet verb

  to feel sure something is true; to risk money on the result of a game or event

  I bet it will rain this afternoon because the clouds are so dark.

• bias noun

  an unfair feeling for or against someone or something

  A good judge shows no bias toward either team.

  Like prejudice, favoritism

• bid noun

  an offer of a price for something being sold; an attempt to get something

  He made a bid of five hundred rupees for the old radio.

  Like offer

• big adjective

  large in size or amount

  An elephant is much bigger than a rhinoceros.

  Like large, huge, great

• bike noun

  a bicycle or motorcycle

  I ride my bike to school every day.

  Like bicycle, cycle

• bilingual adjective

  able to speak two languages equally well

  Many children in Kathmandu are bilingual, speaking both Nepali and English with ease.

• bill noun

  a paper showing how much money you must pay; a paper note of money

  After dinner, the waiter brought us the bill.

  Like check, invoice

• bin noun

  a container for trash or for storing things

  Throw the empty packet in the bin.

  Like trash can, wastebasket

• binary adjective

  using only two digits, 0 and 1, to write numbers; having two parts

  Computers store all information in binary code made of zeros and ones.

• bind verb

  to tie something tightly with rope or string; to make people or things stick together

  The farmers bind the rice stalks into bundles before carrying them home.

  Like tie, fasten

• biodiversity noun

  the variety of different plants and animals living in an area

  Chitwan National Park is famous for its rich biodiversity, from rhinos to rare birds.

• biological adjective

  relating to living things and how they work

  Breathing is a biological process.

• biologist noun

  a scientist who studies living things

  The biologist counted the frogs living near the pond every spring.

• biology noun

  the science of living things such as plants and animals

  In biology class, we looked at onion cells under a microscope.

  Like life science

• bird noun

  an animal with feathers and wings that lays eggs

  The Danphe is the national bird of Nepal.

• birth noun

  the time when a baby or young animal comes out of its mother’s body

  The birth of the baby goat made the whole family excited.

• bit noun

  a small piece or amount of something

  Could I have a bit of your bread?

  Like piece, scrap

• bite verb

  to cut or hold something with your teeth

  I bit into the apple and it was very sweet.

  Like nip

• bizarre adjective

  very strange and unusual

  It was bizarre to see snow falling in Kathmandu in the middle of summer.

  Like weird, odd, peculiar

• black adjective

  having the darkest color, like the night sky with no stars

  The crow is a black bird with a loud call.

• blame verb

  to say that someone is responsible for something bad

  Don’t blame your brother for the broken cup; the cat knocked it over.

  Like accuse, hold responsible

• blank adjective

  with nothing written, printed or recorded on it

  Write your name at the top of a blank sheet of paper.

  Like empty, clean

• bleed verb

  to lose blood from the body, usually from a cut or wound

  His knee began to bleed when he fell off his bicycle.

• bless verb

  to ask God to protect someone or something

  The priest blessed the new house before the family moved in.

• blind adjective

  unable to see

  Blind people can read books written in Braille.

  Like sightless

• block noun

  a solid piece of hard material with flat sides

  The toddler built a tower with wooden blocks.

  Like chunk

• blog noun

  a website where someone regularly writes about their life or interests

  She writes a blog about the birds she sees in the valley.

• blood noun

  the red liquid that moves through the body

  The heart pumps blood around the body.

• bloody adjective

  covered with the red liquid that comes from a cut

  He had a bloody nose after the ball hit his face, but he was fine.

• blow verb

  to move air out of your mouth; to move with the wind

  Blow out the candles on your birthday cake.

  Like puff, breathe out

• blue adjective

  having the color of a clear sky

  The sky was blue and the sun was bright.

• board noun

  a flat piece of wood or other material; a group of people who run an organization

  The teacher wrote the date on the board before class began.

• boat noun

  a small vehicle that travels on water

  We rode a small wooden boat across Phewa Lake to the temple.

  Like ship

• bodily adjective

  relating to the human body

  Eating, sleeping and breathing are normal bodily functions.

  Like physical

• body noun

  the whole physical form of a person or animal

  Exercise keeps your body strong and healthy.

  Like frame

• bomb noun

  a weapon made to explode and cause damage

  Experts safely removed an old bomb that had been buried in a field for many years.

  Like explosive

• bond noun

  a close connection between people; a force that holds atoms together

  There is a strong bond between my grandmother and me.

  Like link, connection, tie

• bone noun

  one of the hard white parts that make up the skeleton of a body

  The human body has 206 bones when it is fully grown.

• bonus noun

  something extra and good that you did not expect; extra money added to pay

  As a bonus, every student who finished early got a free sticker.

  Like extra, reward

• book noun

  a set of printed pages fixed together inside a cover

  I borrowed a book about dinosaurs from the library.

  Like volume, text

• boom noun

  a sudden period of fast growth; a loud deep sound

  There has been a boom in tourism since the new airport opened.

  Like surge; bang

• boost verb

  to increase or improve something

  A good breakfast can boost your energy for the whole morning.

  Like increase, raise, lift

• boot noun

  a strong shoe that covers the foot and ankle

  Wear your hiking boots for the trek to Langtang.

• border noun

  the line that divides one country or area from another

  Nepal shares its border with India and China.

  Like boundary, frontier

• bore verb

  to make someone tired and uninterested

  The long speech bored the students, and some fell asleep.

  Like tire, weary

• borrow verb

  to take something from someone and give it back later

  Can I borrow your pencil for the math test?

• boss noun

  the person in charge of a worker or a group of workers

  My father’s boss gave everyone a holiday for Tihar.

  Like manager, chief

• bother verb

  to annoy or disturb someone; to make the effort to do something

  Please don’t bother your sister while she is studying.

  Like disturb, annoy

• bottle noun

  a container with a narrow neck, used for liquids

  Bring a bottle of water when you go hiking.

• bottom noun

  the lowest part of something

  There were small stones at the bottom of the well.

  Like base, foot

• bound adjective

  certain to happen; tied up or kept in by something

  If you practice every day, you are bound to get better at chess.

  Like certain, sure

• boundary noun

  a line that marks the edge of an area

  A low stone wall forms the boundary between the two farms.

  Like border, edge, limit

• bowl noun

  a round, deep dish for food or liquid

  She ate a bowl of rice with vegetables.

  Like dish

• box noun

  a container with flat sides, often with a lid

  We packed the books in a cardboard box.

  Like carton, case

• boy noun

  a male child or young man

  The boy fed the goats before going to school.

• bracket noun

  one of a pair of marks, such as [ ] or ( ), used to enclose extra words or numbers; a metal support fixed to a wall

  In math, you should work out the part inside the brackets first.

• brain noun

  the organ inside your head that controls thinking, feeling, and movement

  Your brain sends messages to every part of your body.

• branch noun

  a part of a tree that grows out from the trunk; a local office of a company

  A monkey sat on a branch of the tree.

  Like limb, bough

• brand noun

  the name of a product made by a particular company

  Which brand of toothpaste does your family use?

  Like make, label

• bread noun

  a food made from flour, water, and yeast, baked in an oven

  We ate fresh bread with butter for breakfast.

• break verb

  to make something come apart into pieces; to stop working properly

  Be careful not to break the glass beakers in the lab.

  Like smash

• breakdown noun

  a failure of a machine or system to work; a list showing the parts of something

  The bus had a breakdown on the highway, so we waited two hours.

  Like failure

• breakfast noun

  the first meal of the day, eaten in the morning

  I had bread and an egg for breakfast before school.

• breast noun

  the front part of the upper body; the chest of a bird

  The robin is a small bird with a bright orange breast.

  Like chest

• breath noun

  the air that goes into and out of your lungs

  Take a deep breath before you jump into the water.

• breathe verb

  to take air into your lungs and let it out

  Breathe slowly and deeply when you feel nervous.

• breed noun

  a particular type of animal, especially of dogs, cows, or horses

  The Tibetan mastiff is a large breed of dog with thick fur.

  Like kind, type

• bridge noun

  a structure built over a river or road so people can cross it

  We crossed the river on a long suspension bridge.

• brief adjective

  lasting only a short time; using few words

  The principal gave a brief speech before the games began.

  Like short, quick

• briefly adverb

  for a short time; in a few words

  The principal spoke briefly before the sports day began.

  Like shortly

• bright adjective

  full of light or shining strongly; clever

  The bright morning sun shone on the snowy peaks.

  Like shining, brilliant

• brilliant adjective

  very clever or skilled; very bright

  She had a brilliant idea for her science fair project.

  Like clever, bright, excellent

• bring verb

  to carry or take someone or something with you to a place

  Please bring your colored pencils to art class tomorrow.

  Like carry, fetch

• broad adjective

  wide from one side to the other

  The river was too broad to swim across.

  Like wide

• broadcast verb

  to send out a program on radio or television

  The final football match was broadcast live on television across the whole country.

  Like air, transmit

• broadly adverb

  generally, without paying attention to small details

  Broadly speaking, the weather in Nepal is cool in winter and wet in summer.

  Like generally, roughly

• brother noun

  a boy or man who has the same parents as you

  My younger brother is learning to ride a bicycle.

• brown adjective

  having the color of earth, wood or chocolate

  Our neighbor’s dog has soft brown fur and a white tail.

• brush noun

  a tool with hairs or bristles for cleaning, painting, or tidying hair

  Use a soft brush to paint the clouds.

• bubble noun

  a small ball of air or gas inside a liquid or a thin film

  The children blew soap bubbles that floated across the garden.

• bucket noun

  a round open container with a handle, used for carrying water

  She carried a bucket of water from the tap to the garden.

  Like pail

• budget noun

  a plan for how much money to spend

  Our class made a budget for the picnic.

• build verb

  to make something by putting parts together

  The students built a model of a bridge out of sticks.

  Like construct, make, create

• bulk noun

  the main or largest part of something; a large size or amount

  The bulk of the rain in Nepal falls during the monsoon months.

  Like majority, most

• bullet noun

  a dot used to mark each item in a list; a small piece of metal shot from a gun

  Write each step of the experiment as a bullet in your notes.

• bunch noun

  a group of things of the same kind joined or held together

  She bought a bunch of bananas at the market.

  Like cluster, bundle

• bundle noun

  a number of things tied or wrapped together

  The farmer carried a bundle of firewood on her back.

  Like bunch, pack, bale

• burden noun

  something heavy that is carried; a worry or duty that is hard to bear

  The porter carried a heavy burden up the mountain trail.

  Like load, weight

• burn verb

  to be on fire, or to destroy or damage something with fire

  Dry wood burns more easily than wet wood.

  Like blaze, scorch

• burst verb

  to break open suddenly, especially because of pressure

  The balloon burst with a loud pop when my brother blew too much air into it.

  Like pop, explode

• bury verb

  to put something in the ground and cover it with soil

  The dog buried its bone in the garden.

• bus noun

  a large road vehicle that carries many passengers

  I take the bus to school every morning.

  Like coach

• business noun

  the work of buying and selling things to earn money; a company or shop

  My aunt runs a small business selling handmade paper.

  Like trade, company, firm

• busy adjective

  having a lot to do; full of people or activity

  The market is very busy on Saturday mornings.

  Like occupied, crowded

• button noun

  a small round object that fastens clothes; a small part you press to work a machine

  Press the green button to start the machine.

• buy verb

  to get something by paying money for it

  We buy rice and lentils from the shop near our house.

  Like purchase

• buyer noun

  a person who pays money to get something

  The farmer found a buyer for his goats at the market.

  Like customer, purchaser