It was World War II, and the captain was attempting to rally the GIs on the eve of a big offensive.
"Out there," said the captain, "is your enemy. The man who has made your life miserable, who is working to destroy you; the man who has been trying to kill you day after day throughout this war."
Private Johnson jumped to his feet. "My God! The cook’s working for the Germans!"
—v. (buys, buying; past and past part. Bought) 1 a obtain for money etc. B serve to obtain (money can't buy happiness; the best that money can buy).
- a procure by bribery etc. B bribe.
- get by sacrifice etc.
- slang believe in, accept.
- be a buyer for a store etc. —n. Colloq. Purchase. buy in buy a stock of. Buy into pay for a share in (an enterprise). Buy off pay to get rid of. Buy oneself out obtain one's release (esp. From the armed services) by payment. Buy out pay (a person) for ownership, an interest, etc. Buy up 1 buy as much as possible of.
- absorb (a firm etc.) By purchase. [old english]
BYE
n. - cricket run scored from a ball that passes the batsman without being hit.
- status of an unpaired competitor in a sport, who proceeds to the next round by default. [from *by as a noun]
boom n. Colloq. Temporary increase in the birthrate.
- buggy n. Propr. A kind of child's pushchair.
- carriage n. Us pram.
- grand n. Small grand piano.
- —n. (pl. -ies) 1 very young child.
- childish person.
- youngest member of a family etc.
- (often attrib.) A very young animal. B small specimen.
- slang sweetheart.
- one's special concern etc. —v. (-ies, -ied) treat like a baby; pamper. babyhood n. Babyish adj. [imitative of child's ba ba]
BACK
door n. Secret or ingenious means.
- number n. - out-of-date issue of a periodical.
- slang out-of-date person or thing.
- passage n. Colloq. Rectum.
- room n. (often, with hyphen, attrib.) Place where secret work is done.
- seat n. Less prominent or important position.
- slang n. Slang using words spelt backwards (e.g. Yob).
- to front adj. - with back and front reversed.
- in disorder.
- —n. - a rear surface of the human body from shoulder to hip. B upper surface of an animal's body. C spine (broke his back). D keel of a ship.
- backlike surface (back of the head, chair, shirt).
- reverse or more distant part (back of the room; sat in the back; write it on the back).
- defensive player in football etc. —adv. - to the rear (go back a bit; looked back).
- in or into a previous state, place, or time (came back; put it back; back in june).
- at a distance (stand back).
- in return (pay back).
- in check (hold him back). —v. - a give moral or financial support to. B bet on (a horse etc.).
- (often foll. By up) move backwards.
- a put or serve as a back, background, or support to. B mus. Accompany.
- lie at the back of (beach backed by cliffs).
- (of the wind) move anticlockwise. —adj. - situated to the rear; remote, subsidiary (back teeth).
- past; not current (back pay; back issue).
- reversed (back flow). back and forth to and fro. Back down withdraw from confrontation. The back of beyond very remote place. Back off 1 draw back, retreat.
- = back down. Back on to have its back adjoining (backs on to a field). Back out (often foll. By of) withdraw from a commitment. Back-pedal reverse one's action or opinion. Back to back with backs adjacent and facing each other (stood back to back). Back up 1 give (esp. Moral) support to.
- computing make a backup of (data, a disk, etc.). Get (or put) a person's back up annoy a person. Get off a person's back stop troubling a person. Turn one's back on abandon; ignore. backer n. (in sense 1 of v.). Backless adj. [old english]
BADE
see *bid.
BAIL
—n. - money etc. Pledged against the temporary release of an untried prisoner.
- person(s) giving this. —v. (usu. Foll. By out) 1 release or secure the release of (a prisoner) on payment of bail.
- release from a difficulty; rescue. on bail released after payment of bail. [latin bajulus carrier]
- n. - cricket either of two crosspieces bridging the stumps.
- bar holding the paper against a typewriter platen.
- bar separating horses in an open stable. [french]
- n. - cricket either of two crosspieces bridging the stumps.
- bar holding the paper against a typewriter platen.
- bar separating horses in an open stable. [french]
- v. (also bale) 1 (usu. Foll. By out) scoop water out of (a boat etc.).
- scoop (water etc.) Out. bail out var. Of bale out 1 (see *bale1). [french]
- v. (also bale) 1 (usu. Foll. By out) scoop water out of (a boat etc.).
- scoop (water etc.) Out. bail out var. Of bale out 1 (see *bale1). [french]
BAIT
—n. - food used to entice prey.
- allurement. —v. - harass, torment, or annoy (a person or chained animal).
- put bait on (a hook, trap, etc.). [old norse]
BAKE
v. (-king) 1 cook or become cooked by dry heat, esp. In an oven.
- colloq. (usu. As be baking) (of weather, a person, etc.) Be very hot.
- harden by heat. [old english]
BALD
adj. - lacking some or all hair on the scalp.
- lacking the usual hair, feathers, leaves, etc.
- colloq. With a worn surface (bald tyre).
- plain, direct (bald statement, style). balding adj. (in senses 1–3). Baldly adv. (in sense 4). Baldness n. [old english]
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