- Doctor, doctor! I"ve had a sore stomach ever since I ate three crabs last week.
- Did they smell bad when you took them out of their shells?
- What do you mean "took them out of their shells"?
- (attrib.) Scanty, just sufficient (a bare majority; bare necessities). —v. (-ring) uncover, reveal (bared his teeth; bared his soul). [old english]
BARK
—n. - sharp explosive cry of a dog, fox, etc.
- sound like this. —v. - (of a dog etc.) Give a bark.
- speak or utter sharply or brusquely.
- colloq. Cough harshly. bark up the wrong tree make false assumptions. [old english]
- —n. Tough outer skin of tree-trunks, branches, etc. —v. - graze (one's shin etc.).
- strip bark from. [scandinavian]
BARM
n. Froth on fermenting malt liquor. [old english]
BARN
dance n. - informal gathering for country dancing.
- a kind of country dance.
- n. Large farm building for storing grain etc. [old english, = barley house]
BASE
rate n. Interest rate set by the bank of england, used as the basis for other banks' rates.
- —n. - a part supporting from beneath or serving as a foundation. B notional support or foundation (power base).
- principle or starting-point.
- esp. Mil. Headquarters.
- main or important ingredient.
- number in terms of which other numbers or logarithms are expressed.
- substance capable of combining with an acid to form a salt.
- baseball etc. Each of the four stations on a pitch. —v. (-sing) 1 (usu. Foll. By on, upon) found or establish (a theory, hope, etc.).
- station (troops based in malta). [greek basis stepping]
- adj. - cowardly, despicable.
- menial.
- alloyed (base coin).
- (of a metal) low in value. [latin bassus]
BASH
—v. - a strike bluntly or heavily. B (often foll. By up) colloq. Attack violently. C (often foll. By down, in, etc.) Damage or break by striking forcibly.
- (foll. By into) collide with. —n. - heavy blow.
- slang attempt. [imitative]
BASK
v. - relax in warmth and light.
- (foll. By in) revel in (basking in glory). [old norse: related to *bathe]
BASS
clef n. Clef placing f below middle c on the second highest line of the staff.
- guitar n. Electric guitar tuned as a double-bass.
- —n. - a lowest adult male singing voice. B singer with this voice.
- instrument pitched lowest in its family.
- colloq. Bass guitar or double-bass.
- low-frequency output of a radio, record-player, etc. —adj. - lowest in musical pitch.
- deep-sounding. bassist n. (in sense 3). [from *base2 altered after italian basso]
- n. (pl. Same or -es) 1 common perch.
- other spiny-finned fish of the perch family. [old english]
BAST
n. Fibre from the inner bark of a tree (esp. The lime). [old english]
BATH
bun n. Round spiced bun with currants, often iced. [bath in s. England]
- chair n. Wheelchair for invalids.
- cube n. Cube of soluble substance for scenting or softening bath-water.
- salts n.pl. Soluble powder or crystals for scenting or softening bath-water.
- —n. (pl. -s) 1 a (usu. Plumbed-in) container for sitting in and washing the body. B its contents.
- act of washing in it (have a bath).
- (usu. In pl.) Public building with baths or a swimming-pool.
- a vessel containing liquid for immersing something, e.g. A film for developing. B its contents. —v. - wash (esp. A baby) in a bath.
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