📖 B — The English dictionary · page 18

behemoth — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: A huge animal in the Bible, often thought to be like a great ox or hippopotamus.↗ Example: Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox.↗ (Writings JOB.40.15, JPS 1917)↗

behest — Everyday, meaning 1: A command or order, often from someone in charge: «at his behest» means as he ordered.↗ Example: She came at the king's behest.↗ · They built the tower at his behest.↗ · Obey my behest and you will be rewarded.↗

behind — Everyday, meaning 1: Behind means at the back of something: «behind the tree».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Behind means after someone in a line or a race.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Behind can mean late or slower than others: «behind with homework».↗ Everyday, meaning 4: Behind can mean left in a place: «I left my bag behind».↗ Example: How many people are behind her?↗ · Ben stands behind 5 children.↗ · 7 runners are behind Zoe.↗ · The cat is hiding behind the sofa.↗ · Our team was 2 goals behind at half-time.↗ · I left my coat behind at school.↗ · Don't fall behind with your reading.↗ · The sun went behind a cloud.↗ · The Fiddler hid behind the stove-pipe.↗ · The families of the Gershonites were to pitch behind the tabernacle westward; (Torah NUM.3.23, JPS 1917)↗ · But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.↗ (Torah GEN.19.26, JPS 1917)↗ · And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns.↗ (Torah GEN.22.13, JPS 1917)↗ · Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest My words behind thee.↗ (Writings PSA.50.17, JPS 1917)↗ · Thy temples are like a pomegranate split open behind thy veil.↗ (Writings SNG.6.7, JPS 1917)↗ · And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me.↗ (Prophets 2SA.1.7, JPS 1917)↗

behold — Everyday, meaning 1: To behold is to see or look at something, especially something wonderful.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: («Behold!») Look!↗ Pay attention to what comes next.↗ Early Modern English, meaning 1: To see or look at something, or as a cry: look!↗ Example: Behold, the king is coming!↗ · The children beheld a castle on the hill.↗ · It was a sight to behold.↗ · Behold, her mother's words were true!↗ · And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.↗ (Torah GEN.41.7, JPS 1917)↗ · Behold, I will slay thy son, thy first-born.' — (Torah EXO.4.23, JPS 1917)↗ · And they said one to another: 'Behold, this dreamer cometh.↗ (Torah GEN.37.19, JPS 1917)↗ · Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper?↗ (Prophets EZK.17.10, JPS 1917)↗ · Behold, he winnoweth barley to-night in the threshing-floor.↗ (Writings RUT.3.2, JPS 1917)↗ · Behold, He snatcheth away, who can hinder Him?↗ (Writings JOB.9.12, JPS 1917)↗ · And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.↗ (Torah GEN.41.7, JPS 1917) · It was very beautiful to behold.↗ (Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen) · As the prophet Isaiah exclaimed: "Behold!↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877)

beholden — Everyday, meaning 1: To be beholden to someone is to feel you owe them thanks because they helped you.↗ Example: I am beholden to you for my life.↗ · The poor boy was beholden to the kind old woman.↗ · Thank you; I shall never forget that I am beholden to you.↗

beholder — Everyday, meaning 1: A beholder is a person who looks at something, a person who sees it.↗ Example: The painting pleased every beholder.↗ · All the beholders gasped at the golden palace.↗ · The dragon's eyes frightened all beholders.↗

beholding — Everyday, meaning 1: (old, literary) Looking at; seeing, especially something wonderful or surprising.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (Bible) «Behold» = look! see!↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Beholden means owing thanks to someone because they helped you.↗ Example: The shepherds stood beholding the angel.↗ · Beholding the sea for the first time, she gasped.↗ · «Behold, a virgin shall conceive,» says the Bible.↗ · Mole stood beholding the river in wonder.↗ · The crowd stood beholding the fireworks.↗ · Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.↗ · "Oh, Ivan," said the merchants, "we are beholding to you; but for you we would have been lost men.↗ · Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken me in Thy ways.↗ (Writings PSA.119.37, JPS 1917)↗ · When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, saving the beholding of them with his eyes?↗ (Writings ECC.5.10, JPS 1917)↗

beige — Everyday, meaning 1: A pale, light brown colour, like sand or milky tea.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) Dull or boring, with nothing exciting about it, as in «a very beige outfit».↗ Example: She wore a beige coat and red boots.↗ · Mix white paint with a little brown to make beige.↗ · The walls of the waiting room were all beige.↗ · Sand on this beach is a pale beige.↗ · Our school jumpers used to be beige.↗ · That party was so beige, nothing happened at all.↗ (informal)↗ · Beige goes well with navy blue.↗

being — Everyday, meaning 1: (verb) Being is the -ing form of be: «you're being silly», «being late is rude».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A being is a living creature, real or imagined: «human beings», «beings from another planet».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (formal) Being is existing or living: «the chess club came into being when the new teacher arrived».↗ Everyday, meaning 4: Your being means your whole self: «she loved him with all her being».↗ Everyday, meaning 5: (casual) «Being as» or «being that» means because: «Being as it's raining, we'll stay in.» — common in speech, not in good writing.↗ Everyday, meaning 6: (rough) «Stop being a pain», «you're being a right idiot» use being for annoying behaviour right now.↗ Everyday, meaning 7: (formal) «It being the case that» and «there being» are stiff ways to start a fact: «There being 30 pupils, 6 groups were formed.».↗ Example: Stop being silly and sit down.↗ · Being kind costs nothing.↗ · Human beings need water to live.↗ · The film is about beings from another planet.↗ · For the time being, we'll use the old classroom.↗ · The school club came into being when Mrs Lee started it.↗ · Exercise is good for your well-being.↗ · being as there's 5 of us, get 10 sausages (casual)↗ · You're being a right pain today, pack it in.↗ (rough)↗ · There being 30 pupils in total, arranged in groups of 5, determine the number of groups.↗ (formal exam)↗ · I saw the army being reviewed.↗ · So Joseph died, being a hundred and ten years old.↗ (Torah GEN.50.26, JPS 1917)↗ · For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.↗ (Torah DEU.32.31, JPS 1917)↗ · He shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.↗ (Torah LEV.21.4, JPS 1917)↗ · Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper?↗ (Prophets EZK.17.10, JPS 1917)↗ · Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent?↗ (Writings JOB.4.7, JPS 1917)↗ · So Job died, being old and full of days.↗ (Writings JOB.42.17, JPS 1917)↗

bel — Everyday, meaning 1: A unit for measuring how loud a sound is or comparing power levels; one bel is ten decibels.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (a name) Bel, a short form of names like Isabel or Belinda.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: In old stories, Bel is the name of an ancient Babylonian god (Bible: «Bel and the Dragon»).↗ Example: One bel equals ten decibels.↗ · Sound levels are usually measured in decibels, not bels.↗ · The bel was named after Alexander Graham Bell.↗ · My friend Isabel likes to be called Bel.↗ · A whisper is about two bels, or twenty decibels.↗ · In the Bible story, Daniel showed that the idol Bel did not really eat food.↗ · Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth; their idols are upon the beasts, and upon the cattle; the things that ye carried about are made a load, a burden to the weary beast.↗ (Prophets ISA.46.1, JPS 1917)↗ · Declare ye among the nations and announce, and set up a standard; announce, and conceal not; say: 'Babylon is taken, Bel is put to shame, Merodach is dismayed; her images are put to shame, her idols are dismayed.'↗ (Prophets JER.50.2, JPS 1917)↗ · And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up, and the nations shall not flow any more unto him; yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall.↗ (Prophets JER.51.44, JPS 1917)↗

belabour — Everyday, meaning 1: To belabour someone is to beat them hard again and again, usually with a stick.↗ Example: The giant belaboured his friend with a club.↗ · The angry farmer belaboured the sack with his stick.↗ · Mercury belaboured the rogue with his staff.↗

belarusian — Everyday, meaning 1: From or to do with Belarus, a country in eastern Europe between Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia and Ukraine.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A person from Belarus.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: The Belarusian language, a Slavic language close to Ukrainian and Russian.↗ Example: Minsk is the Belarusian capital.↗ · Our new classmate is Belarusian and speaks three languages.↗ · Belarusian is written in the Cyrillic alphabet.↗ · Many Belarusians love potato pancakes called draniki.↗ · We learned a Belarusian folk song in music.↗ · The Belarusian forests are home to European bison.↗ · Belarusian sounds a bit like Ukrainian and Polish.↗

belated — Everyday, meaning 1: Coming or happening later than it should have.↗ Example: Happy belated birthday, Gran!↗ · I sent her a belated thank-you card.↗ · He made a belated attempt to tidy his room before Mum came home.↗ · The team got a belated goal in the last minute.↗ · She belatedly realised she had left her lunch at home.↗ · Sorry for the belated reply.↗ · Past such dangerous spots as these the belated villager will speed with timorous steps, remembering, perhaps, some such uncanny tale as that which comes next.↗

belay — Everyday, meaning 1: To belay a rope is to wind it round a post or pin so that it holds fast.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: («Belay!») Stop!↗ Stop what you are doing.↗ Example: Belay that rope, lads!↗ · «Avast, belay!» the captain shouted.↗ · We belayed the sail so it would not blow loose.↗

belch — Everyday, meaning 1: To belch is to let wind come noisily up from the stomach through the mouth.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To belch is also to send out a big rush of smoke, steam, or fire.↗ Example: The dragon belched forth an evil vapour.↗ · The old engine belched black smoke.↗ · Please do not belch at the table.↗ · Behold, they belch out with their mouth; swords are in their lips: 'For who doth hear?'↗ (Writings PSA.59.8, JPS 1917)↗

belfry — Everyday, meaning 1: The tower, or the room at the top of a tower, where church bells hang.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (idiom) Have bats in the belfry: to be a bit crazy or odd (old-fashioned, jokey).↗ Example: Bats lived up in the belfry of the old church.↗ · The bell-ringers climbed the steep stairs to the belfry.↗ · The bells in the belfry rang out at noon.↗ · (old-fashioned) "He's got bats in the belfry," said Grandad.↗ · We could see the belfry from the village green.↗ · Pigeons nested in the belfry.↗ · As soon as the boy reached the belfry, and turned himself round to seize the rope, he saw upon the stairs, near the sounding-hole, a white figure.↗

belgian — Everyday, meaning 1: Belgian means from or connected with Belgium, a small country in western Europe.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (noun) A Belgian is a person from Belgium.↗ Example: We bought a box of Belgian chocolates.↗ · Belgian waffles are crispy with deep squares.↗ · My penfriend is Belgian and speaks French and Dutch.↗ · Tintin was created by a Belgian artist.↗ · The Belgian team played well in the match.↗ · Brussels, the Belgian capital, hosts many European offices.↗ · Suddenly a voice cried: "Run!" and there was Tom, and he had brought the Zoological guinea pig and a pair of Belgian hares with him.↗

belie — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: To tell lies about someone or to deny the truth about them.↗ Example: They have belied the LORD, and said: 'It is not He, neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine; (Prophets JER.5.12, JPS 1917)↗

belief — Everyday, meaning 1: A belief is something you think is true, even if you cannot prove it («a belief that ghosts exist»).↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Belief is the feeling of being sure that something is true or real.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Belief in someone is trust and confidence in them («Her belief in me helped me win»).↗ Everyday, meaning 4: A belief is also a religious or moral idea a person holds («religious beliefs»).↗ Example: People hold many different beliefs.↗ · It is a common belief that goldfish have a three-second memory, but it is wrong.↗ · Her belief in herself helped her finish the race.↗ · We should respect other people's beliefs.↗ · The view from the mountain was beautiful beyond belief.↗ · Long ago, there was a belief that the Earth was flat.↗ · Scientists test a belief with experiments.↗ · He has a strong belief in being fair.↗ · In accordance with the belief of the ancients that the letters are of divine origin, the Sefer Yetzirah explains that the thirty-two ways of wisdom were ordained by God through: (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914))↗

believable — Everyday, meaning 1: Easy to believe; seeming true or possible.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (of a character in a story or film) Seeming like a real person.↗ Example: Her excuse was not very believable.↗ · The actor made the character believable.↗ · It's a believable story, but is it true?↗ · Scammers make their messages look believable.↗ · Write a believable ending for the story.↗ · His explanation sounded believable to the teacher.↗

believe — Everyday, meaning 1: To believe something means to think it is true.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To believe someone means to trust that they are telling the truth.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To believe in something means to feel sure it exists or is good, such as believing in yourself.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: «I believe…» can also mean «I think, but I am not completely sure».↗ Example: I believe that the Earth goes around the Sun, because scientists have measured it.↗ · Do you believe me?↗ I really did see a rainbow.↗ · I can't believe how fast you ran!↗ · She believes in herself, so she tried again.↗ · Believe it or not, a snail can sleep for a very long time.↗ · Long ago many people believed the Earth was flat.↗ · Don't believe everything you read online; check it.↗ · The little girl played make-believe with her dolls.↗ · Do not believe everything you hear.↗ · Yet in this thing ye do not believe the LORD your God, (Torah DEU.1.32, JPS 1917)↗ · And he believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness.↗ (Torah GEN.15.6, JPS 1917)↗ · And they told him, saying: 'Joseph is yet alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.'↗ And his heart fainted, for he believed them not.↗ (Torah GEN.45.26, JPS 1917)↗ · 'Who would have believed our report?↗ (Prophets ISA.53.1, JPS 1917)↗ · Then believed they His words; they sang His praise.↗ (Writings PSA.106.12, JPS 1917)↗ · Moreover, they scorned the desirable land, they believed not His word; (Writings PSA.106.24, JPS 1917)↗