📖 B — The English dictionary · page 58

busk — Everyday, meaning 1: To busk is to play music, sing, juggle or perform in a public place, such as a street or station, for money from people passing by.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) To busk it is to improvise, to do something without preparing.↗ Example: A man was busking with his guitar outside the station.↗ · People threw coins into the busker's hat.↗ · My big brother busks at the market on Saturdays.↗ · You may need a licence to busk in some cities.↗ · The juggler busked for the crowd in Covent Garden.↗ · I forgot my notes, so I had to busk it.↗ · She started busking at fifteen and is now a famous singer.↗

busker — Everyday, meaning 1: A person who plays music, sings, juggles or performs in the street or another public place for money from people passing by.↗ Example: A busker was playing the guitar outside the station.↗ · We gave the busker a pound for his song.↗ · The busker juggled fire on the street corner.↗ · Many famous musicians started as buskers.↗ · My big brother went busking with his violin.↗ · Buskers need a permit in some cities.↗

bust — Everyday, meaning 1: (informal) To bust something is to break it: «I bust my bike».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A bust is a statue of a person's head, shoulders and chest.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A bust is a woman's chest, or its measurement for clothes.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (informal) Go bust means a business runs out of money and closes.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: (slang) To bust someone is to catch them doing wrong or arrest them; a bust is a police raid.↗ Everyday, meaning 6: (slang) «Busted!» means «you've been caught!».↗ Example: I bust my headphones when I sat on them.↗ · There is a marble bust of the old queen in the museum.↗ · The toy shop went bust and closed.↗ · Busted!↗ I saw you take the last biscuit!↗ · The police made a big drugs bust.↗ · We bust a gut to finish the model on time.↗ · The dressmaker measured her bust, waist and hips.↗ · Alfred decided to take a bust of Kaela as well as of her mother.↗

bustard — Everyday, meaning 1: A bustard is a large, heavy bird with long legs that walks on grasslands and open plains; it can fly, but prefers to run.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: The great bustard is one of the heaviest flying birds in the world.↗ Example: The great bustard is one of the heaviest birds that can fly.↗ · A bustard strutted across the dry grassland.↗ · Scientists are bringing bustards back to England.↗ · The Australian bustard can stand very still to hide.↗ · The male bustard puffs out its feathers to show off.↗ · We saw a bustard on our trip to the outback.↗

bustle — Everyday, meaning 1: (noun) Busy, noisy activity with lots of people moving about: the hustle and bustle of the city.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (verb) To move around quickly and busily.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (history) A pad or frame worn under the back of a long skirt in the 1800s to make it puff out.↗ Example: I love the hustle and bustle of the market.↗ · Grandma bustled about the kitchen making tea.↗ · Nurses bustled in and out of the ward.↗ · Victorian ladies wore bustles under their dresses.↗ · The town was bustling with tourists.↗ · The station was full of bustle at rush hour.↗ · This was long before daybreak; and then they bustled away as quick as lightning.↗

busy — Everyday, meaning 1: Having a lot to do; working on something now: «Mum is busy cooking».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Full of people, traffic or activity: a busy road, a busy shop.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Of a phone line: in use, engaged (US: busy; UK: engaged).↗ Everyday, meaning 4: Of a picture or pattern: with too many details.↗ Example: I'm busy doing my homework.↗ · Are you busy?↗ Can I ask you something?↗ · Cross the busy road at the zebra crossing.↗ · Saturday is the busiest day at the shop.↗ · The bees were busy collecting pollen.↗ · Keep busy and the time will go faster.↗ · The line is busy — try again later.↗ · My dad has a busy job.↗ · See how busy all my guests are.”↗ · And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone.'↗ And the king of Israel said unto him: 'So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it.'↗ (Prophets 1KI.20.40, JPS 1917)↗

but — Everyday, meaning 1: But joins two ideas that are different or surprising together.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: But means except: «all but one».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: But can mean only: «He is but a child» (old style).↗ Everyday, meaning 4: «Buts» are objections: «no ifs or buts».↗ Everyday, meaning 5: (casual) In Australia, NZ, Scotland and Ireland «but» at the end of a sentence means «though»: «It's cold, nice day but.».↗ Everyday, meaning 6: (casual) «But» at the start shows surprise or a protest: «But Mum, I only had 2!».↗ Everyday, meaning 7: (formal) Exams say «however», «nevertheless», «whereas», «notwithstanding», «with the exception of» and «save for» (except).↗ Example: He had 10 apples, but he ate 3.↗ · She wanted 5 books, but bought only 2.↗ · All but 4 sheep ran away.↗ · The ticket costs 8 dollars, but kids pay half.↗ · I like rain, but not thunder.↗ · Everyone came but Sam.↗ · We ate nothing but pizza all week.↗ · No buts, it's time for bed!↗ · But Mum, he got 5 and I only got 2!↗ · Cold arvo, good game but.↗ · All pupils, save for 4, attended.↗ Given an enrolment of 30, determine the attendance.↗ · The price is 8 dollars; however, a reduction of half applies to minors.↗ · But the Skin Horse only smiled.↗ · And He said: 'Nay; but thou didst laugh.'↗ (Torah GEN.18.15, JPS 1917)↗ · But the LORD hearkened unto me that time also.↗ (Torah DEU.9.19, JPS 1917)↗ · But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.↗ (Torah GEN.6.8, JPS 1917)↗ · But he told not his father.↗ (Prophets 1SA.14.1, JPS 1917)↗ · Was it not but a word?'↗ (Prophets 1SA.17.29, JPS 1917)↗ · But what is it even then?↗ (Prophets 1KI.14.14, JPS 1917)↗

butch — Everyday, meaning 1: (informal) Looking or acting tough, strong and traditionally manly.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (slang) A word some people use for a lesbian woman who dresses or acts in a traditionally masculine way; it can be a proud self-description, but used by others it can be rude or hurtful.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (a name) Butch is also a nickname, as in the cowboy Butch Cassidy.↗ Example: That bulldog looks very butch.↗ · He tried to look butch in his leather jacket.↗ · Butch Cassidy was a famous train robber.↗ · "Rex is a butch name for a puppy," laughed Dad.↗ · Don't call people names to tease them.↗

butcher — Everyday, meaning 1: A butcher is a person whose job is cutting and selling meat.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: The butcher's is the shop where meat is sold.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To butcher an animal is to kill it and cut it up for meat.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: To butcher people is to kill them cruelly.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: (informal) To butcher something is to spoil it badly: «He butchered that song».↗ Example: Mum bought sausages at the butcher's.↗ · The butcher cut the meat into chops.↗ · Our butcher wears a striped apron.↗ · Sorry, I totally butchered your name.↗ · The singer butchered the national anthem.↗ · Give us a butcher's at your new phone.↗ · The cruel king was called a butcher by his people.↗ · "I'm a butcher by trade, not a doctor."↗

butler — Everyday, meaning 1: A butler is the chief male servant in a large, rich house, who looks after the wine, the dining room and the other servants.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Butler is also a surname.↗ Example: The butler opened the front door and bowed.↗ · In the old house, the butler served dinner.↗ · Everyone in the mystery suspected the butler.↗ · The butler polished all the silver.↗ · Batman's butler is called Alfred.↗ · The family no longer had a butler.↗ · Then, clapping her hands, she summoned the chief butler.↗ · Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgot him.↗ (Torah GEN.40.23, JPS 1917)↗ · Then spoke the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying: 'I make mention of my faults this day: (Torah GEN.41.9, JPS 1917)↗ · And he restored the chief butler back unto his butlership; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.↗ (Torah GEN.40.21, JPS 1917)↗

butt — Everyday, meaning 1: (informal, US; mildly rude) The bottom, the part you sit on.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: The thick end of a tool or gun; the end of a cigarette that is left.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: The butt of a joke: the person people laugh at.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (verb) To hit something with your head, like a goat.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: Butt in (informal): to interrupt rudely.↗ Everyday, meaning 6: A large barrel for water or wine: a water butt (UK).↗ Example: He slipped and landed on his butt.↗ · Please don't butt in when I'm talking.↗ · The goat butted the gate.↗ · He was always the butt of their jokes.↗ · We use the water from the water butt for the garden.↗ · The ground was covered in cigarette butts.↗ · (slang) Our team is going to kick butt today!↗ · The Bull quietly addressed him: “Butt away as much as you will.↗

butter — Everyday, meaning 1: Butter is a soft, yellow food made from cream, which people spread on bread or use in cooking.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To butter something means to spread butter on it.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Peanut butter and other «butters» are smooth spreads made from crushed nuts or seeds.↗ Example: Spread some butter on your toast.↗ · Mum buttered the bread for our sandwiches.↗ · Butter melts in a hot pan.↗ · We made butter at school by shaking cream in a jar.↗ · Keep the butter in the fridge so it stays fresh.↗ · I'm allergic to peanuts, so I can't eat peanut butter.↗ · You need butter, sugar, flour and eggs to make a cake.↗ · Oops, butterfingers!↗ You dropped the ball again.↗ · “Curly is taking both butter and honey.”↗ · When my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil!↗ (Writings JOB.29.6, JPS 1917)↗

buttercup — Everyday, meaning 1: A buttercup is a small wild plant with shiny, bright yellow cup-shaped flowers, common in fields and lawns.↗ Example: The field was full of yellow buttercups.↗ · Hold a buttercup under my chin!↗ · Buttercups are poisonous, so don't eat them.↗ · Cows leave the buttercups and eat the grass.↗ · We counted the petals: this buttercup has five.↗ · Buttercups open in the sunshine.↗ · And the buttercups sparkled gayly, and looked again at Gerda.↗

butterfly — Everyday, meaning 1: A butterfly is an insect with four large, often brightly coloured wings that flies by day.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Butterflies in your stomach is a fluttery feeling when you are nervous.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Butterfly (stroke) is a swimming stroke where both arms move over the water together.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: A social butterfly is a person who moves happily from friend to friend.↗ Example: A butterfly landed on the flower.↗ · A caterpillar turns into a butterfly.↗ · Butterflies drink nectar from flowers.↗ · I had butterflies in my stomach before the play.↗ · She swam the butterfly in the race.↗ · The butterfly came out of its chrysalis.↗ · Suppose I hunt butterflies, and you, serpents.”↗

buttermilk — Everyday, meaning 1: The slightly sour liquid left after butter has been made from cream.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Milk made sour and thick on purpose, sold in shops and used in baking.↗ Example: We made buttermilk pancakes for breakfast.↗ · Irish soda bread is made with buttermilk.↗ · Buttermilk tastes a bit sour, like yoghurt.↗ · The acid in buttermilk makes the dough rise with baking soda.↗ · Southern fried chicken is often soaked in buttermilk.↗ · There is no butter in buttermilk.↗ · Besides that, they had bread, butter, fish, a beer cask, and a buttermilk jar; what more did they require?↗

butterwort — Everyday, meaning 1: A small plant with a flat rosette of sticky, pale green leaves and purple, violet or yellow flowers; it catches and eats small insects.↗ Example: The butterwort caught a tiny fly on its sticky leaf.↗ · Butterworts grow in wet, boggy places.↗ · The butterwort has pretty violet flowers.↗ · We saw butterwort on our trip to the Scottish hills.↗ · Some people keep butterworts to catch fungus gnats.↗

buttocks — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: The two rounded parts of the body that a person sits on.↗ Example: So Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.↗ (Prophets 2SA.10.4, JPS 1917)↗ · so shall the king of Assyria lead away the captives of Egypt, and the exiles of Ethiopia, young and old, naked and barefoot, and with buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.↗ (Prophets ISA.20.4, JPS 1917)↗

button — Everyday, meaning 1: A button is a small round thing that holds clothes closed by going through a hole.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A button is something you press to make a machine or a screen work.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A badge with a pin is also called a button.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: To button is to close with buttons.↗ Example: Each shirt has 6 buttons.↗ · She has 40 buttons in a jar.↗ · How many buttons for 7 coats?↗ · He pressed the button 3 times.↗ · Button up your coat, it's cold.↗ · Press the red button to stop the machine.↗ · Sort the buttons by the number of holes.↗ · Your belly button is in the middle of your tummy.↗ · Click the button to start the game.↗ · The puppy is as cute as a button.↗ · It was a blue jacket with brass buttons, quite new.↗

buttonhole — Everyday, meaning 1: A buttonhole is a small slit in a coat or shirt through which a button is pushed.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A buttonhole is a flower worn in the slit of a coat.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To buttonhole someone is to stop them and make them listen to you.↗ Example: She put a rose in her buttonhole.↗ · The coat had a neat buttonhole.↗ · He buttonholed me to talk about his dog.↗