117
STATE (=the idea that the government should provide free health care, and money for old people and for people who cannot get a job).
Beverly Hill-bil-lies, The /ˌbevəri ˈhɪlbɪliːz-ˌvər-/ a popular and funny US television programme of the 1960s and 1970s in which a poor family discover oil on their land, become rich, and move to Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills /ˌbevəri ˈhɪlzɪ-ˌvər-/ an expensive part of Los Angeles, California where many famous film stars live
bev-vied up /ˈbeviːd ˈʌp/ adj BrE inflml drunk: We're all going out to get bevved up.
bev-vy /ˈbevi/ n BrE inflml a drink, especially an alcoholic drink: Maybe she'd had a few bevvies.
bev-y /ˈbevi/ n [C+sing./pl. v] 1 a large group or collection, especially of girls or women: a bevy of beauties 2 a group of certain kinds of birds, especially QUAIL
be-wail /bɪˈweɪl/ v [T] fml to express deep sorrow for or disappointment about, sometimes by crying tears
be-ware /bɪˈweər/ v [I(off);T+wh-] (used, with no change of form, in giving or reporting warnings) to be very careful: Beware of the dog. | Beware how you handle this dangerous substance.
be-wigged /bɪˈwɪgd/ adj lit or humor wearing a WIG
be-wil-der /bɪˈwɪldər/ v [T] to confuse, especially by the presence of many different things at the same time: Big city traffic bewilders me. | a bewildering mass of details | a bewildered look —ment n [U] Imagine my bewilderment when she said that!
be-witch /bɪˈwɪtʃ/ v [T] 1 to have a magic effect on; put under one's power by magic 2 to charm as if by magic: a bewitching smile
Beyoncé → see KNOWLES, BEYONCÉ
be-yond¹ /bɪˈjɒnd||bɪˈjɑːnd/ adv on or to the further side; further: They crossed the mountains and travelled to the valleys beyond. | (fig.) to prepare for the changes of the 1990s and beyond
beyond² prep 1 on or to the further side of: What lies beyond the mountains? 2 later than; past; after: Don't stay there beyond midnight. | The new law extends this ban beyond 1988. 3 more or greater than (an amount or limit): The level of inflation has gone beyond 10%. | people who continue to work beyond the normal retirement age 4 outside the range or limits of: The switch on the wall was beyond the baby's reach. | The town had changed beyond recognition. (=so much that it could not be recognized) | His guilt has been established beyond reasonable doubt. (=with certainty) | It's beyond belief (=impossible to believe) that anyone could be so stupid. | success beyond our wildest dreams (=far better than we could have expected) | It's beyond me (=too hard for me to understand) why she married him. 5 besides; except for: I own nothing beyond the clothes on my back. | I can't tell you anything beyond what you know already.
beyond³ n [the] (often cap.) life after death; HEREAFTER: What can we know of the beyond? → see also BACK OF BEYOND
Beyond the 'Fringe a humorous show for the theatre in the 1960s, written and performed by Alan BENNETT, Jonathan MILLER, Peter COOK, and Dudley MOORE. They invented a new style of humour which was unusual and clever, and which influenced many later British COMEDIANS.
BFA /ˌbiː ef eɪ/ n abbrev. for Bachelor of Fine Arts; a degree given by some US universities for studies in art, music, and acting. BFA is sometimes written after someone's name to show that they have this degree.
BFG, the /ˌbiː ef dʒiː/ a children's story by Roald Dahl about a GIANT (=extremely large tall man) who is called the BFG because he is a big friendly giant and is not bad or frightening like most giants
BFI, the /ˌbiː ef ˈaɪ/ the British Film Institute; a British organization which was started in 1933 to encourage people to make films, and which includes the NATIONAL FILM THEATRE
B-52 /ˌbiː fɪfti ˈtuː/ n a large military aircraft made in the US and used by the US to drop bombs in the Vietnam War and the Gulf War
BFPO /ˌbiː ef piː ˈəʊ/ British Forces Post Office; used as part of the address of someone in the British army → compare APO, FPO
Bhag-a-vad-Gi-ta, the /ˌbʌgəvəd ˈgiːtə||ˌbɑːgəvɑːd-/ one of the most important holy books of the Hindu religion
Bhagwan → see RAJNEESH
bha-ji, bhajee /ˈbɑːdʒi/ n a SPICY (=strongly tasting and smelling) Indian vegetable cake fried in BATTER (=a liquid mixture of flour, egg, and milk or water): mushroom/onion bhaji
bhang /bæŋ/ n [U] a not very strong form of the drug CANNABIS used in India → compare HASHISH, MARIJUANA
Bhan-gra /ˈbʌŋgrə/ a style of popular music in the UK that combines western music with traditional music from India
Bho-pal /bəʊˈpɑːl/ a city in the north of India, where in 1984 over 2000 people died after poisonous gas escaped from a factory owned by Union Carbide, an American-owned company. Since 1984, thousands of other people living in the area near the factory have developed serious health problems, and in 2004 the Indian government asked the courts in the US to force Union Carbide's new owner, Dow Chemicals, to clean up the poisonous chemicals still present in and around the factory.
BHS /ˌbiː eɪtʃ ˈes/ trademark British Home Stores; a large store in many UK towns, which mainly sells clothes but also things for the home
Bhu-mi-bol, King A-dul-ya-dej /ˈpuːmiˌpɒn ɑːˈduːnləˌdeɪt/ (1927–) the king of Thailand since 1946, who is greatly respected by his people and has been king for longer than anyone in Thailand's history
Bhu-tan /buːˈtɑːn/ a mountainous country in the Himalayas, surrounded by India, China, and Sikkim. Population: 2,139,549 (2003). Capital: Thimbu.
Bhut-to, Ben-a-zir /ˈbuːtəʊ, ˈbenəziːɔːr/ (1953–) the leader of the Pakistan People's Party, which was started by her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. She became PRIME MINISTER in 1988, and in 1993 she was elected a second time. In 1996 she was forced to leave her position and live in EXILE because some people believed she had used government money dishonestly. If she returns to Pakistan, she will be arrested.
Bhutto, Zul-fi-kar Al-i /ˌzʌlfɪkɑːr ˈæliːl-ˈɑːliː/ (1928–79) a Pakistani politician who was President (1971–73) and then PRIME MINISTER (1973–77) of Pakistan. He was overthrown (OVERTHROW) in a military COUP in 1977 and executed (EXECUTE) in 1979. His daughter, Benazir Bhutto, was Prime Minister from 1988 to 1990.
bi- → see WORD FORMATION TABLE
BIA /ˌbiː aɪ ˈeɪ/ abbrev. for BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS
bi-an-nu-al /baɪˈænjuəl/ adj happening twice each year → compare BIENNIAL
Biar-ritz /ˌbiəˈrɪts||ˌbiːə-/ a town on the coast of southwest France where rich and famous people go on holiday
bi-as¹ /ˈbaɪəs/ n [C;U] 1 a tendency to be in favour of or against something or someone without knowing enough to be able to judge fairly; PREJUDICE: They complained of bias in the way the news media reported the story. | an anti-government bias 2 a tendency of mind: Her scientific bias showed itself in early childhood. 3 on the bias on the CROSS; diagonally (DIAGONAL): cloth cut on the bias (=cut at an angle to the WEAVE, not parallel to it)
bias² v -s- or -ss- [T often pass.] to cause to form fixed opinions for or against something without enough information to judge fairly; PREJUDICE: The fact that she was a woman biased some members of the committee against her. | The judge was biased in favour of the second candidate, who had been educated at the same college as himself. | biased reporting
bias 'binding n [U] cloth in the form of a narrow band, cut on the bias, for use when sewing curved edges or corners
bi-ath-lon /baɪˈæθlɒn/ n a sporting competition in which the competitors take part in skiing (SKI) across country and RIFLE shooting → compare DECATHLON, PENTATHLON
bib /bɪb/ n 1 a piece of cloth or plastic tied under a child's chin to protect its clothes when eating 2 the upper part of an APRON or DUNGAREES above the waistline 3 one's best bib and tucker inflml one's best clothes
Bi-ble /ˈbaɪbəl/ n 1 the Bible the holy book of the Jewish and Christian religions. The Jewish Bible is made up of 39 parts that tell the story of God's relationship with the Jewish