balance
an amount that remains or is left over: _My bank balance isn't very large._ (=I haven't got much money in the bank) | _I'd like to take the balance of my holidays_ (=the part I have not yet taken) _in September._ **8 in the balance** in a state of uncertainty: _The future of the nation is/hangs in the balance._ **9 on balance** when everything has been considered; taking everything into consideration: _I think on balance I prefer the old system._ **10 throw someone off balance** to make someone confused or less confident by surprising them: _Don't let unexpected questions throw you off balance in the interview._ | _Her sudden change of plan threw me off balance for a minute, and I didn't know what to say._ **11 tip/swing the balance** to have an effect on a decision that is being made, or on the final result of a situation: _His address to the conference was the speech that tipped the balance for many voters. | The new law has swung the balance in favour of home buyers, and away from renters._
**balance²** *v* **1** [I;T] to (cause to) be steady and keep in BALANCE especially in a difficult position: _The dog balanced a ball on its nose._ | _When you learn to ride a bicycle you must learn to balance._ **2** [I;T(OUT)] to (cause to) have or be given equal weight, amount, importance, or influence to (something else/each other): _The weight here balances the weight there. | The company's accounts did not balance (out)._ (=did not show money spent to be equal to money received) | _the problem of balancing the need for military secrecy with the public's right to be informed_ **3** [T[against]] to consider in relation to something else; compare: _You have to balance the advantages of living in a big city against the disadvantages._
**'balance ,beam** *n* a long narrow piece of wood supported several feet in the air on which a GYMNAST performs
**bal·anced** /'bælənst/ *adj* **1** giving equal attention to all sides or all opinions; fair; showing BALANCE: _balanced and impartial reporting of the election campaign | a balanced judgment_ **2** in which money spent and money earned are equal: _a balanced budget_ **3** having or showing a firm sensible mind: _She's very well balanced. | a balanced judgment_ $\rightarrow$ compare UNBALANCE
**,balanced 'diet** *n* the right quantities and kinds of food needed for good health
**,balance of 'payments** *n* [S] the difference between the amount of money coming into a country and the amount going out, taking into account all international business such as trade in goods, services, insurance, and banking $\rightarrow$ compare BALANCE OF TRADE
**,balance of 'power** *n* [the] **1** a position in which political or military power is evenly balanced on all sides: _The growth of the new political party upset the balance of power._ | _the nuclear balance of power_ **2 hold the balance of power** to be able to make either side more powerful than the other by favouring it: _The two big parties had an equal number of seats in Parliament, so a small party held the balance of power._
**,balance of 'trade** *n* [S] the difference in value between a country's IMPORTS (=the goods it brings into the country) and EXPORTS (=the goods it sends out of the country for sale) $\rightarrow$ compare BALANCE OF PAYMENTS
**'balance sheet** *n* a statement of how much money has come in and how much has gone out
**Bal·an·chine, George** /'bæləntʃi:n//,bælənt'ʃi:n, -'tʃi:n/ (1904-83) a US CHOREOGRAPHER (=someone who decides what movements dancers will do to a piece of music) who was born in Russia, and who helped to start the New York City Ballet
**'balancing ,act** *n* [S] an attempt to deal with two opposite types of person, problem, opinion etc, without causing new problems: _With its loss of profits and its need to employ more pilots, the airline has a difficult balancing act._
**bal·co·ny** /'bælkəni/ *n* **1** a raised flat surface which is built out from the upstairs wall of a building: _You can see the sea from our balcony._ **2** also circle — the seats upstairs in a theatre
**bald** /bɔ:ld/ *adj* **1** with little or no hair on the head: _He's going bald._ | (humor) _He's as bald as a coot._ (=completely bald) **2** with little or no decoration or detail; plain: _a bald statement of the facts_ **--ness** *n* [U]
**86**
**,bald 'eagle** *n* a large bird (EAGLE) with a white head which is the national bird of the US
**bal·der·dash** /'bɔ:ldədæʃ//-dər-/ *n* [U] *old-fash infml* foolish talk or writing; nonsense
**bald-faced** /'bɔ:ldfeɪst/ *adj AmE* if someone tells a baldfaced lie, they say something that is clearly untrue but they do not seem embarrassed at all
**bald·ing** /'bɔ:ldɪŋ/ *adj* becoming bald: _a balding man/head_
**bald·ly** /'bɔ:ldli/ *adv* spoken plainly, without attempting to hide unpleasant facts: _To put it baldly if you don't stop smoking you'll be dead in a year._
**Bald·win, James** /'bɔ:ldwɪn/ (1924-87) an African-American writer, known for his novels such as _Go Tell It on the Mountain_ and _Another Country_
**Baldwin, Stanley** (1867-1947) a British politician and leader of the Conservative Party who was Prime Minister on three separate occasions (1923-24, 1924-29, and 1935-37). The General Strike of 1926 took place while he was Prime Minister. In 1936 King Edward VIII ABDICATED and in 1937 Baldwin RESIGNED after he was criticized for ignoring the Germans' preparations for World War II. He later became the 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley.
**bald·y** /'bɔ:ldi/ *n infml humor* someone who is BALD
**bale¹** /beɪl/ *n* a large tightly tied mass of especially soft material ready to be taken away: _a bale of paper/hay/cotton_
**bale²** *v*
**bale out** *phr v* **1** [(of)] *BrE* $\parallel$ **bail out** *AmE* — to escape from an aircraft by PARACHUTE **2** [I;T(bale sth. $\Leftrightarrow$ out)] *BrE* for BAIL OUT
**Bal·e·ar·ic Is·lands, the** /,bæli'ærɪk ,aɪləndz/ also the **Balearics** a group of islands in the western Mediterranean Sea, including Ibiza, Majorca, and Minorca, which belong to Spain
**bal·eful** /'beɪlfəl/ *adj* full of hate and desire to do harm; evil; threatening: _a baleful look_ **--ly** *adv*
**Bal·four, Arthur James** /'bælfɔ:, -fər/ (1848-1930) a British politician in the Conservative Party, who was Prime Minister from 1902 to 1905 and Foreign Secretary from 1916 to 1919. He was responsible for the Balfour Declaration, which supported the idea that a state should be established in Palestine for the Jews.
**Ba·li** /'ba:li/ an island in Indonesia, to the east of Java known for its beaches and its ancient religious and musical traditions. In 2002, a TERRORIST attack on two NIGHTCLUBS killed over 200 people and hurt hundreds of others. Most of the people in the nightclubs were young foreigners who were visiting the island on holiday.
**balk¹** also **baulk** *BrE* /bɔ:k, bɔ:lk/ *v* **1** [[at]] to be unwilling to do or agree to something difficult or unpleasant: _I wanted to buy the dress, but I balked at the high price._ **2** [T] to stop or intentionally get in the way of **3** [I] (in BASEBALL) to stop in the act of throwing the ball towards the player who is trying to hit it
**balk²** also **baulk** *BrE* — *n* a thick rough wooden beam
**bal·kan·i·za·tion** also **-sation** *BrE* /,bɔ:lkənaɪ'zeɪʃən//-kənə-/ *n* [U] the practice of dividing a country into separate independent states, especially in order to separate people of different races or religions, as happened in the Balkans
**Bal·kans, the** /'bɔ:lkənz/ also **Balkan 'States, the** [P] a large area in southeast Europe which includes Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, and the former Yugoslavia. It is an area in which there have been many wars and many changes in the borders of the countries.
**ball¹** /bɔ:l/ *n* **1 a)** a usually round object used in a game of sport: _The children were kicking a ball around the garden. | to bounce a ball | a tennis ball_ **b)** anything of a similar shape: _a ball of string | a snowball | a meatball_ **2** a rounded part of the body: _the ball of the foot_ (=at the base of the toes) | _an eyeball_ **3** an act or style of throwing a ball: _a fast ball | What a good ball!_ $\rightarrow$ see also NO BALL **4** (in BASEBALL) a thrown ball which a player is not expected to swing at with his BAT because it is not within a certain area. After four such balls, the player may walk to first base **5** a round bullet or SHELL to be fired from a gun of a type now no longer used **6 ball and chain** a heavy ball of metal with a chain attached, that used to be fixed to prisoners' legs to stop them from