baby
[a newly born creature]
Mary had a baby last night.
back
[(1) the part behind the front; (2) the other way from forward]
The writer's picture is on the back of the book. (1)
She stopped walking away and looked back at me. (2)
bad
[(1) wrong; (2) acting against the law; (3) not good]
Bill made a bad decision. (1)
The prisoner was a bad man for most of his life. (2)
The water was dirty and had a bad taste. (3)
balance
[to make two sides or forces equal]
I balanced my budget by not spending more than I earned.
ball
[something round]
The earth is shaped like a ball.
balloon
[a device of strong, light material that rises when filled with gas lighter than air]
Many hot air balloons race in New Mexico each year.
ballot
[a piece of paper used for voting]
I was asked to count the ballots and announce the winner.
ban
[(1) to not permit; (2) to stop; (3) an official restriction]
Running is banned at our swimming pool. (1)
The curfew bans all night time travel. (2)
The protestors called for a ban on smoking in public buildings. (3)
bank
[an organization that keeps and lends money]
The man said he robbed banks because that is where the money is.
bar
[to prevent or block]
He was barred from competing in the games because he used illegal drugs.
barrier
[anything that blocks or makes an action difficult]
The voting rights law removes most racial barriers to voting.
base
[(1) a military center; (2) to establish as a fact]
My brother is at a military training base. (1)
Her research was based on experiments. (2)
battle
[a fight between opposing armed forces]
Southern forces won the battle but lost the war.
be
[(1) to live; (2) to happen; (3) to exist]
The man is very sick and will not be here much longer. (1)
The wedding will be soon. (2)
Washington, D.C., has been the capital for 200 years. (3)
beat
[to hit again and again]
The prison guards denied they beat the prisoner.
beauty
[that which pleases the eye, ear or spirit]
All fell silent at the beauty of the mountains.
because
[for the reason that]
He left because he was sick.
become
[to come to be]
When did he become sick?
bed
[a sleeping place]
The bed was so hard that I could not sleep.
before
[earlier]
Bill ate before he went to work.
begin
[(1) to do the first part of an action; (2) to start]
He began to laugh when he saw me. (1)
A long walk begins with one step. (2)
behind
[(1) at the back of; (2) in back of]
Our fastest runner was far behind the leader. (1)
I live behind that hill. (2)
believe
[(1) to think; (2) to feel sure of; (3) to accept as true; (4) to trust]
I believe it may rain tonight. (1)
Jim believes his friend is a good writer. (2)
The lawyer believed the suspect's statement. (3)
We believe in God. (4)
bell
[an instrument that makes a musical sound]
Jim says he likes the sound of a church bell.
belong
[(1) to be owned by; (2) to be a member of]
That book belongs to my sister. (1)
My brother belongs to the Boy Scouts. (2)
below
[lower than]
The temperature outside is below freezing.
best
[the most good]
All of our singers are good but Lisa is best.
betray
[(1) to turn against; (2) to be false to]
The spy betrayed his country. (1)
The boy betrayed his mother's trust in him. (2)
better
[more good than]
Zach is a better baseball player than Al.
between
[(1) in the space or time that separates; (2) from one to the other]
I would like to meet with you between two and three o'clock. (1)
Secret talks between the two nations produced an agreement. (2)
big
[(1) of great size; (2) not small]
Texas is a big state. (1)
Melissa was a big baby. (2)
bill
[a legislative proposal]
To become law, a bill must be approved by both houses of Congress and signed by the President.
biology
[the scientific study of life or living things in all their forms]
My school requires one year of study each of biology, physics and chemistry.
bird
[a creature that flies]
I watched the bird fly away until I could no longer see it.
bite
[to cut with the teeth]
My dog sounds aggressive but he will not bite you.
black
[(1) dark; (2) having the color like that of the night sky]
I first saw him on a black and stormy night. (1)
The doctor arrived in a big black car. (2)
blame
[(1) to accuse; (2) to hold responsible]
The police blamed him for the crime. (1)
Don't blame me for your bad decision. (2)
blanket
[a cloth cover used to keep warm]
The flood refugees needed food and warm blankets.
bleed
[to lose blood]
Do you know how to stop your nose from bleeding?
blind
[not able to see]
Being blind did not keep him from becoming a famous singer.
block
[(1) to stop something from being done; (2) to prevent movement]
He blocked any attempt to become friends. (1)
A truck accident blocked the road for an hour. (2)
blood
[red fluid in the body]
A blood test is usually part of a yearly medical examination.
blow
[to move with force, as in air]
The wind blows the autumn leaves.
blue
[having the color like that of a clear sky]
My son has blue eyes.
boat
[something built to travel on water that carries people or goods]
I like to fish from a boat.
body
[(1) all of a person or animal; (2) the remains of a person or animal]
Exercise can improve anyone's body. (1)
Police found five bodies buried beneath the house. (2)
boil
[to heat a liquid until it becomes very hot]
Boil one cup of water, add frozen vegetables and cook for five minutes.
bomb
[(1) a device that explodes with great force; (2) to attack or destroy with bombs]
The bomb exploded outside the building. (1)
The warplanes bombed enemy missile launchers. (2)
bone
[the hard material in the body]
The girl broke a bone in her wrist when she fell.
book
[a long written work for reading]
The professor has written six books about East Asia.
border
[a dividing line between nations]
Many new factories have been built across the border in Mexico.
(be) born
[(1) to come to life; (2) to come into existence]
When were you born? (1)
The American Revolution was born in Massachusetts. (2)
borrow
[to take as a loan]
The bank refused to let me borrow any more money.
both
[not just one of two, but the two together]
Both of us were educated at the University of Virginia.
bottle
[a container, usually made of glass, to hold liquid]
He drank the last bottle of water.
bottom
[the lowest part of something]
The damaged submarine is still at the bottom of the ocean.
box
[something to put things into]
Put the old books in that box.
boy
[a young male person]
The boys played together after school.
boycott
[to refuse to take part in or deal with]
The farm workers union called for a boycott of vegetables picked by foreign workers.
brain
[the control center of thought, emotions and body activity of all creatures]
Scientists continue to discover new information about the chemistry of the brain.
brave
[having no fear]
Leaving home was a brave decision.
bread
[a food made from grain]
We have bread at every meal.
break
[(1) to divide into parts by force; (2) to destroy]
The glass broke into many pieces. (1)
Years of hard work broke his health, but it did not break his spirit. (2)
breathe
[to take air into the body and let it out again]
Breathe deeply before you begin your speech.
bridge
[a structure built over a waterway, valley or road so people and vehicles can cross from one side to the other]
The city needs a new bridge across the river.
brief
[(1) short; (2) not long]
Many people wish to speak, so please keep your comments brief. (1)
The car slowed down briefly, then speeded up. (2)
bright
[(1) giving much light; (2) strong and clear in color]
Bright sunlight hurts my eyes. (1)
The new grass is bright green. (2)
bring
[to come with something]
Sam will bring Tracy to the party.
broadcast
[(1) to send information, stories or music by radio or television; (2) a radio or television program]
VOA broadcasts the news in Special English. (1)
The Special English broadcast can be heard almost everywhere. (2)
brother
[a male with the same father or mother as another person]
I have three brothers, but no sisters.
brown
[having the color like that of coffee]
Richard has brown hair and brown eyes.
budget
[a spending plan]
Congress decided to add money to the education budget.
build
[to join materials together to make something]
Tim plans to build a house for his dog.
building
[anything built for use as a house, factory, office, school, store or place of entertainment]
My office is in that building next to the hotel.
bullet
[a small piece of metal shot from a gun]
The bullet hit the exact center of the target.
burn
[(1) to be on fire; (2) to destroy or damage by fire]
The candles burned brightly enough for me to read the book. (1)
The wildfire burned much of the forest. (2)
burst
[to break open suddenly]
The dam burst and sent a wall of water rushing down the valley.
bury
[to put into the ground and cover with earth]
Where do you think they buried the treasure?
bus
[a public vehicle to carry people]
Ride the A-17 bus to 4th and Independence Avenue.
business
[(1) one's work; (2) buying and selling to earn money; (3) trade]
My business is writing radio programs. (1)
The Internet is creating many new markets for business. (2)
I have done business with that company for many years. (3)
busy
[(1) doing something; (2) very active]
Are you busy now? (1)
George was very busy this morning with an emergency case. (2)
but
[(1) however; (2) other than; (3) yet]
She knew who called but I did not know. (1)
The boy ate nothing but candy. (2)
Jean was tired but she could not get to sleep. (3)
buy
[to get by paying something, usually money]
Where did Lila buy those great clothes?
by
[(1) near; at; (2) next to; (3) from ; (4) not later than]
Please sit here by me. (1)
They walked by the river. (2)
They performed a play by William Shakespeare. (3)
Her mother said that she had to be home by midnight. (4)