bacchanalian

a. drunken; relating to reveling and drunkenness
Show examples and contexts 
badinage

n. teasing conversation; good-humored, playful conversation
Show examples and contexts 
bailiff

n. legal officer to whom some degree of authority
Show examples and contexts 
bang

n. sudden loud noise, as of an explosion; sudden loud blow or bump; sudden burst of action
Show examples and contexts 
bantering

a. good-natured ridiculing; cleverly amusing in tone
Show examples and contexts 
barterer

n. trader; one who trades goods for other goods without involving money
Show examples and contexts 
bate

v. let down; restrain; lessen force or intensity of; moderate
Show examples and contexts 
batter

v. hit heavily and repeatedly with violent blows
Show examples and contexts 
bead

n. small, often round piece of material, such as glass, plastic, or wood, that is pierced for stringing or threading
Show examples and contexts 
beamline

n. line traveled by a particle beam in an accelerator
Show examples and contexts 
beatific

a. completely happy and contented; showing or producing exalted joy
Show examples and contexts 
beatitude

n. blessedness; state of extreme happiness
Show examples and contexts 
becalm

v. keep from motion, or stop progress of; make calm or still
Show examples and contexts 
beckon

v. signal or summon, as by nodding or waving; attract because of inviting or enticing appearance
Show examples and contexts 
becloud

v. make less visible; obscure or blur; darken with or as if with clouds
Show examples and contexts 
bedeck

v. adorn or ornament in a showy fashion
Show examples and contexts 
bedizen

v. ornament something in showy, tasteless, or gaudy finery
Show examples and contexts 
bedraggle

v. wet thoroughly; stain with mud; soil or wet by dragging in dirt, mud, moist places
Show examples and contexts 
beforehand

ad. in advance; early; at an earlier or preceding time
Show examples and contexts 
befuddle

v. confuse thoroughly; becloud and confuse, as with liquor; make stupid with alcohol
Show examples and contexts 
behemoth

n. something enormous in size or power
Show examples and contexts 
beleaguer

v. besiege or attack; harass; surround with troops
Show examples and contexts 
bellicose

a. warlike or hostile in manner or temperament; showing or having impulse to be combative
Show examples and contexts 
bemoan

v. regret strongly; express disapproval of
Show examples and contexts 
bemused

a. confused; lost in thought; preoccupied
Show examples and contexts 
besiege

v. surround with hostile forces; crowd around; cause to feel distressed or worried
Show examples and contexts 
bestial

a. beastlike; brutal; lacking in intelligence or reason
Show examples and contexts 
betoken

v. signify; indicate; be a visible sign of; give evidence of
Show examples and contexts 
betroth

v. become engaged to marry; promise to marry
Show examples and contexts 
bevy

n. large group; a group of animals or birds, especially larks or quail
Show examples and contexts 
bewilder

v. lead into perplexity or confusion; perplex with mazes
Show examples and contexts 
bicameral

a. composed of or based on two legislative chambers or branches
Show examples and contexts 
biennial

a. every two years; lasting or living for two years
Show examples and contexts 
billowing

a. swelling out in waves; surging; stormy; affected by storms
Show examples and contexts 
bitumen

n. any of various naturally occurring impure mixtures of hydrocarbons
Show examples and contexts 
bivouac

n. temporary encampment; a site where people on holiday can pitch tent
Show examples and contexts 
blandishment

n. flattery; speech or action expressive of affection or kindness, and tending to win the heart
Show examples and contexts 
blare

n. loud, harsh roar or screech; dazzling blaze of light
Show examples and contexts 
bleak

a. depressing, sombre, cold
Show examples and contexts 
blench

v. draw back, from lack of courage or resolution; turn pale, as if in fear
Show examples and contexts 
blighted

a. suffering from a disease; destroyed, ruined, or spoiled
Show examples and contexts 
blindside

v. to take by surprise
Show examples and contexts 
bludgeon

n. short heavy club, usually of wood; heavy-headed weapon
Show examples and contexts 
bolster

v. support or prop up with or as if with a long narrow pillow or cushion
Show examples and contexts 
bombardment

n. attack with missiles; continuous attack with shot and shell upon a town, fort, or other position
Show examples and contexts 
bombastic

a. pompous; using inflated language; high-sounding but with little meaning
Show examples and contexts 
boost

v. raise or lift by pushing up from behind or below; increase; raise
Show examples and contexts 
booth

n. small enclosed compartment with a window, used to separate the occupant from others; small stall for the display and sale of goods
Show examples and contexts 
boson

n. any particle that obeys Bose-Einstein statistics but not the Pauli exclusion principle
Show examples and contexts 
botnet

n. a collection of compromised computers that is slowly built up then unleashed as a DDOS attack or used to send very large quantities of spam
Show examples and contexts 
bounty

n. liberality in giving; something that is given liberally; goodness, kindness
Show examples and contexts 
bovine

a. dull, slow-moving, and stolid, like an ox; placid and dull
Show examples and contexts 
bowdlerize

v. edit by omitting or modifying parts considered offensive, vulgar, or otherwise unseemly
Show examples and contexts 
brandish

v. move or wave, as a weapon; raise and move in various directions
Show examples and contexts 
brindled

a. of brownish, tawny colour, with streaks, spots, or patterns
Show examples and contexts 
bristling

a. rising like bristles; showing irritation
Show examples and contexts 
bristly

a. having or covered with protective barbs or others; very irritable
Show examples and contexts 
broil

v. cook by direct exposure to heat over fire; subject to great heat; be subjected to the action of heat; be greatly heated
Show examples and contexts 
brood

n. children in one family; young of certain animals
Show examples and contexts 
brush

n. short and sometimes occasional encounter or experience
Show examples and contexts 
buccaneer

n. pirate; robber upon the sea
Show examples and contexts 
bucolic

a. rustic; pastoral; agricultural; relating to country affairs, or to shepherd's life and occupation
Show examples and contexts 
buffoonery

n. clowning; arts and practices of buffoon, as low jests, ridiculous pranks, vulgar tricks and postures
Show examples and contexts 
bumptious

a. offensively self-assertive; liable to give or take offense; forward; pushing
Show examples and contexts 
bungle

v. mismanage; blunder; work or act in clumsy, awkward, or blundering manner
Show examples and contexts 
burgeon

v. to develop or grow rapidly
Show examples and contexts 
burnish

v. make shiny by rubbing; polish
Show examples and contexts 
bursar

n. treasurer or keeper of funds; purser or treasurer of college or other community
Show examples and contexts 
bursary

n. treasury, especially of a public institution or religious order; scholarship granted to a university student in need
Show examples and contexts 
buttress

v. support physically; prop up; support something or someone by supplying evidence
Show examples and contexts 
cabal

n. small group of persons secretly united to promote their own interests
Show examples and contexts 
cacophonous

a. discordant; inharmonious; sounding harshly; ill-sounding
Show examples and contexts 
cactus

n. any of various succulent, spiny, usually leafless plants native mostly to arid regions
Show examples and contexts 
cadaverous

a. like corpse; pale; Having appearance or color of dead human body
Show examples and contexts 
cadence

n. rhythmic rise and fall of words or sounds; beat
Show examples and contexts 
cajole

v. influence or urge by gentle urging or flattering
Show examples and contexts 
caldron

n. large kettle or boiler of copper, brass, or iron
Show examples and contexts 
callow

a. youthful; immature; inexperienced; without feathers
Show examples and contexts 
calorific

a. capable of producing heat; causing heat; heating
Show examples and contexts 
canister

n. small box or case for tea, coffee, etc
Show examples and contexts 
cannibalize

v. remove parts of machine for use in other similar machines; consume another of one's own type or kind
Show examples and contexts 
canny

a. having pleasing or useful qualities; gentle; knowing; cautious; cunning; shrewd
Show examples and contexts 
cantankerous

a. ill humored; irritable; marked by ill-tempered contradiction or opposition; ugly; malicious
Show examples and contexts 
cantata

n. story or poem set to music that can be sung by chorus
Show examples and contexts 
canto

n. part or division of poem of some length
Show examples and contexts 
caper

n. crime, especially theft, or a narrative about such a crime
Show examples and contexts 
capitalize

v. to use something to one's benefit for advantage
Show examples and contexts 
capitulate

v. surrender; end all resistance; give up; go along with or comply
Show examples and contexts 
capsize

v. to cause to overturn (usually a vessel)
Show examples and contexts 
captious

a. intended to confuse in an argument
Show examples and contexts 
captivate

v. charm; enthrall; seize by force, as an enemy in war, or anything belonging to enemy
Show examples and contexts 
cardiovascular

a. of, relating to, or involving the heart and the blood vessels
Show examples and contexts 
careen

v. lean to one side, as a ship under press of sail; sway from side to side
Show examples and contexts 
careworn

a. worn or burdened with care; showing the signs of long-term stresses
Show examples and contexts 
caribou

n. large reindeer native to northern North America
Show examples and contexts 
carnage

n. massive slaughter, as in war; massacre; corpses, especially of those killed in battle
Show examples and contexts 
carping

a. fault-finding; excessive complaining; of unreasonable criticism or censure
Show examples and contexts 
cartel

n. a combination of independent business organizations formed to regulate production, pricing, and marketing of goods by the members
Show examples and contexts 
cartographer

n. one who makes maps or charts
Show examples and contexts 
castigate

v. criticize severely; punish; revise or make corrections to publication
Show examples and contexts 
cataclysm

n. an event resulting in great loss and misfortune; deluge or overflowing of water
Show examples and contexts 
catapult

v. increase the status of something rapidly; shoot forth or launch
Show examples and contexts 
cataract

n. disease of the eye causing its opacity and, unless treated, leading to blindness
Show examples and contexts 
catcall

n. shout of disapproval; shout or whistle expressing dislike, especially from crowd or audience
Show examples and contexts 
catechism

n. book for religious instruction; instruction by question and answer
Show examples and contexts 
categorical

a. absolute; having no exception; of using category or categories
Show examples and contexts 
cater

v. supply what is needed or desired; provide food professionally for special occasion
Show examples and contexts 
caulk

v. make watertight by filling in cracks
Show examples and contexts 
causal

a. implying cause-and-effect relationship
Show examples and contexts 
cavil

v. criticise for petty or frivolous reasons; raise trivial objections
Show examples and contexts 
cede

v. yield or formally resign and surrender to another
Show examples and contexts 
censorious

a. critical; addicted to censure; severe in making remarks on others, or on their writings or manners; implying or expressing censure
Show examples and contexts 
centigrade

a. measure of temperature, used widely in Europe
Show examples and contexts 
centrifugal

a. radiating; departing from the center
Show examples and contexts 
centripetal

a. tending toward center; moving or directed toward center or axis
Show examples and contexts 
centurion

n. officer of ancient Roman army, in command of a century of soldiers or minor division
Show examples and contexts 
cerebral

a. intellectual rather than emotional
Show examples and contexts 
cerebration

n. act of cerebrating; thinking, mental activity
Show examples and contexts 
ceremonious

a. marked by formality; strictly observant of or devoted to ceremony or ritual
Show examples and contexts 
certitude

n. state of being certain; complete assurance; confidence
Show examples and contexts 
chaffing

a. joking; use of light, frivolous language by way of fun or ridicule
Show examples and contexts 
chalice

n. goblet; bowl-shaped drinking vessel; large drinking cup, often having stem and base
Show examples and contexts 
chary

a. cautious; sparing or restrained about giving
Show examples and contexts 
chasten

v. rid of excess; refine or purify; correct by punishment or reproof
Show examples and contexts 
cherubic

a. angelic; innocent-looking; like a baby; infantile
Show examples and contexts 
chicanery

n. mean or unfair artifice to obscure truth; deception by trickery or sophistry
Show examples and contexts 
choleric

a. hot-tempered; easily angered; bad-tempered; expressing anger
Show examples and contexts 
chortle

v. chuckle with delight; joyful laugh or chuckle; laugh quietly or with restraint
Show examples and contexts 
christening

n. a Christian ceremony involving baptizing and naming an infant
Show examples and contexts 
chug

v. dull explosive sound, usually short and repeated, made by or as if by a laboring engine
Show examples and contexts 
churlish

a. difficult to work with; rude; unyielding; unmanageable
Show examples and contexts 
circa

ad. approximately, about; commonly abbreviated ca. -- used especially before dates and numerical measures.
Show examples and contexts 
circumlocution

n. indirect or roundabout expression; evasion in speech or writing
Show examples and contexts 
circumscribe

v. limit narrowly; confine; draw a line around; encircle
Show examples and contexts 
citadel

n. fortress; fortified place which people could go for shelter during battle
Show examples and contexts 
clamber

v. climb with difficulty, especially on all fours; climb by crawling
Show examples and contexts 
clan

n. a large group of relatives, friends, or associates; a traditional social unit, consisting of a number of families claiming a common ancestor
Show examples and contexts 
clangor

n. loud, resounding noise; sharp, metallic, ringing sound; resonant, clanging sound
Show examples and contexts 
climactic

a. relating to the highest point; ascending or leading to climax
Show examples and contexts 
clime

n. region; climate; particular region as defined by its weather or climate
Show examples and contexts 
cloying

a. distasteful because excessive; excessively sweet or sentimental
Show examples and contexts 
coagulate

v. cause transformation of liquid into or as if into soft, semisolid, or solid mass
Show examples and contexts 
coalesce

v. combine; fuse; grow together; come together so as to form one whole; unite
Show examples and contexts 
codify

v. arrange laws, rules as a code; classify; arrange or systematize
Show examples and contexts 
cogency

n. power of proving or of producing belief; quality of being highly probable or convincing; force; credibility
Show examples and contexts 
cogent

a. reasonable and convincing; based on evidence; forcefully persuasive
Show examples and contexts 
cogitate

v. think earnestly or studiously; meditate; ponder; think deeply
Show examples and contexts 
cognate

a. related by blood; having common ancestor; related or analogous in nature, character, or function
Show examples and contexts 
cognizance

n. knowledge or recognition; awareness; range of what one can know or understand
Show examples and contexts 
cohere

v. stick or hold together in a mass that resists separation
Show examples and contexts 