| autarchy | n. | self-government; absolute power | ||
| autofiction | n. | blend of autobiography and fiction | ||
| avaunt | int. | begone, go away | archaic | |
| avenaceous | adj. | of or related to oats | ||
| avernal | adj. | of or related to Lake Avernus, Italian lake famed for its noxious fumes and thought to be an entrance to Hell; hellish | ||
| avidin | n. | protein in white of eggs which prevents action of vitamin B | ||
| avoirdupois | n. | weight measurement system based upon a pound of 16 ounces; body weight | ||
| awhile | adv. | for a short period of time | ||
| axillary | adj. | of or related to the armpit | ||
| axletree | n. | fixed bar of wood or iron on the opposite ends of which the wheels of a wagon or carriage revolve | ||
| ayah | n. | nanny or nurse (usu. native) working for Europeans in Southeast Asia | ||
| azan | n. | Muslim call to prayer | ||
| azonic | adj. | not local, not of any particular region | ||
| azote | n. | nitrogen | ||
| backdate | v. | to antedate, to mark with date earlier than actual date | ||
| backhand | n. | handwriting that slopes to the left | ||
| bad cess to | n. | a curse upon, may evil befall | idiom | |
| badmash | miscreant, ruffian, dishonest man or youth | |||
| bailiwick | n. | area of expertise or skill | ||
| bain-marie | n. | steam table, receptacle containing hot water in which other vessels containing food are placed to cook or to keep warm; (British) double boiler | ||
| baize | n. | woolen fabric with long nap, usu. green, resembling felt, frequently seen covering billiard tables | ||
| baldachin | n. | rich brocade; canopy over a throne, altar, or doorway | ||
| baldric | n. | belt worn across the breast from shoulder to hip, supporting a sword or bugle, etc. | ||
| balestra | n. | leap towards opponent with an immediate lunge | ||
| balliwick | n. | area of expertise; jurisdiction district for a bailiff | ||
| baluster | n. | (architecture) short pillar, usu. supporting a handrail or coping (which series is then called a balustrade) | ||
| bam | v. | to cozen or cheat | ||
| bamboula | n. | drum made from a rum barrel; dance using such a drum | ||
| banal | adj. | unoriginal or common in a boring fashion | ||
| bandbox | n. | small cardboard box for storing collars or small hats | ||
| bandeau | n. | headband; narrow strapless bra | ||
| bangle | v. | to squabble, to noisily dispute | ||
| bangtail | n. | racehorse | slang | |
| banjo | v. | to beat, to knock down, to thrash | slang | |
| bantling | n. | young child; bastard child | archaic | |
| Bantustan | n. | one of the quasi-autonomous ‘homelands’ for blacks under South Africa’s apartheid regime | ||
| banty | adj. | small yet belligerent | ||
| barbel | n. | slender filament dangling from the mouths of certain fishes (such as the catfish), in which taste buds are located | ||
| barbola | n. | decorative fruit or flowers made from barbotine; such decoration when added to a craft piece | ||
| barcarolle | n. | gondolier’s song | ||
| barchan | n. | crescent-shaped sand dune formed by wind | ||
| bargee | n. | worker on a barge | ||
| bariatric | adj. | of or related to treatment of obesity and associated conditions | ||
| Barmecidal | adj. | illusory, offering imaginary sustenance (fr. Arabian Nights story) | ||
| barmkin | n. | protective wall built around castles, towers, and fortified farmhouses | Scots | |
| barnburner | n. | very exciting event; radical wing of New York Democrats in 19th Century | ||
| barney | n. | fight, quarrel, brawl | British | |
| barouche | n. | four-wheeled horse carriage with facing seats for two couples, having a collapsible top over the rear seat and a separate bench seat for the driver | ||
| barrack | v. | to jeer at adversaries so as to discommode, to heckle boisterously opposing team | ||
| barracoon | n. | temporary holding place for prisoners, esp. slaves |
