| Barmecidal | adj. | illusory, offering imaginary sustenance (fr. Arabian Nights story) | ||
| 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 | ||
| barratry | n. | misconduct by ship’s master or crew against the interest of the shipowner | ||
| bartizan | n. | (also bartisan) small overhanging turret | ||
| bashi-bazouk | n. | irregular mounted soldiers of Ottoman army, lit. ‘crazy head’ | ||
| basset | n. | banking card game similar to faro | ||
| bate | v. | to reduce in intensity, to diminish; to blunt, to beat | ||
| bathos | n. | ludicrous descent from sublime to the small; triviality of style | ||
| bathykolpian | adj. | having large bosoms | ||
| batiste | n. | soft light opaque fabric of cotton or linen, similar to (and sometimes synonymous with) cambric, used as linings, handkerchiefs, or lingerie | ||
| batrachian | adj. | of or related to frogs and toads | ||
| battledore | n. | badminton racket | ||
| batture | n. | alluvial land raised from sea-bed or river-bed; specifically, land between Mississippi River and the levees | ||
| bawdry | n. | lewd speech or writing, obscenity; the practice of a prostitute | archaic | |
| bdellium | n. | fragrant gum resin; the plant producing this resin | ||
| beakhead | n. | projecting platform at the forwardmost part of a sailing ship, where decorated rams were mounted in ancient times | nautical | |
| bear-garden | n. | place where bear baiting was offered as entertainment; any locale where hurly-burly is condoned or accepted | ||
| beaver | n. | light snack (archaic British slang, more commonly bever) | slang | |
| beck | n. | swift running brook | British | |
| bedad | int. | euphemism for ‘By God’ | ||
| bedight | v. | to adorn, to bedeck | archaic | |
| bedizen | v. | to dress up, esp. in a vulgar manner | ||
| beetle | v. | to overhang, to project; to hang over with menace | ||
| beetlehead | n. | dolt | ||
| beggar’s lice | n. | any of many plants which deposit sticky bits onto clothes | idiom | |
| behoof | n. | benefit, advantage | archaic | |
| behoovely | adj. | necessary, fitting | ||
| beldame | n. | old woman; hag, witch | ||
| belletrist | n. | writer of artistic and literary criticism | ||
| belomancy | n. | divination using arrows | ||
| belt-and-braces | adj. | being doubly cautious (as in use of both belt and braces (Briticism for suspenders) to hold up the trousers) | idiom | |
| belvedere | n. | raised turret, or open-side gallery for viewing the surrounding vista, either atop a house or standing alone on a prominence | architecture | |
| bema | n. | platform for public speaking, esp. in ancient Athens | ||
| bemused | adj. | confused, utterly muddled | ||
| benedict | n. | a newly married man, esp. a former longtime bachelor | ||
| benignant | adj. | kind, particularly to inferiors | ||
| benison | n. | blessing, benediction | ||
| besom | n. | broom | ||
| betimes | adv. | early | ||
| bewray | v. | to reveal, to disclose | ||
| bezoar | n. | concretion found in the stomach of some animals, believed to have power to protect against poison | ||
| Bibendum | n. | official name of the Michelin Man, from early advertising showing the mascot drinking glass and nails, with the slogan (from Horace) “Nunc est bibendum” (Now is the time to drink) | ||
| bibliopole | n. | bookseller | ||
| bibulous | adj. | addicted to drink; of or related to drink; absorbent of moisture | ||
| bilboquet | n. | child’s toy consisting of stick with cup and attached string; game using such toy where player attempts to catch the ball in the cup of the toy | ||
| bilharzia | n. | schistosomiasis, disease endemic to Africa and South Africa |
