English Words: B

31,241 words · Page 3 of 625

backseatnoun

Alternative spelling of back seat.

backsidenoun

The back side of anything, the part opposite its front, particularly

backslashnoun

The punctuation mark \.

backslideverb

To regress; to slip backwards or revert to a previous, worse state.

backslidingnoun

An occasion on which one backslides, especially in a moral sense.

backspacenoun

The key on a typewriter that moves the head one position backwards.

backsplashnoun

A vertical covering on a wall rising above a countertop or other work surface to protect the wall from spills and to decorate the wall.

backstabverb

To attack someone (especially verbally) unfairly in a deceitful, underhand, or treacherous manner, especially when they're not present in the place or situation that it happens.

backstabbernoun

A traitor or hypocrite, such as a co-worker or friend assumed trustworthy but who figuratively attacks when one's back is turned.

backstageadj

Relating to, or situated in the area behind a stage.

backstopnoun

An object or a person put in the rear or in the back of something to reinforce, hold, support.

backstorynoun

The previous experiences and life of a person, specifically (narratology, especially in film, television) a character in a dramatic work.

backstreetadj

Associated with neighborhoods on back streets, often in older neighborhoods, with poorer residents.

backstrokenoun

A backhanded stroke or blow.

Backstromname

A surname from Swedish.

backswingnoun

The preparatory stroke preceding that which produces contact with the target. Normally associated with sports using an implement such as a bat, club, racket or stick.

backtracknoun

The act of backtracking.

backtrackingnoun

The act of one who, or that which, backtracks; a retracing of one's steps.

backupnoun

A reserve or substitute.

Backusname

A surname from Middle English.

backwardadj

Indicating position or direction.

backwardnessnoun

The state of being backward.

backwardsadj

Synonym of backward; see usage notes there.

backwashnoun

A backward flow of water, as from oars, a propeller, breaking waves, etc.

backwaternoun

The water held back by a dam or other obstruction.

backwoodsnoun

Partly or wholly uncleared forest, especially in North America.

backyardnoun

A yard to the rear of a house or similar residence.

Bacolodname

An independent city, the provincial capital of Negros Occidental, Negros Island Region, Philippines.

baconnoun

Cured meat from the sides, belly, or back of a pig.

bacterianoun

plural of bacterium

bacterialadj

Of, relating to, or caused by bacteria.

bactericidaladj

That kills bacteria.

bacteriologicaladj

Of or pertaining to bacteriology.

bacteriologistnoun

A microbiologist whose speciality is bacteriology.

bacteriologynoun

The scientific study of bacteria, especially in relation to disease and agriculture.

bacteriophagenoun

A virus that specifically infects bacteria.

bacteriumnoun

A single-celled organism with cell walls but no nucleus or organelles.

Bactriannoun

A native or inhabitant of Bactria.

badadj

Of low quality.

Badajozname

A city and municipality, the capital of the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain.

Badakhshanname

A historical region comprising parts of what is now northeastern Afghanistan and southeastern Tajikistan.

badassnoun

A belligerent or mean person; a person with an unpleasantly extreme appearance, attitudes, or behavior.

Badawiname

A surname from Arabic.

Baddeleyname

A surname.

badderadj

comparative form of bad: more bad.

baddestadj

superlative form of bad: most bad, worst.

baddienoun

A person of bad character, especially in a work of fiction.

baddiesnoun

plural of baddie

badeverb

simple past of bid

Badenname

Baden-Baden, a spa town in Germany.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English alphabetical index for the letter B contains 31,241 headwords drawn from our Wiktionary-derived dictionary table. At 50 entries per page the browse splits into 625 pages, and you are currently viewing page 3. Every row above is a dictionary-backed entry with a canonical slug, and each links through to a full definition page with pronunciation, senses, etymology, and related-word data where available.

On this page 50 of 50 entries carry a part-of-speech tag and 50 carry at least one stored definition. Coverage varies across letters because Wiktionary volunteers build entries at different speeds for different parts of the alphabet, letters with common starting sounds (S, C, T, P) usually have the densest coverage, while less frequent starters (X, Q, Z) tend to have shorter but more specialised lists. PlainSpell surfaces whatever data is present and links back to the source when a definition is not yet recorded.

For readers using this index as a spelling reference, the guarantee is that every form you see on the list is a documented English headword, not a guess, not a derived inflection lacking a lemma row. If a word you expected to find is absent from the "B" list, it usually means the form exists only as an inflection of another lemma (e.g. a past participle stored under the infinitive) or the entry has not yet been imported from Wiktionary. Use the search bar or the misspelling lookup to resolve these cases.