<B>boattail, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the cylindrical, tapering tail or rear section of a bullet, missile, or other projectile. <DD><B> 2. </B><B>=boat-tailed grackle.</B> <DD><I>adj. </I> <B>=boat-tailed.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="boattailed">
<B>boat-tailed, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> tapering to the rear, as the hind part of a boat. <BR> <I>Ex. a boat-tailed projectile, boat-tailed design.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="boattailedgrackle">
<B>boat-tailed grackle,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a large grackle with a long, broad tail, of the southern United States and Mexico. </DL>
<A NAME="boattrain">
<B>boat train,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a railroad train which makes connections with a ship. </DL>
<A NAME="boatyard">
<B>boatyard, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an establishment that repairs, stores, and builds boats. </DL>
<A NAME="boaz">
<B>Boaz, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the husband of Ruth and an ancestor of David (in the Bible, Ruth 2-4). </DL>
<A NAME="bob">
<B>bob</B> (1), verb, <B>bobbed,</B> <B>bobbing,</B> noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> to cause to move up and down, or to and fro, with short, quick motions. <BR> <I>Ex. The pigeon bobbed its head as it picked up crumbs.</I> (SYN) jerk. <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to move the body or head with a bobbing motion. <BR> <I>Ex. He bobbed suddenly and avoided the blow.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to try to catch with the teeth something floating or hanging. <BR> <I>Ex. One game at the party was to bob for apples in a bowl of water.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> a short, quick motion up and down, or to and fro, especially of the head. (SYN) jerk. <BR><I>expr. <B>bob up,</B> </I>to appear suddenly or unexpectedly. <BR> <I>Ex. It was this committee that kept bobbing up all spring, conducting what Lerner called "the campaign without a candidate" (Harper's).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="bob">
<B>bob</B> (2), noun, verb, <B>bobbed,</B> <B>bobbing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a child's or woman's haircut that is fairly short all around the head. <DD><B> 2. </B>a horse's docked tail. <DD><B> 3. </B>a knob or knot of something, such as hair. <DD><B> 4. </B>a weight on the end of a plumb line; plummet. <DD><B> 5. </B>a float for a fishing line. <DD><B> 6a. </B><B>=bobsled.</B> <DD><B> b. </B><B>=bob skate.</B> <DD><B> 7. </B>a term for certain kinds of changes in bell ringing. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to cut (hair) short. <DD><B> 2. </B>to dock (an animal's tail). <DD><I>v.i. </I> to fish using a bob. </DL>
<A NAME="bob">
<B>bob</B> (3), noun, pl. <B>bob.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (British Slang.) a shilling. </DL>
<A NAME="bob">
<B>bob</B> (4), noun, verb, <B>bobbed,</B> <B>bobbing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> a light rap; tap. <DD><I>v.t. </I> to rap lightly; tap. </DL>
<A NAME="bob">
<B>bob</B> (5), verb, <B>bobbed,</B> <B>bobbing,</B> noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (British Dialect.) <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to delude; trick; cheat. <BR> <I>Ex. You shall not bob us out of our melody (Shakespeare).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to get by trickery. <DD><B> 3. </B>to mock; deride. <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a trick. <DD><B> 2. </B>a mock; taunt. </DL>
<A NAME="bobbed">
<B>bobbed, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>cut in a bob. <BR> <I>Ex. bobbed hair.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>docked. <BR> <I>Ex. a horse with a bobbed tail.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>furnished with a bob. </DL>
<A NAME="bobber">
<B>bobber, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a person or thing that bobs. <DD><B> 2. </B>a fishing bob. <DD><B> 3. </B>a person who rides a bobsled or is an enthusiast of bobsledding as a sport. </DL>
<A NAME="bobbery">
<B>bobbery, </B>noun, pl. <B>-beries.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (in India) a noisy disturbance; row. </DL>
<A NAME="bobbin">
<B>bobbin, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a reel or spool for holding thread, yarn, and the like. Bobbins are used in spinning, weaving, machine sewing, and making lace. <DD><B> 2. </B>a reel around which wire is coiled in electrical instruments. </DL>
<A NAME="bobbinet">
<B>bobbinet, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a cotton netting or lace made by machines. </DL>
<A NAME="bobbinlace">
<B>bobbin lace,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a lace made by winding and knotting threads around a special kind of bobbin stuck in a pillow according to a certain design; pillow lace. </DL>
<A NAME="bobble">
<B>bobble, </B>verb, <B>-bled,</B> <B>-bling,</B> noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to move with a continual bobbing. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Slang.) to blunder; fumble. <BR> <I>Ex. Sometimes, in his earnestness, he bobbled a bit (Newsweek).</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> (Slang.) to fumble (a ball). <BR> <I>Ex. The fielder bobbled an easy grounder.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the movement of agitated water. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Slang.) a blunder; fumble. </DL>
<A NAME="bobby">
<B>bobby, </B>noun, pl. <B>-bies.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (British Informal.) a policeman. <BR> <I>Ex. ... some overworked bobby was already on his way (Geoffrey Household).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="bobbydazzler">
<B>bobby-dazzler, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (British Dialect.) something striking or flashy. <BR> <I>Ex. His new tie is a bobby-dazzler.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="bobbypin">
<B>bobby pin,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a metal hairpin whose prongs close on and hold tightly to the hair. Bobby pins are used especially in setting curls or waves. </DL>
<A NAME="bobbysocks">
<B>bobbysocks</B> or <B>bobbysox, </B>noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> socks reaching just above the ankle, worn especially by young girls. </DL>
<A NAME="bobbysoxer">
<B>bobbysoxer, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an adolescent girl, especially one in the 1940's who wore bobbysocks and enthusiastically followed every new fad. </DL>
<A NAME="bobcat">
<B>bobcat, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the wildcat or lynx of North America; bay lynx. <DD><B> 2. </B><B>Bobcat,</B> a cub scout of the beginning rank, who has not yet achieved the rank of Wolf. </DL>
<A NAME="bobeche">
<B>bobeche, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (French.) a disk or shallow cup with a hole in it, placed about a candle at the base to catch melted wax. </DL>
<A NAME="bobolink">
<B>bobolink, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a common North American songbird that lives in fields and meadows and has a call that sounds like its name. It belongs to the same family as the blackbirds. Also called <I>reedbird</I> (in the Middle West) and <I>ricebird</I> (in the South). </DL>
<A NAME="bobskate">
<B>bob skate,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a skate with two runners. </DL>
<A NAME="bobsled">
<B>bobsled, </B>noun, verb, <B>-sledded,</B> <B>-sledding.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a long sled with two sets of runners and a continuous seat. It has a steering wheel and brakes. <DD><B> 2. </B>two short sleds fastened together by a plank. <DD><B> 3. </B>either of the short sleds. <DD><I>v.i. </I> to ride on a bobsled. noun <B>bobsledder.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="bobsledding">
<B>bobsledding, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the act or sport of riding on a bobsled. </DL>
<B>bobstay, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a rope or chain to hold a bowsprit down. </DL>
<A NAME="bobsyouruncle">
<B>Bob's your uncle,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (British Informal.) you know the rest; that's all there is to it. </DL>
<A NAME="bobtail">
<B>bobtail, </B>noun, adjective, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a short tail, or a tail cut short. <DD><B> 2. </B>an animal having such a tail. <DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>having such a tail. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) cut short or incomplete. <BR> <I>Ex. Chances favor a "bobtail" bill wrapping up pet schemes (Wall Street Journal).</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to cut short the tail of. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) to cut short sometimes, so as to make incomplete. </DL>
<B>bob veal,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> veal from an immature calf. </DL>
<A NAME="bobwhite">
<B>bobwhite, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an American quail that has a grayish body with brown and white markings. Its call is supposed to sound somewhat like its name. </DL>
<A NAME="bocaccio">
<B>bocaccio, </B>noun, pl. <B>-cios</B> or (collectively) <B>-cio.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a large, edible California rockfish. </DL>
<A NAME="bocage">
<B>bocage, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>woodland; boscage. <DD><B> 2. </B>a background of foliage, trees, or other vegetation, supporting earthenware or ceramic figures. </DL>
<A NAME="bocal">
<B>bocal, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the mouthpiece of a brass musical instrument. </DL>
<B>boccie, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an Italian form of the game of bowls, played outdoors on a narrow, enclosed court. </DL>
<A NAME="boche">
<B>Boche</B> or <B>boche, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Unfriendly Use.) <DD><B> 1. </B>a German soldier. <DD><B> 2. </B>any German. </DL>
<A NAME="bockbeer">
<B>bock beer,</B> or <B>bock, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a strong, dark-colored, rather sweet beer, usually brewed in the winter for use in the spring. </DL>
<A NAME="bocor">
<B>bocor, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Haitian Creole.) a sorcerer or medicine man. </DL>
<A NAME="bod">
<B>bod, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (British Slang.) a person; fellow; chap. </DL>
<A NAME="bod">
<B>BOD</B> (no periods) or <B>B.O.D.,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>biochemical oxygen demand. <DD><B> 2. </B>biological oxygen demand. </DL>
<B>bode</B> (1), transitive verb, intransitive verb, <B>boded,</B> <B>boding.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to be a sign (of); indicate beforehand; foreshadow. <BR> <I>Ex. The rumble of thunder boded rain.</I> (SYN) portend, betoken, presage. <BR><I>expr. <B>bode ill,</B> </I>to be a bad sign. <BR> <I>Ex. The dark clouds boded ill for our picnic plans.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>bode well,</B> </I>to be a good sign. <BR> <I>Ex. His good study habits boded well for his success in school. I can see nothing that bodes well to the Church Establishment: I fear its days are numbered (Richard Whately).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="bode">
<B>bode</B> (2), verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> past tense and obsolete past participle of <B>bide.</B> </DL>
