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axle /æ ks ^ə l/ (axles ) N‑COUNT An axle is a rod connecting a pair of wheels on a car or other vehicle.

aya|tol|lah /a I ətɒ lə/ (ayatollahs ) N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE An ayatollah is a type of Muslim religious leader.

aye /a I / (ayes ) also ay

1 CONVENTION Aye means yes; used in some dialects of British English. □  'Do you remember your first day at school?'—'Oh aye. Yeah.'

2 ADV If you vote aye , you vote in favour of something.

3 N‑PLURAL The ayes are the people who vote in favour of something.

Ayurvedic /a I ʊə ^r ve I d I k/ ADJ [ADJ n] Ayurvedic medicine is a type of complementary medicine, originally from India, that uses herbs and other natural treatments. □  …an Ayurvedic practitioner.

azalea /əze I liə/ (azaleas ) N‑COUNT An azalea is a woody plant with shiny, dark-green leaves which produces many brightly-coloured flowers in the spring.

az|ure /æ ʒuə ^r / COLOUR Azure is used to describe things that are bright blue. [LITERARY ] □  …an azure sky.

Bb

B , b /biː / (B's, b's )

1 N‑VAR B is the second letter of the English alphabet.

2 N‑VAR If you get a B as a mark for a piece of work or in an exam, your work is good.

B2B /biː tə biː / N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] B2B is the selling of goods and services by one company to another using the internet. B2B is an abbreviation for 'business to business'. [BUSINESS ] □  American analysts have been somewhat cautious in estimating the size of the B2B market.

B2C /biː tə siː / N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] B2C is the selling of goods and services by businesses to consumers using the internet. B2C is an abbreviation for 'business to consumer'. [BUSINESS ] □  19 per cent of B2C companies are now worth little more than the cash on their balance sheets.

B4B4 is the written abbreviation for 'before', mainly used in text messages and emails.

BA /biː e I / (BAs ) also B.A.

1 N‑COUNT A BA is a first degree in an arts or social science subject. BA is an abbreviation for 'Bachelor of Arts'. □ [+ in ] I did a BA in film making.

2BA is written after someone's name to indicate that they have a BA. □  …Helen Rich, BA (Hons).

bab|ble /bæ b ^ə l/ (babbles , babbling , babbled )

1 VERB If someone babbles , they talk in a confused or excited way. □ [V on/away ] Momma babbled on and on about how he was ruining me. □ [V ] They all babbled simultaneously. □ [V with quote] 'Er, hello, viewers,' he babbled.

2 N‑SING You can refer to people's voices as a babble of sound when they are excited and confused, preventing you from understanding what they are saying. □ [+ of ] Kemp knocked loudly so as to be heard above the high babble of voices.

babe /be I b/ (babes )

1 N‑COUNT Some people use babe as an affectionate way of addressing someone they love. [AM , INFORMAL , FEELINGS ] □  I'm sorry, babe. I didn't mean it.

2 N‑COUNT Some men refer to an attractive young woman as a babe . This use could cause offence. [INFORMAL ]

3 N‑COUNT A babe is the same as a baby . [OLD-FASHIONED ] □  …newborn babes.

ba|bel /be I b ^ə l/ N‑SING If there is a babel of voices, you hear a lot of people talking at the same time, so that you cannot understand what they are saying. □  …a confused babel of sound.

ba|boon /bæbuː n/ (baboons ) N‑COUNT A baboon is a large monkey that lives in Africa.

baby ◆◆◇ /be I bi/ (babies )

1 N‑COUNT A baby is a very young child, especially one that cannot yet walk or talk. □  My wife has just had a baby. □  Claire had to dress her baby sister.

2 N‑COUNT [usu N n] A baby animal is a very young animal. □  …a baby elephant. □  …baby birds.

3 ADJ [ADJ n] Baby vegetables are vegetables picked when they are very small. □  Serve with baby new potatoes.

4 N‑COUNT [usu sing] Some people use baby as an affectionate way of addressing someone, especially a young woman, or referring to them. [INFORMAL ] □  You have to wake up now, baby. COLLOCATIONS baby NOUN 1

adjective + baby : healthy, newborn, premature; stillborn, unborn

verb + baby : adopt, conceive, deliver, expect; breastfeed; lose