/b
I
kiː
ni/ (bikinis
) N‑COUNT
A
bikini
is a two-piece swimming costume worn by women.
WORD HISTORY
bikini
The
bikini
takes its name from the Bikini Atoll
in the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean, where an atom-bomb was exploded in 1946. The bikini was given its name because it was said that the effect on men caused by women wearing bikinis was as explosive and devastating as the effect of the atom-bomb.
bi|ki
|ni line
N‑SING
A woman's
bikini line
is the edges of the area where her pubic hair grows.
bi|lat|er|al
/ba
I
læ
tərəl/ ADJ
[ADJ
n]
Bilateral
negotiations, meetings, or agreements, involve only the two groups or countries that are directly concerned. [FORMAL
] □
…bilateral talks between Britain and America.
●
bi|lat|er|al|ly
ADV
[usu ADV
after v, ADV
adj] □
Disputes and differences between the two neighbours would be solved bilaterally.
bil|berry
/b
I
lbəri/ (bilberries
) N‑COUNT
A
bilberry
is a small, round, dark-blue fruit that grows on bushes in northern Europe.
bile
/ba
I
l/
1
N‑UNCOUNT
Bile
is a liquid produced by your liver which helps you to digest fat.
2
N‑UNCOUNT
Bile
is the bad-smelling liquid that comes out of your mouth when you vomit with no food in your stomach.
3
N‑UNCOUNT
Bile
is anger or bitterness towards someone or something. [LITERARY
] □
He aims his bile at religion, drugs, and politics.
bilge
/b
I
ldʒ/ (bilges
) N‑COUNT
The
bilge
or the
bilges
are the flat bottom part of a ship or boat.
bi|lin|gual
/ba
I
l
I
ŋgwəl/
1
ADJ
[ADJ
n]
Bilingual
means involving or using two languages. □
…bilingual education.
□
…the Collins bilingual dictionaries.
2
ADJ
[v-link ADJ
] Someone who is
bilingual
can speak two languages equally well, usually because they learned both languages as a child. □
He is bilingual in French and English.
bi|lin|gual|ism
/ba
I
l
I
ŋgwəl
I
zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT
Bilingualism
is the ability to speak two languages equally well.
bili|ous
/b
I
liəs/
1
ADJ
[usu ADJ
n] If someone describes the appearance of something as
bilious
, they mean that they think it looks unpleasant and rather disgusting. [WRITTEN
, DISAPPROVAL
] □
…a bilious shade of green.
2
ADJ
If you feel
bilious
, you feel sick and have a headache. □
She is suffering a bilious attack.
3
ADJ
[usu ADJ
n]
Bilious
is sometimes used to describe the feelings or behaviour of someone who is extremely angry or bad-tempered. [WRITTEN
] □
His speech was a bilious, rancorous attack on young people.
bilk
/b
I
lk/ (bilks
, bilking
, bilked
) VERB
To
bilk
someone out of
something, especially money, means to cheat them out of it. [AM
, INFORMAL
] □ [V
n + out of
]
They are charged with bilking investors out of millions of dollars.
[Also V
n]
bill
◆◆◇ /b
I
l/ (bills
, billing
, billed
)
1
N‑COUNT
A
bill
is a written statement of money that you owe for goods or services. □
They couldn't afford to pay the bills.
□ [+ for
]
He paid his bill for the newspapers promptly.
□
…phone bills.
2
VERB
[no cont] If you
bill
someone
for
goods or services you have provided them with, you give or send them a bill stating how much money they owe you for these goods or services. □ [V
n + for
]
Are you going to bill me for this?
[Also V
n]
3
N‑SING
The bill
in a restaurant is a piece of paper on which the price of the meal you have just eaten is written and which you are given before you pay. [BRIT
]
in AM, use check4
N‑COUNT
A
bill
is a piece of paper money. [AM
] □
…a large quantity of U.S. dollar bills.
in BRIT, use note5
N‑COUNT
[usu sing] In government, a
bill
is a formal statement of a proposed new law that is discussed and then voted on. □
This is the toughest crime bill that Congress has passed in a decade.
□
The bill was approved by a large majority.
6
N‑SING
The
bill
of a show or concert is a list of the entertainers who will take part in it.