1 N‑COUNT A bee is an insect with a yellow-and-black striped body that makes a buzzing noise as it flies. Bees make honey, and can sting.
2 PHRASE If you have a bee in your bonnet about something, you are so enthusiastic or worried about it that you keep mentioning it or thinking about it. □ [+ about ] He's got a bee in his bonnet about factory farming.
3 N‑COUNT [usu n N ] A bee is a social event where people get together for a competition or to do something such as sew. [AM ] □ That year I won first prize in the spelling bee.
Beeb /biː b/ N‑PROPER The BBC is sometimes called the Beeb . [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ He joined the Beeb at 19.
beech /biː tʃ/ (beeches ) N‑VAR A beech or a beech tree is a tree with a smooth grey trunk. □ …the branch of a huge beech. ● N‑UNCOUNT Beech is the wood of this tree. □ The worktop is made of solid beech.
beef /biː f/ (beefs , beefing , beefed )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Beef is the meat of a cow, bull, or ox. □ …roast beef. □ …beef stew.
2 → see also corned beef
▸ beef up PHRASAL VERB If you beef up something, you increase, strengthen, or improve it. □ [V P n] Both sides are still beefing up their military strength. □ [V -ed P ] …a beefed up police presence. [Also V n P ]
beef|bur|ger /biː fbɜː r gə r / (beefburgers ) also beef burger N‑COUNT A beefburger is the same as a hamburger . [BRIT ] □ … beefburgers and chips.
beef|cake /biː fke I k/ (beefcakes ) N‑VAR [oft N n] Attractive men with large muscles can be referred to as beefcake . [INFORMAL ] □ …beefcake photos.
Beef|eater /biː fiːtə/ (Beefeaters ) N‑COUNT Beefeaters are guards at the Tower of London. They wear a uniform made in the style of the sixteenth century. [BRIT ]
beef|steak /biː fste I k/ (beefsteaks ) also beef steak N‑VAR Beefsteak is steak .
beefy /biː fi/ (beefier , beefiest ) ADJ [usu ADJ n] Someone, especially a man, who is beefy has a big body and large muscles. □ …a beefy red-faced Englishman.
bee|hive /biː ha I v/ (beehives ) N‑COUNT A beehive is a structure in which bees are kept, designed so that the beekeeper can collect the honey that they produce.
bee|keeper /biː kiːpə r / (beekeepers ) N‑COUNT A beekeeper is a person who owns and takes care of bees.
bee|keeping /biː kiːp I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Beekeeping is the practice of owning and taking care of bees.
bee|line /biː la I n/ also bee-line PHRASE If you make a beeline for a place, you go to it as quickly and directly as possible. [INFORMAL ] □ She made a beeline for the car.
been /b I n, biː n/
1 Been is the past participle of be .
2 VERB If you have been to a place, you have gone to it or visited it. □ [V prep/adv] He's already been to Tunisia, and is to go on to Morocco and Mauritania. □ [V prep/adv] I've been there before.
3 PHRASE People say been there, done that to show that they have had a similar experience to the one that has just been mentioned. □ Rick wants me to go backpacking in India with him, but I've been there, done that. □ 'I've tried so many diets in my life.' —'Oh yeah, been there, done that, got the T-shirt.'
beep /biː p/ (beeps , beeping , beeped )
1 N‑COUNT A beep is a short, loud sound like that made by a car horn or an answering machine.
2 VERB If something such as a horn beeps , or you beep it, it makes a short, harsh sound. □ [V ] The phone beeped and he grabbed it. □ [V n] He beeped the horn.
beep|er /biː pə r / (beepers ) N‑COUNT A beeper is a portable device that makes a beeping noise, usually to tell you to phone someone or to remind you to do something. □ His beeper sounded and he picked up the phone.
beer ◆◇◇ /b I ə r / (beers ) N‑VAR Beer is a bitter alcoholic drink made from grain. □ He sat in the kitchen drinking beer. □ We have quite a good range of beers. ● N‑COUNT A glass of beer can be referred to as a beer . □ Would you like a beer?
bee r bel|ly (beer bellies ) N‑COUNT If a man has a beer belly , he has a fat stomach because of drinking too much beer. □ He was short and fat, with a large beer belly.
bee r gut (beer guts ) also beer-gut N‑COUNT A beer gut is the same as a beer belly .
beer|mat /b I ə r mæt/ (beermats ) also beer mat N‑COUNT A beermat is a cardboard mat for resting your glass of beer on in a bar or pub.
beery /b I ə ri/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If a person, especially a man, is described as beery , they have drunk a lot of beer. □ …jolly, beery farmers. □ …beery roars of applause.
bees|wax /biː zwæks/ N‑UNCOUNT Beeswax is wax that is made by bees and used especially for making candles and furniture polish.
beet /biː t/ (beets )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Beet is a crop with a thick round root. It is often used to feed animals, especially cows. □ …fields of sweet corn and beet.
2 → see also sugar beet
3 N‑VAR [usu pl] Beets are dark red roots that are eaten as a vegetable. They are often preserved in vinegar. [AM ] in BRIT, use beetroot