bo dy po li|tic N‑SING The body politic is all the people of a nation when they are considered as a complete political group. [FORMAL ] □ …the king was the head of the body politic.
bo dy search (body searches , body searching , body searched ) also body-search VERB If a person is body searched , someone such as a police officer searches them while they remain clothed. Compare strip-search . □ [be V -ed] Foreign journalists were body-searched by airport police. [Also V n] ● N‑COUNT Body search is also a noun. □ Fans may undergo body searches by security guards.
bo dy stock|ing (body stockings ) N‑COUNT A body stocking is a piece of clothing that covers the whole of someone's body and fits tightly. Body stockings are often worn by dancers.
body|suit /bɒ disuːt/ (bodysuits ) N‑COUNT A bodysuit is a piece of women's clothing that fits tightly over the top part of the body and fastens between the legs.
body|work /bɒ diwɜː r k/ N‑UNCOUNT The bodywork of a motor vehicle is the outside part of it. □ A second hand car dealer will always look at the bodywork rather than the engine.
Boer /boʊ ə r , bɔː r / (Boers ) N‑COUNT The Boers are the descendants of the Dutch people who went to live in South Africa.
bof|fin /bɒ f I n/ (boffins )
1 N‑COUNT A boffin is a scientist, especially one who is doing research. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ The boffins of Imperial College in London think they may have found a solution.
2 N‑COUNT Very clever people are sometimes called boffins . [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ A computer boffin is set to make £5million from his revolutionary photo technology.
bog /bɒ g/ (bogs , bogging , bogged ) N‑COUNT A bog is an area of land which is very wet and muddy.
▸ bog down
1 PHRASAL VERB If a plan or process bogs down or if something bogs it down , it is delayed and no progress is made. □ [V n P ] We intended from the very beginning to bog the prosecution down over who did this. □ [V P ] The talks have bogged down over the issue of military reform.
2 → see also bogged down
bo|gey /boʊ gi/ (bogeys ) The spelling bogy and the plural form bogies are also used. N‑COUNT A bogey is something or someone that people are worried about, perhaps without much cause or reason. □ Age is another bogey for actresses. ● ADJ [ADJ n] Bogey is also an adjective. □ Did people still tell their kids scare stories about bogey policewomen?
bogey|man /boʊ gimæn/ (bogeymen ) The spellings bogey man , and in American English boogeyman are also used. 1 N‑COUNT A bogeyman is someone whose ideas or actions are disapproved of by some people, and who is described by them as evil or unpleasant in order to make other people afraid. [mainly BRIT , DISAPPROVAL ] □ The media depict him as a left-wing bogeyman.
2 N‑COUNT A bogeyman is an imaginary evil spirit. Some parents tell their children that the bogeyman will catch them if they behave badly.
bo gged do wn ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you get bogged down in something, it prevents you from making progress or getting something done. □ [+ in ] But why get bogged down in legal details? □ Sometimes this fact is obscured because churches get so bogged down by unimportant rules.
bog|gle /bɒ g ə l/ (boggles , boggling , boggled )
1 VERB If you say that the mind boggles at something or that something boggles the mind, you mean that it is so strange or amazing that it is difficult to imagine or understand. □ [V + at ] The mind boggles at the possibilities that could be in store for us. □ [V ] The good grace with which they face the latest privations makes the mind boggle. □ [V n] The management group's decision still boggled his mind.
2 → see also mind-boggling
bog|gy /bɒ gi/ ADJ Boggy land is very wet and muddy land.
bo g-sta ndard ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe something as bog-standard you mean that is an ordinary example of its kind, with no exciting or interesting features. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ It's a fairly bog-standard thriller.
bo|gus /boʊ gəs/ ADJ If you describe something as bogus , you mean that it is not genuine. □ …their bogus insurance claim. □ He said these figures were bogus and totally inaccurate.
bogy /boʊ gi/ (bogies ) → see bogey
bo|he|mian /boʊhiː miən/ (bohemians ) ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can use bohemian to describe artistic people who live in an unconventional way. □ …a bohemian writer. □ …the bohemian lifestyle of the French capital. ● N‑COUNT A bohemian is someone who lives in a bohemian way. □ I am a bohemian. I have no roots.
Bo|he|mian /bəhiː miən/ ADJ Bohemian means belonging or relating to Bohemia or its people.
boil ◆◇◇ /bɔ I l/ (boils , boiling , boiled )
1 VERB When a hot liquid boils or when you boil it, bubbles appear in it and it starts to change into steam or vapour. □ [V ] I stood in the kitchen, waiting for the water to boil. □ [V n] Boil the water in the saucepan and add the sage. □ [V -ing] …a saucepan of boiling water.
2 VERB When you boil a kettle or pan, or put it on to boil , you heat the water inside it until it boils. □ [V n] He had nothing to do but boil the kettle and make the tea. □ [V ] Marianne put the kettle on to boil.