1 N‑COUNT The boundary of an area of land is an imaginary line that separates it from other areas. □ [+ of ] …the Bow Brook which forms the western boundary of the wood. □ Drug traffickers operate across national boundaries. [Also + between ]
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] The boundaries of something such as a subject or activity are the limits that people think that it has. □ [+ between ] The boundaries between history and storytelling are always being blurred and muddled. □ [+ of ] …extending the boundaries of press freedom.
bound|er /baʊ ndə r / (bounders ) N‑COUNT If you call a man a bounder , you mean he behaves in an unkind, deceitful, or selfish way. [BRIT , OLD-FASHIONED ]
bound|less /baʊ ndləs/ ADJ If you describe something as boundless , you mean that there seems to be no end or limit to it. □ His reforming zeal was boundless.
boun|ti|ful /baʊ nt I fʊl/
1 ADJ A bountiful supply or amount of something pleasant is a large one. □ State aid is less bountiful than it was before. □ …a bountiful harvest of fruits and vegetables.
2 ADJ A bountiful area or period of time produces or provides large amounts of something, especially food. □ The land is bountiful and no one starves.
boun|ty /baʊ nti/ (bounties )
1 N‑VAR You can refer to something that is provided in large amounts as bounty . [LITERARY ] □ …autumn's bounty of fruits, seeds and berries.
2 N‑COUNT A bounty is money that is offered as a reward for doing something, especially for finding or killing a particular person. □ They paid bounties for people to give up their weapons.
bou n|ty hunt|er (bounty hunters ) N‑COUNT A bounty hunter is someone who tries to find or kill someone in order to get the reward that has been offered.
bou|quet /boʊke I , buː-/ (bouquets )
1 N‑COUNT A bouquet is a bunch of flowers which is attractively arranged. □ [+ of ] The woman carried a bouquet of dried violets.
2 N‑VAR The bouquet of something, especially wine, is the pleasant smell that it has. □ …a Sicilian wine with a bouquet of cloves.
bou|quet gar|ni /boʊke I gɑː r niː , buː-/ N‑SING A bouquet garni is a bunch of herbs that are tied together and used in cooking to add flavour to the food.
bour|bon /bɜː r bən/ (bourbons ) N‑VAR Bourbon is a type of whisky that is made mainly in America. □ I poured a little more bourbon into my glass. ● N‑COUNT A bourbon is a small glass of bourbon.
bour|geois /bʊə r ʒwɑː/
1 ADJ If you describe people, their way of life, or their attitudes as bourgeois , you disapprove of them because you consider them typical of conventional middle-class people. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ He's accusing them of having a bourgeois and limited vision.
2 → see also petit bourgeois
bour|geoi|sie /bʊə r ʒwɑːziː /
1 N‑SING [with sing or pl verb] In Marxist theory, the bourgeoisie are the middle-class people who own most of the wealth in a capitalist system. [TECHNICAL ] □ …the suppression of the proletariat by the bourgeoisie.
2 → see also petit bourgeoisie
bourse /buː r s/ (bourses ) N‑COUNT [oft in names] A country's or region's bourse is its stock exchange.
bout /baʊ t/ (bouts )
1 N‑COUNT If you have a bout of an illness or of an unpleasant feeling, you have it for a short period. □ [+ of ] He was recovering from a severe bout of flu. □ [+ of ] I was suffering with a bout of nerves.
2 N‑COUNT A bout of something that is unpleasant is a short time during which it occurs a great deal. □ [+ of ] The latest bout of violence has claimed twenty-four lives. □ [+ of ] A half-hour daily walk can be more beneficial than one hard bout of exercise a week.
3 N‑COUNT A bout is a boxing or wrestling match. □ This will be his eighth title bout in 19 months.
bou|tique /buːtiː k/ (boutiques ) N‑COUNT A boutique is a small shop that sells fashionable clothes, shoes, or jewellery.
bou|ti que ho|te l (boutique hotels ) N‑COUNT A boutique hotel is a small, high-quality and usually attractive hotel. □ They opened a boutique hotel in Istanbul.
bo|vine /boʊ va I n/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Bovine means relating to cattle. [TECHNICAL ]
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe someone's behaviour or appearance as bovine , you think that they are stupid or slow. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ I'm depressed by the bovine enthusiasm of the crowd's response.
bow
➊ BENDING OR SUBMITTING
➋ PART OF A SHIP
➌ OBJECTS
➊ bow /baʊ / (bows , bowing , bowed )
1 VERB When you bow to someone, you briefly bend your body towards them as a formal way of greeting them or showing respect. □ [V + to ] They bowed low to Louis and hastened out of his way. □ [V ] He bowed slightly before taking her bag. ● N‑COUNT [usu sing] Bow is also a noun. □ I gave a theatrical bow and waved.
2 VERB If you bow your head, you bend it downwards so that you are looking towards the ground, for example because you want to show respect or because you are thinking deeply about something. □ [V n] He bowed his head and whispered a prayer of thanksgiving. □ [V -ed] She stood still, head bowed, hands clasped in front of her.