bun|dle /bʌ nd ə l/ (bundles , bundling , bundled )
1 N‑COUNT A bundle of things is a number of them that are tied together or wrapped in a cloth or bag so that they can be carried or stored. □ [+ of ] He gathered the bundles of clothing into his arms. □ I have about 20 year's magazines tied up in bundles.
2 N‑SING If you describe someone as, for example, a bundle of fun, you are emphasizing that they are full of fun. If you describe someone as a bundle of nerves, you are emphasizing that they are very nervous. [EMPHASIS ] □ [+ of ] I remember Mickey as a bundle of fun, great to have around. □ [+ of ] Life at high school wasn't a bundle of laughs, either.
3 N‑COUNT If you refer to a bundle of things, you are emphasizing that there is a wide range of them. [EMPHASIS ] □ [+ of ] The profession offers a bundle of benefits, not least of which is extensive training.
4 VERB If someone is bundled somewhere, someone pushes them there in a rough and hurried way. □ [be V -ed prep/adv] He was bundled into a car and driven 50 miles to a police station. [Also V n prep/adv]
5 VERB To bundle software means to sell it together with a computer, or with other hardware or software, as part of a set. [COMPUTING ] □ [V -ed] It's cheaper to buy software bundled with a PC than separately.
bung /bʌ ŋ/ (bungs , bunging , bunged )
1 N‑COUNT A bung is a round piece of wood, cork, or rubber which you use to close the hole in a container such as a barrel or flask.
2 VERB If you bung something somewhere, you put it there in a quick and careless way. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [V n prep/adv] Pour a whole lot of cold water over the rice, and bung it in the oven.
3 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If something is bunged up , it is blocked. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ The sink's bunged up again. □ My nose is all bunged up.
bun|ga|low /bʌ ŋgəloʊ/ (bungalows ) N‑COUNT A bungalow is a house which has only one level, and no stairs. WORD HISTORY bungalow
Bungalow comes from Hindi banglā meaning 'of Bengal'. A bungalow was originally a house of the style generally occupied by Europeans in Bengal, a one-storey house with a verandah round it and a thatched roof.
bungee jump|ing /bʌ ndʒi dʒʌmp I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT If someone goes bungee jumping , they jump from a high place such as a bridge or cliff with a long piece of strong elastic cord tied around their ankle connecting them to the bridge or cliff.
bun|gle /bʌ ŋg ə l/ (bungles , bungling , bungled ) VERB If you bungle something, you fail to do it properly, because you make mistakes or are clumsy. □ [V n] Two prisoners bungled an escape bid after running either side of a lamp-post while handcuffed. □ [V -ed] …the FBI's bungled attempt to end the 51 day siege. ● N‑COUNT Bungle is also a noun. □ …an appalling administrative bungle. ● bun|gling ADJ □ …a bungling burglar.
bun|gler /bʌ ŋglə r / (bunglers ) N‑COUNT A bungler is a person who often fails to do things properly because they make mistakes or are clumsy.
bun|ion /bʌ njən/ (bunions ) N‑COUNT A bunion is a large painful lump on the first joint of a person's big toe.
bunk /bʌ ŋk/ (bunks )
1 N‑COUNT A bunk is a bed that is fixed to a wall, especially in a ship or caravan. □ He left his bunk and went up on deck again.
2 N‑UNCOUNT If you describe something as bunk , you think that it is foolish or untrue. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ Even those who think psychoanalysis is bunk might find that lying on a couch being listened to is worthwhile.
bu nk bed (bunk beds ) N‑COUNT Bunk beds are two beds fixed one above the other in a frame.
bun|ker /bʌ ŋkə r / (bunkers )
1 N‑COUNT A bunker is a place, usually underground, that has been built with strong walls to protect it against heavy gunfire and bombing. □ …an extensive network of fortified underground bunkers.
2 N‑COUNT A bunker is a container for coal or other fuel.
3 N‑COUNT On a golf course, a bunker is a large area filled with sand, which is deliberately put there as an obstacle that golfers must try to avoid.
bun|kum /bʌ ŋkəm/ N‑UNCOUNT If you say that something that has been said or written is bunkum , you mean that you think it is completely untrue or very stupid. [INFORMAL , OLD-FASHIONED , DISAPPROVAL ]
bun|ny /bʌ ni/ (bunnies ) N‑COUNT A bunny or a bunny rabbit is a child's word for a rabbit. [INFORMAL ]
bunt|ing /bʌ nt I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Bunting consists of rows of small coloured flags that are used to decorate streets and buildings on special occasions. □ Red, white and blue bunting hung in the city's renovated train station.
buoy /bɔ I , [AM ] buː i/ (buoys , buoying , buoyed )
1 N‑COUNT A buoy is a floating object that is used to show ships and boats where they can go and to warn them of danger.
2 VERB If someone in a difficult situation is buoyed by something, it makes them feel more cheerful and optimistic. □ [be V -ed + by ] In May they danced in the streets, buoyed by their victory. □ [V n] German domestic consumption buoyed the German economy. ● PHRASAL VERB Buoy up means the same as buoy . □ [be V -ed P ] They are buoyed up by a sense of hope. [Also V n P ]