1 N‑COUNT A buyer is a person who is buying something or who intends to buy it. □ Car buyers are more interested in safety and reliability than speed.
2 N‑COUNT A buyer is a person who works for a large store deciding what goods will be bought from manufacturers to be sold in the store.
bu y|er's ma r|ket N‑SING When there is a buyer's market for a particular product, there are more of the products for sale than there are people who want to buy them, so buyers have a lot of choice and can make prices come down. Compare seller's market . [BUSINESS ]
buy|out /ba I aʊt/ (buyouts )
1 N‑COUNT A buyout is the buying of a company, especially by its managers or employees. [BUSINESS ] □ It is thought that a management buyout is one option.
2 → see also MBO
buzz /bʌ z/ (buzzes , buzzing , buzzed )
1 VERB If something buzzes or buzzes somewhere, it makes a long continuous sound, like the noise a bee makes when it is flying. □ [V ] The intercom buzzed and he pressed down the appropriate switch. □ [V prep/adv] Attack helicopters buzzed across the city. ● N‑COUNT Buzz is also a noun. □ [+ of ] …the irritating buzz of an insect. ● buzz|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ He switched off the transformer and the buzzing stopped.
2 VERB If people are buzzing around , they are moving around quickly and busily. [WRITTEN ] □ [V adv/prep] A few tourists were buzzing about.
3 VERB If questions or ideas are buzzing around your head, or if your head is buzzing with questions or ideas, you are thinking about a lot of things, often in a confused way. □ [V + around in ] Many more questions were buzzing around in my head. □ [V + with ] Top style consultants will leave you buzzing with new ideas. [Also V ]
4 VERB [usu cont] If a place is buzzing with activity or conversation, there is a lot of activity or conversation there, especially because something important or exciting is about to happen. □ [V + with ] The rehearsal studio is buzzing with lunchtime activity. □ [V -ing] …Hong Kong's buzzing, pulsating atmosphere. [Also V , V prep]
5 N‑SING You can use buzz to refer to a long continuous sound, usually caused by lots of people talking at once. □ [+ of ] A buzz of excitement filled the courtroom as the defendant was led in. □ [+ of ] …the excited buzz of conversation.
6 N‑SING If something gives you a buzz , it makes you feel very happy or excited for a short time. [INFORMAL ] □ Performing still gives him a buzz. □ [+ from ] He got a buzz from creating confrontations.
7 N‑SING If a place or event has a buzz , it has a lively, interesting, and modern atmosphere. □ [+ about ] The girls fell in love with Dublin on previous visits. They said that what they liked was the buzz about the place.
8 ADJ [ADJ n] You can use buzz to refer to a word, idea, or activity which has recently become extremely popular. □ …the latest buzz phrase in garden design circles. □ Sex education in schools was the buzz topic.
9 VERB If an aircraft buzzes a place, it flies low over it, usually in a threatening way. □ [V n] American fighter planes buzzed the city.
buz|zard /bʌ zə r d/ (buzzards ) N‑COUNT A buzzard is a large bird of prey.
buzz|er /bʌ zə r / (buzzers ) N‑COUNT A buzzer is an electrical device that is used to make a buzzing sound for example, to attract someone's attention.
buzz|saw /bʌ zsɔː/ (buzzsaws ) N‑COUNT A buzzsaw is an electric saw consisting of a round metal disk with a sharp serrated edge. It is powered by an electric motor and is used for cutting wood and other materials. [AM ] in BRIT, use circular saw
buzz|word /bʌ zwɜː r d/ (buzzwords ) also buzz word N‑COUNT A buzzword is a word or expression that has become fashionable in a particular field and is being used a lot by the media. □ [+ of ] Biodiversity was the buzzword of the Rio Earth Summit.
buzzy /bʌ zi/ (buzzier , buzziest ) ADJ If a place, event, or atmosphere is buzzy , it is lively, interesting, and modern. [INFORMAL ] □ The cafe has an intimate but buzzy atmosphere.
by ◆◆◆ The preposition is pronounced /ba I /. The adverb is pronounced /ba I /. In addition to the uses shown below, by is used in phrasal verbs such as 'abide by', 'put by', and 'stand by'. 1 PREP If something is done by a person or thing, that person or thing does it. □ The feast was served by his mother and sisters. □ I was amazed by their discourtesy and lack of professionalism. □ The town has been under attack by rebel groups for a week now.
2 PREP If you say that something such as a book, a piece of music, or a painting is by a particular person, you mean that this person wrote it or created it. □ …a painting by Van Gogh. □ He read Enobarbus's speech from Anthony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare.
3 PREP If you do something by a particular means, you do it using that thing. □ We'll be travelling by car. □ …dinners by candlelight.
4 PREP [PREP v-ing] If you achieve one thing by doing another thing, your action enables you to achieve the first thing. □ Make the sauce by boiling the cream and stock together in a pan. □ The all-female yacht crew made history by becoming the first to sail round the world. □ By using the air ambulance to transport patients, they can save up to £15,000 per patient.
5 PREP You use by in phrases such as 'by chance' or 'by accident' to indicate whether or not an event was planned. □ I met him by chance out walking yesterday. □ He opened Ingrid's letter by mistake. □ Whether by design or accident his timing was perfect.