| billfold |
a small folding case that holds paper money and fits in a pocket; wallet. |
| billiards |
a game played with long sticks and hard balls on a special table covered with cloth. Players use a stick to hit the balls against each other and into pockets along the edges of the table. |
| billion |
the number that is equal to one thousand times one million; 1,000,000,000. [4 definitions] |
| billow |
a large wave in the ocean; swell. [2 definitions] |
| bin |
a container or space for storing things such as wood, certain foods, or coal. Bins are also used for storing things that will be discarded later. |
| binary |
having two parts or components. [2 definitions] |
| binary system |
a numbering system with a base of two. In binary numbers, any number can be expressed by 1, 0, or a combination of these. The number five is written as "101" in the binary system. |
| bind |
to tie together or fasten tightly with a rope or cord. [4 definitions] |
| binder |
a large, sturdy notebook cover that contains a device for holding loose papers. |
| bingo |
a game in which players try to match numbers on a card with numbers read out by a caller. Each player has a card with numbered squares. The player who is the first to cover a whole row of squares is the winner. |
| binocular |
(usually plural) a device that uses lenses and mirrors to make objects look larger. Binoculars are used with both eyes at once. |
| biodegradable |
able to be broken down by the action of living organisms such as bacteria. |
| biodiverse |
of an area or region, having many different kinds of plants and animals. |
| biodiversity |
the condition of having a wide variety of living things. If an area on the earth has biodiversity, it means that there are many different kinds of animals and plants living there. |
| biography |
the written story of the facts and events of a person's life. |
| biological |
of or having to do with biology. [2 definitions] |
| biologist |
a scientist who specializes in biology. Biology is the study of living things, such as plants, animals, cells, and bacteria. |
| biology |
the science that studies the growth and life processes of living things. |
| bioluminescence |
light given off naturally by certain kinds of insects, fish, or bacteria. The bioluminescence of fireflies allows them to blink on and off in the dark. |
| biomass |
the total amount of living things in a particular environment, measured by mass per unit of area or volume. |
| biome |
a major type of global region, such as forest, desert, or grassland, characterized by the community of plants and animals that have adapted to life under the particular soil and climatic conditions that a particular region presents. |