Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
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adj
Initialism of board-eligible.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, not-comparable
Topics: medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Abbreviation of Berlin: a state of Germany.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Abbreviation of Bengkulu: a province of Indonesia.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Initialism of Black English.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Initialism of Buddhist Era.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The name of the Cyrillic script letter Б / б
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Initialism of Bachelor of Engineering.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Initialism of breast expansion.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
prep
Alternative form of by. Also found in compounds, especially oaths, e.g. begorra.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of, alternative, dated, dialectal, possibly
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
As an auxiliary verb:
Used with past participles of verbs to form the passive voice.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: auxiliary
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
As an auxiliary verb:
Used with present participles of verbs to form the continuous aspect.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
As an auxiliary verb:
Used with to-infinitives of verbs to express intent, obligation, appropriateness, or relative future occurrence.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
As an auxiliary verb:
Used with past participles of certain intransitive verbs to form the perfect aspect.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
As an auxiliary verb:
To tend to do, often do; marks the habitual aspect.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Caribbean, Ireland, auxiliary
Qualifier: African-American Vernacular
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
As a copulative verb:
To exist.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: impersonal
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
As a copulative verb:
Used to declare the subject and object identical or equivalent.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
As a copulative verb:
Used to indicate that a predicate nominal applies to the subject.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
As a copulative verb:
Used to indicate that the subject has the qualities described by an adjective or prepositional phrase.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
As a copulative verb:
Used to indicate that the subject has the qualities described by a noun or noun phrase.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
As a copulative verb:
Used to link a subject to a measurement.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
As a copulative verb:
Used to state the age of a subject in years.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
As a copulative verb:
Used to indicate the time of day.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
As a copulative verb:
Used to indicate passage of time since the occurrence of an event.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
As a copulative verb:
Used to link two noun clauses: a day of the week, recurring date, month, or other specific time (on which the event of the main clause took place) and a period of time indicating how long ago that day was.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: past, rare, regional
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
As a copulative verb:
To pass or spend (time).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
As a copulative verb:
To take a period of time.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
As a copulative verb:
Used to indicate ambient conditions such as weather, light, noise or air quality.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: impersonal, often
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
As a copulative verb:
To exist or behave in a certain way.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: especially, irregular
Qualifier: dynamic / lexical be
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
As an intransitive lexical verb:
To exist; to have real existence, to be alive.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: literary, usually
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
As an intransitive lexical verb:
To remain undisturbed in a certain state or situation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
As an intransitive lexical verb:
To occupy a place.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
As an intransitive lexical verb:
To occur, to take place.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
As an intransitive lexical verb:
Elliptical form of "be here", "go to and return from" or similar, also extending to certain other senses of "go".
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
a light strong brittle grey toxic bivalent metallic element
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: beryllium, glucinium, atomic number 4
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: metallic element, metal
verb
spend or use time
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: take, occupy, use up
verb
work in a specific place, with a specific subject, or in a specific function
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: follow
Antonyms: none provided
Narrower terms: vet, cox
verb
have an existence, be extant
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: exist
Antonyms: none provided
Narrower terms: come, preexist, kick around, knock about, kick about, coexist, indwell, prevail, hold, obtain, dwell, consist, lie, lie in, endanger, jeopardize, jeopardise, menace, threaten, imperil, peril, flow, distribute, inhabit
verb
have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Narrower terms: look, suffer, hurt, be well, feel, stay, remain, rest, continue, sparkle, scintillate, coruscate, confuse, throw, fox, befuddle, fuddle, bedevil, confound, discombobulate, rank, point, want, need, require, compact, pack, cut, seethe, boil, mope, moon around, moon about, appear, seem, owe, belong, cover, represent, account, cut across, begin, start, stand, specify, define, delineate, delimit, delimitate, go, make sense, add up, consist, comprise, prove, turn out, turn up, account for, stand by, stick by, stick, adhere, loiter, lounge, footle, lollygag, loaf, lallygag, hang around, mess about, tarry, linger, lurk, mill about, mill around, total, number, come, amount, count, matter, weigh, rate, deserve, merit, buy, shine, fall, depend, underlie, stink, suck, subtend, incarnate, body forth, embody, substantiate, contain, take, hold, cost, be, measure, hum, buzz, abound, disagree, disaccord, discord, gape, yawn, yaw, tend, be given, lean, incline, run, figure, enter, press, rage, relate, interrelate, rut, stagnate, come in handy, squat, hoodoo, impend, range, stay on, sell, translate, head, head up, come in for, compare, run into, encounter, gravitate, pay, diverge, iridesce, lie, hang, litter, suit, end, terminate, fit, lend, let go, wind, twist, curve, jumble, mingle, promise, accept, clean, draw, wash, balance, hail, act, test, answer, beat, connect, kill, make, deck, adorn, decorate, grace, embellish, beautify, work, lubricate, breathe, trim, swing, osculate, retard, transplant, cohere, object, recognize, distribute, put out, bake, broil, swim, drown
verb
have life, be alive
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: live
Antonyms: none provided
verb
be identical to; be someone or something
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
form or compose
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: constitute, represent, make up, comprise
Antonyms: none provided
Narrower terms: make, compose, form, constitute, range, straddle, fall into, fall under, present, pose, supplement
verb
occupy a certain position or area; be somewhere
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Narrower terms: stretch, stretch along, attend, go to, occupy, fill, populate, dwell, live, inhabit, stand back, keep one's eyes off, keep one's distance, keep one's hands off, stay away, reach, extend to, touch, run, go, pass, lead, extend, cover, continue, poke out, reach out, lie, sit, sit around, face, straddle, follow, center on, rest, belong, come
verb
be identical or equivalent to
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: equal
Antonyms: none provided
Narrower terms: equate, correspond, match, fit, check, jibe, gibe, tally, agree, represent, stand for, translate
verb
represent, as of a character on stage
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: embody, personify
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: typify, symbolize, symbolise, stand for, represent
Narrower terms: body, personify, exemplify, represent
verb
be priced at
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: cost
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: be
Narrower terms: set back, knock back, put back
verb
to remain unmolested, undisturbed, or uninterrupted -- used only in infinitive form
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: stay, remain, rest
verb
happen, occur, take place
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Borrowed from Russian бэ (bɛ).
A variant of by which goes back to Middle English be (variant of Middle English bi).
From Middle English been (“to be”). See below for more. Further etymology of be and its conjugated forms The various forms have three separate origins, which were mixed together at various times in the history of English. * The forms beginning with b- come from Old English bēon (“to be, become”), from Proto-Germanic *beuną (“to be, exist, come to be, become”), from Proto-Indo-European *bhuH-yé-ti (“to grow, become, come into being, appear”), from the root *bhuH-. In particular: ** Now-dialectal use of been as an infinitive of be is either from Middle English been (“to be”) or an extension of the past participle. ** Now-obsolete use of been as a plural present tense (meaning "are") is from Middle English been, be (present plural of been (“to be”), with the -n leveled in from the past and subjunctive; compare competing forms aren/are). ** Use of been as a past participle is from Middle English been, ybeen, from Old English ġebēon. * The forms beginning with w- come from the aforementioned Old English bēon, which shared its past tense with the verb wesan, from Proto-West Germanic *wesan, from Proto-Germanic *wesaną, from Proto-Indo-European *h2wes- (“to reside”). * The remaining forms (am, are, is) are also from Old English wesan (“to be”), Proto-West Germanic *wesan, from Proto-Germanic *wesaną, the present tense of which comes from Proto-Indo-European *h1és-ti, from the root *h1es-.
Across languages
1202 source translations are retained for this English entry.
