B
baste(BAYST) vt. 1. to sew with long, loose stitches to keep a garment together
prior to the actual final stitching; to tack; 2. to moisten meat while roasting with
drippings, melted butter, and so on
- Tailors bastea garment together to line everything up before they do the
actual stitching of the finished item. - When cooking a turkey, it is customary to basteit every 20 minutes or so
to keep it moist.
[-d, basting]
benevolent(bin EV il int) adj. inclined to do good or doing good; kindly;
charitable - John’s family had a history of being benevolenttoward charities.
- The March of Dimes counts on its reputation for contributions from
benevolentorganizations and individuals.
[-ly adv.] [Syn. kind]
benign(bi NYN) adj. 1. good natured; favorable; beneficial; 2. noncancerous;
nonmalignant - Beatrice gave Roger a benignsmile as she passed.
- Vera was relieved to learn from her oncologist that the tumor was benign.
bigotry(BIG uh tree) adj. the behavior, attitudes, and beliefs of a prejudiced,
intolerant person - Miguel demonstrated his bigotryby refusing to sit at a table with anyone
who was not from Uruguay. - Belief in racial stereotypes is characteristic of bigotry.
[bigotries pl., bigot n.]
bland(BLAND) adj. 1. mild and soothing rather than harsh and grating; 2.
without taste; flavorless; insipid; dull - Milk is a very blanddrink when compared to orange or grapefruit juice.
- Tex-Mex food is noted for the piquantness of its flavor and is anything but
bland.
[-ness n.] [Syn. smooth, tasteless]
boggle(BAHG il) vt. 1. to confuse or overwhelm; 2. to hesitate at (because of
scruples) - Janice was boggledby the huge pile of papers that needed correcting.
- Crossword puzzles often bogglethe mind.
- Eddie boggledat the idea of robbing a grocery store.
[-d, boggling]
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