12-letter words containing a, l, o, n
- balladmonger — (formerly) a seller of ballads, esp on broadsheets
- balletomanes — Plural form of balletomane.
- balletomania — passionate enthusiasm for ballet
- balloon loan — a loan in respect of which interest and capital are paid off in instalments at irregular intervals
- balloon sail — a large light bellying sail used in light winds
- balloon seat — (on some 18th-century chairs) a seat having an outline resembling that of a bell.
- balloon tire — a wide, deep-walled pneumatic tire with relatively low air pressure to lessen the shock of bumps
- balloon tyre — a pneumatic tyre containing air at a relatively low pressure and having a wide tread
- balloon vine — a tropical tendril-climbing sapindaceous plant, Cardiospermum halicacabum, cultivated for its ornamental balloon-like seed capsules
- ballottement — a technique of feeling for a movable object in the body, esp confirmation of pregnancy by feeling the rebound of the fetus following a quick digital tap on the wall of the uterus
- banalization — the process of becoming or making something banal
- banderillero — a bullfighter's assistant who sticks banderillas into the bull
- bank holiday — A bank holiday is a public holiday.
- bank swallow — a swallow, Riparia riparia, of the Northern Hemisphere, that nests in tunnels dug in sand or clay banks.
- banner cloud — a plume-shaped cloud extending downwind from an isolated mountain peak. Also called cloud banner. Compare cap cloud (def 1).
- barcalounger — a type of reclinable armchair with an extendable footrest
- barn swallow — the US and Canadian name for the common swallow, Hirundo rustica
- barrel organ — A barrel organ is a large machine that plays music when you turn the handle on the side. Barrel organs used to be played in the street to entertain people.
- base bullion — smelted lead containing impurities, as gold, silver, or zinc, that are later removed.
- battle wagon — a battleship.
- battlefronts — Plural form of battlefront.
- battleground — A battleground is the same as a battlefield.
- battlewagons — Plural form of battlewagon.
- bayonet bulb — an electric light bulb which is inserted into the socket against spring pressure and turned so that pins on its side engage in slots in the socket
- be on a roll — to have a series of successes; go from success to success
- beacon light — a light signal for shipping
- beaconsfield — a town in SE England, in Buckinghamshire. Pop: 12 292 (2001)
- bead molding — bead (def 12).
- beauty salon — A beauty salon is the same as a beauty parlour.
- bed of nails — a situation or position of extreme difficulty
- benzal group — the bivalent group C 7 H 6 –, derived from benzaldehyde.
- betanaphthol — a colorless, crystalline isomer of naphthol, C10H8O, used as an antiseptic and parasiticide
- bibliomaniac — excessive fondness for acquiring and possessing books.
- bifunctional — having two functions
- bill and coo — the parts of a bird's jaws that are covered with a horny or leathery sheath; beak.
- binary color — secondary color.
- bingo caller — the person who shouts out the numbers to bingo players
- binocularity — binocular characteristics
- bioflavonoid — any of a group of biologically active flavone compounds that may help maintain the blood's capillary walls, reducing the likelihood of hemorrhaging: widely found in plants, esp. citrus fruits
- biotechnical — relating to biotechnology
- bipropellant — a rocket propellant consisting of two substances, usually a fuel and an oxidizer
- black bryony — a climbing herbaceous Eurasian plant, Tamus communis, having small greenish flowers and poisonous red berries: family Dioscoreaceae
- black canyon — a canyon of the Colorado River between Arizona and Nevada: site of Boulder Dam.
- black heroin — a very potent and addictive form of heroin that is dark-colored.
- black tongue — canine pellagra.
- blanket roll — a blanket or sleeping bag rolled into a cylindrical pack for easy carrying and outdoor use by hikers, soldiers, cowboys, etc., often with cooking utensils, food, and personal articles carried inside.
- blanket toss — a game in which a person is repeatedly tossed into the air and caught on an open blanket by a group of people who hold the blanket at its edges and stretch and relax it for each toss and catch.
- blastulation — the process of blastula formation
- blaze orange — a very bright orange, as on a traffic cone.
- blennorrhoea — an excessive discharge of watery mucus, esp from the urethra or the vagina