12-letter words containing b, a, n
- ball turning — the turning of arms or legs on furniture to make them resemble a continuous row of balls.
- balladmonger — (formerly) a seller of ballads, esp on broadsheets
- ballanwrasse — a slow-growing fish (Labrus bergylta) found in rocky waters
- ballast line — the level to which a vessel is immersed when in ballast.
- ballet blanc — a ballet in which the ballerinas' skirts are white.
- balletomanes — Plural form of balletomane.
- balletomania — passionate enthusiasm for ballet
- ballhandling — skill in handling the ball
- 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
- banach space — a vector space on which a norm is defined that is complete.
- banalization — the process of becoming or making something banal
- banana label — (jargon) The labels used on the sides of macrotape reels, so called because they were shaped roughly like blunt-ended bananas. This term, like macrotapes themselves, is obsolete.
- banana prawn — a prawn of the genus Penaeus, fished commercially in tropical waters of N Australia
- banana shrub — a tall Chinese shrub, Michelia figo, of the magnolia family, having cream-yellow flowers with a reddish edge and a strong banana odor.
- banana split — A banana split is a kind of dessert. It consists of a banana cut in half along its length, with ice cream, nuts, and sauce on top.
- banbury cake — a cake consisting of a pastry base filled with currants, raisins, candied peel, and sugar, with a crisscross pattern on the top
- banbury tart — a tart filled with a lemon-flavored mixture of currants, raisins, or the like.
- band of hope — a society promoting lifelong abstention from alcohol among young people: founded in Britain in 1847
- bandar abbas — a seaport in S Iran.
- bandaranaike — Chandrika
- banderillero — a bullfighter's assistant who sticks banderillas into the bull
- bandersnatch — a fictional creature created by Lewis Carroll in his poem Jabberwocky, and appearing also in The Hunting of the Snark and Through the Looking-Glass
- bandjarmasin — Banjarmasin
- bandjermasin — a seaport on the S coast of Borneo, in Indonesia.
- bandoneonist — One who plays the bandoneon.
- bandy-legged — bow-legged
- bank account — A bank account is an arrangement with a bank which allows you to keep your money in the bank and to take some out when you need it.
- bank balance — Your bank balance is the amount of money that you have in your bank account at a particular time.
- bank charges — penalties charged by a bank to a customer, for example when the customer's account is overdrawn or if a cheque is not honoured
- bank deposit — money placed in a bank account
- bank holiday — A bank holiday is a public holiday.
- bank manager — A bank manager is someone who is in charge of a bank, or a particular branch of a bank, and who is involved in making decisions about whether or not to lend money to businesses and individuals.
- bank robbery — theft from a bank
- bank swallow — a swallow, Riparia riparia, of the Northern Hemisphere, that nests in tunnels dug in sand or clay banks.
- bankruptcies — Plural form of bankruptcy.
- banks island — an island of N Canada, in the Northwest Territories: the westernmost island of the Arctic Archipelago. Area: about 67 340 sq km (26 000 sq miles)
- banksia rose — a climbing rose, Rosa banksiae, native to China, having long, serrated leaves and white or yellow flowers.
- banner cloud — a plume-shaped cloud extending downwind from an isolated mountain peak. Also called cloud banner. Compare cap cloud (def 1).
- banquet room — A banquet room is a room in a hotel where large formal meals for many people can be held.
- bantamweight — A bantamweight is a boxer who weighs between 51 and 53.5 kilograms, or a wrestler who weighs between 52 and 57 kilograms. A bantamweight is heavier than a flyweight but lighter than a featherweight.
- bar sinister — the condition, implication, or stigma of being of illegitimate birth
- barbados nut — an ornamental, tropical American tree, Jatropha curcas, of the spurge family, having ivylike leaves, small, yellow or greenish-yellow flowers, and olive-shaped fruit yielding a purgative, poisonous oil.
- barbarianism — a person in a savage, primitive state; uncivilized person.
- barbarianize — to make barbarian.