14-letter words containing t, h, b
- batting helmet — a rigid plastic cap with a sidepiece extending down over the ear, worn for protection while batting
- bayes' theorem — the fundamental result which expresses the conditional probability P(E/A) of an event E given an event A as P(A/E).P(E)/P(A); more generally, where En is one of a set of values Ei which partition the sample space, P(En/A) = P(A/En)P(En)/Σ P(A/Ei)P(Ei). This enables prior estimates of probability to be continually revised in the light of observations
- bayonet charge — a charge by riflemen with fixed bayonets
- be cursed with — to be afflicted with; suffer from
- be in the loop — If someone is in the loop, they are part of a group of people who make decisions about important things, or they know about these decisions. If they are out of the loop, they do not make or know about important decisions.
- be in the pink — If you are in the pink, you are fit, healthy, and happy.
- be in the wars — If someone has been in the wars, they have been injured, for example in a fight or in an accident.
- be in the wash — If you say that something such as an item of clothing is in the wash, you mean that it is being washed, is waiting to be washed, or has just been washed and should therefore not be worn or used.
- be on the ball — to be alert; be efficient
- be struck with — to be attracted to or impressed by
- bead lightning — lightning in which the intensity appears to vary along the path and which thus resembles a string of beads.
- beclomethasone — a potent synthetic corticosteroid, C 28 H 37 ClO 7 , prepared as an inhalant in the treatment of bronchial asthma.
- belo horizonte — a city in SE Brazil, the capital of Minas Gerais state. Pop: 5 304 000 (2005 est)
- below the belt — a band of flexible material, as leather or cord, for encircling the waist.
- below the line — a mark or stroke long in proportion to its breadth, made with a pen, pencil, tool, etc., on a surface: a line down the middle of the page.
- below-the-belt — Something that is below the belt is cruel and unfair.
- below-the-line — denoting the entries printed below the horizontal line on a company's profit-and-loss account that show how any profit is to be distributed
- bend the rules — to ignore rules or change them to suit one's own convenience
- bengal catechu — catechu.
- benzanthracene — a carcinogenic hydrocarbon
- bermuda shorts — close-fitting shorts that come down to the knees
- beta-endorphin — a potent endorphin released by the anterior pituitary gland in response to pain, trauma, exercise, or other forms of stress.
- bethlehem sage — a plant, Pulmonaria saccharata, of the borage family, native to Europe, having mottled, white leaves and white or reddish-purple flowers in clusters.
- between whiles — now and then; at intervals
- bible-thumping — an evangelist or other person who quotes the Bible frequently, especially as a means of exhortation or rebuke.
- big brotherism — paternalistic authoritarianism that seeks to supply the needs and regulate the conduct of people.
- big house, the — a penitentiary
- big red switch — (jargon) (BRS) IBM jargon for the power switch on a computer, especially the "Emergency Pull" switch on an IBM mainframe or the power switch on an IBM PC where it really is large and red. "This [email protected]%$% bitty box is hung again; time to hit the Big Red Switch." It is alleged that the emergency pull switch on an IBM 360/91 actually fired a non-conducting bolt into the main power feed; the BRSes on more recent mainframes physically drop a block into place so that they can't be pushed back in. People get fired for pulling them, especially inappropriately (see also molly-guard). Compare power cycle, three-finger salute, 120 reset; see also scram switch.
- bight of bonny — a wide bay at the E end of the Gulf of Guinea off the coasts of Nigeria and Cameroon
- bill of health — a certificate, issued by a port officer, that attests to the health of a ship's company
- bill of rights — A Bill of Rights is a written list of citizens' rights which is usually part of the constitution of a country.
- biomathematics — the study of the application of mathematics to biology
- bipartisanship — representing, characterized by, or including members from two parties or factions: Government leaders hope to achieve a bipartisan foreign policy.
- birthday party — a party to celebrate someone's birthday
- birthing chair — a chair constructed to allow a woman in labour to give birth in a sitting position
- birthing stool — a stool constructed to allow a woman in labour to give birth in a sitting position
- bishop's mitre — a European heteropterous bug, Aelia acuminata, whose larvae are a pest of cereal grasses: family Pentatomidae
- bisphosphonate — any drug of a class that inhibits the resorption of bone; used in treating certain bone disorders, esp osteoporosis
- black as night — totally dark
- black panthers — (in the US) a militant Black political party founded in 1965 to end the political dominance of White people
- blacktip shark — a widely distributed sand shark, Charcharinus limbatus, having fins that appear to have been dipped in ink, inhabiting shallow waters of warm seas.
- blanket finish — a finish so close that a blanket would cover all the contestants involved
- blanket stitch — a strong reinforcing stitch for the edges of blankets and other thick material
- blanket-stitch — a basic sewing stitch in which widely spaced, interlocking loops, or purls, are formed, used for cutwork, as a decorative finish for edges, etc.
- bleeding heart — If you describe someone as a bleeding heart, you are criticizing them for being sympathetic towards people who are poor and suffering, without doing anything practical to help.
- blepharoplasty — cosmetic surgery performed on the eyelid
- bletchley park — the Buckinghamshire estate which was the centre of British code-breaking operations during World War II
- bletheranskate — a blatherer
- body of christ — the Christian Church
- body snatching — the act or practice of robbing a grave to obtain a cadaver for dissection.