Confusing Words Clarified: Group B; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, etc. +(lists of "B" sections that are organized into what for some people are confusing groups of words)A classic story tells how Plato had defined man as a featherless two-tooted animal, and his students agreed. The next day, Diogenes pulled the feathers off a cock and took it to Plato. "Here's Plato's man," he said. It was an embarrassing moment for Plato. Thereafter he corrected the definition to "a featherless two-footed animal with flat nails". Ever since Plato's description, man has never ceased to define man, and has constantly sought a more meaningful self-definition. Voltaire altered the Platonic version, in Candide, to "man is a featherless biped with a soul".
Another unknown author created, "Man is the only animal that eats when he is not hungry, and drinks when he is not thirsty." Efforts have been made to help you grasp the meanings of various words that may be confusing so you can utilize them with greater accuracy in your communication. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome by writing to: E-mail Contact (just click it for an e-mail form) or by typing, words@wordinfo.info, as the address in your e-mail heading. If you have any problems understanding the pronunciation symbols, go to this Pronunciation Chart for clarifications.bank, bank, bank
bank (BANGK)
1. A piled-up mass, as of snow or clouds: "A bank of dark clouds could be seen in the western sky and a bank of fog was also moving into our area."
2. A slope or higher ground adjoining a body of water, especially along a river, lake, or channel: "We sat near the bank of the river to watch the boats going past." bank (BANGK)
1. A business establishment in which money is kept for saving or commercial purposes or is invested, supplied for loans, or exchanged; as well as, the building where such a business operates: "Our paychecks are deposited into the bank automatically."
"How much money do we have in our bank account?" 2. A place where something is stored until it is needed: "Information is stored in the computer's memory bank until we need it for the yearly report."bank (BANGK)
1. As a verb, to cause something; such as, an airplane to tilt or to lean to one side when turning: "The pilot will bank the plane to the left and then level it out to land."
2. To cause something; such as a ball to bounce off a surface: "The basketball player tried to bank the ball off the backboard." 3. To put money in a commercial organization so it will hopefully be safer: "I will bank the extra money in a separate account for emergencies." Someone told me that a bank is a place where they lend you an umbrella in fair weather and ask for it back when it starts to rain. banking, banking
banking (BANG king)
The business of operating a bank: "They are both in the banking business and their daughter is also preparing for a banking career."
banking (BANG king)
1. To count on; to depend on; to trust, and to have confidence in: "I am banking on him to hand us a reasonable bill for his services"
"Are you sure it is safe to be banking on banks as reliable places to keep our money?" barbarian, barbaric, barbarism, barbarous
barbarian (bar BAIR ee uhn)
1. Savage, alien, outlander: "The city barricaded itself against the invading barbarians."
2. Hoodlum, roughneck: "Young barbarians have defaced public buildings throughout the city." 3. Anti-intellectual, lowbrow, illiterate: "Barbarians in the audience jeered the composer’s new work." 4. Uncultivated, uncultured, crude: "The artist accused the public of having barbarian tastes." barbaric (bar BAIR ik)
1. Uncivilized, savage, wild: "The Huns were notorious for their barbaric cruelty."
"The tribal dance was a spectacle of barbaric splendor." 2. Coarse, uncouth, crude, ill-mannered, vulgar, rude: "His behavior to the guests was barbaric and embarrassing." barbarism (BAR bur iz'm)
1. An instance, act, trait, or custom marked by coarseness or brutality: "When he slapped the child with such harshness, his barbarism resulted in his arrest by the police."
2. The use of words or forms felt to be incorrect or nonstandard; a specific word or form so used: "Using the word ain't is considered a barbarism." barbarous (BAR bur uhs)
1. Cruel, brutal, harsh: "It is barbarous to keep a large dog cooped up like that."
2. Coarse, crude, vulgar: "The complaining letter was written in barbarous English." barbel, barbell
barbel (BAHR buhl)
One of the soft thread-like appendages to the jaws, chin, or nostrils of certain fish; functioning as an organ of touch: "In the aquarium we saw a large freshwater fish with more than one barbel hanging from its mouth."
barbell (BAHR bel")
A metal bar with weights at each end that is used for exercise and in weight lifting: "He kept lifting the barbell until he was able to lift more weight than the other guys."
bard, barred
bard (BAHRD)
1. Poet-singer, a poet: "The Homeric poems were composed and sung by bards."
2. A narrative poet, writer, minstrel: "A local bard read his poetry to the audience." barred (BAHRD)
1. To obstruct or impede; to block: "The gate to the estate barred visitors from access to the house."
2. To keep out; to exclude: "The guard barred their unauthorized entrance to the building." The poet was ostracized by the university, or in other words, they barred the bard. bare, bear, bear
bare (BAIR)
1. Stripped naked, undressed, unclothed, uncovered, unclad: "The engineers worked bare to the waist in the broiling sun."
2. Empty, void, vacant; unadorned: "We wanted to hang up some paintings on those bare walls." "The kitchen cupboard was bare." 3. Lacking full threads, bald, thin: "The carpet was worn bare from years of use."4. Just enough, scant, meager: "We existed on nothing but the bare necessities for six months." bear (BAIR), as a noun.
1. The animal, also known as a bruin: "The bear was catching salmon in the river."
2. A person who expects the price of stocks to go down and who sells them to avoid losing money: "As a bear, he is hoping to sell his stocks before the market goes even lower." bear (BAIR), as a verb.
1. Support, sustain, maintain: "These columns bear the weight of the roof."
"Our office will bear the brunt of the work." 2. To transport, to carry, to tote, to haul, to take: "The donkeys had to bear supplies up the steep mountain trail."3. To give birth to, to bring into being, to bring forth: "Yes, his mother did bear three fine sons." "Is it really possible that a woman could bear eight babies as stated in the news?" 4. To go, to move, or to turn in a specified direction: "When you get into town, bear to the north at the first street."A large quadruped bruin normally has thick fur but if it loses this covering because of some kind of skin disease, it could certainly be a bare bear that will simply have to bear its handicap. bareness, baroness
bareness (BAR nes)
A lack of usual covering or furnishings: "The bareness of the room in the motel was depressing."
baroness (BAR uh nis)
1. A woman who is a member of a low rank of British nobility: "The baroness was married to a baron."
2. A female industrialist or financier: "The baroness of the computer company dealt in a fair manner with all who worked with her." baring, barring, bearing
baring (rhymes with caring)
Uncovering, exposing: "He was so disturbed that he could not stop baring his innermost feelings."
"He stood hatless, baring his head to the rain." barring (rhymes with tarring)
As a preposition, excepting for, excluding; as a verb, to obstruct or impede; to keep out, to exclude: "Barring any adverse weather, we will walk the full distance."
"Barring trouble, we will be finished soon." bearing (rhymes with tearing)
Carrying; enduring; an attitude or behavior: "He kept bearing the shock of the loss of his youngest child and he is bearing his emotions well."
baron, barren
baron (BAR uhn)
1. A lord or nobleman; a peer who is a member of the lowest rank of British nobility: "The term baron is not used as a form of address, but instead he is usually referred to as 'Lord'."
2. A person with great power, wealth, and influence in some sphere: "Because of his substantial accumulation of silver, he was considered the silver baron of the country." barren (BAR uhn)
1. Producing no offspring, childless: "The couple decided to adopt a child when they realized that she was barren."
2. Incapable of producing offspring; sterile: "The farmer realized that he was cheated when he bought the barren cow." 3. Lacking vegetation, as barren fields; unproductive, unfruitful, depleted: "No one could raise crops on this barren land." base, bass, bass
base (BAYS)
1. Support, bottom, foundation, substructure: "The lamp stands on a circular base."
2. Foundation, essence, core, source: "The base of his argument is that our price is too high." 3. Camp, station, post, billet, installation: "The weary troops marched back to their base." 4. Inferior, poor quality; adulterated, impure: "Zinc and brass are base metals." 5. Lacking proper social values or moral principles; not honest or good: "His base motives were soon obvious when he walked off with all of the money people had entrusted to him for their investments. bass (BAYS)
1. The range of the lowest male voice, below baritone: "He sang bass in the quartet."
2. A low, deep sound or tone, as of a voice or a musical instrument: "Her father had a bass voice that stood out from any other man that I have ever heard." bass (BAHS)
A kind of fresh or salt-water fish: "They caught five large bass for tonight’s fish dinner."
The bass swam around the bass drum in the river where another bass was painted on the base of that bass drum. The villainous singer sang his song in his base bass voice. based, baste
based (BAYS'd)
A fundamental principal upon which is formed the foundation of an idea, a construct, or undertaking: "The theme of the novel is based on the idea of social justice."
baste (BAYST)
1. To sew together in a temporary fashion: "The seamstress will baste the skirt before the client tries it on to be sure it fits correctly."
2. To moisten periodically with the juice or fat from the meat being cooked: "The cook would baste the roast from time to time to be sure it was juicy and delicious." bases, basis
bases (BAY suhz) Plural of basis and base.
1. Supports, underpinnings, substructures: "The tall building utilizes several kinds of bases or foundations to hold it solidly in place."
2. Camps, stations, posts, billets, installations, garrisons: "U.S. military units still have several bases in Europe." basis (BAY seez)
Base, foundation, fundamental, essential: "Charity toward others is the basis of her philosophy and way of life." bastille, bastion
bastille (ba STEEL)
1. When not capitalized, a prison or jail: "The president decided to close the bastille located on a small island."
2. When capitalized, July 14, observed in France in commemoration of the storming of the Paris prison in 1789, a citizens' victory at the outset of the French Revolution: "The destruction of the Bastille is celebrated yearly in France." bastion (BAS chuhn, BAS tee uhn)
1. A fortified area or stronghold, frequently implying a rampart or irregular fortification surrounding the base of a structure: "The castle was considered a bastion of safety during the Middle Ages."
2. An institution serving as an example of strength: "Her home was considered a bastion of respectability and good taste." bat, batt
bat (BAT)
A stout wooden stick used in sports such as cricket and baseball: "The baseball player picked up a bat and scored a home run."
2. To hit or to strike with a stout wooden stick: "The player bat the ball over the fence and scored a home run." 3. Any of an order of Chiroptera or flying mammals with modified front legs which form wings: "The bat is an mammal that has wings and a furry body like a mouse." "A bat flying around in the garden is a good thing because it will eat many insects." batt (BAT)
Pieces of fabric used as lining when making quilts: "The women used a thick cotton batt when making the beautiful quilts which they sold."
bath, bathe
bath (BATH)
1. That which is associated with the process or equipment for washing the body or an item: "The Roman Bath in the city attested to the resourcefulness of the citizens, using natural waters to fill the bath."
"We tried to give the dog a bath in the bathtub." 2. A chemical solution in which to immerse something: "The scientist prepared a acid bath in which to immerse the metal object."bathe (BAYTH)
To immerse in water or other liquid for the purpose of refreshment or cleaning oneself with a sponge or cloth and soap: "During the hot weather, it felt good to bathe one’s face frequently with scented water."
"We'll bathe the baby after she eats."
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