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.bough, bow
bough (BOU)
A branch of a tree, often the largest or main branch: "The tree surgeon noted the bough of the walnut tree was very old and needed to be removed."
bow (BOU)
1. As a noun, a bending: "The man made a bow to the king."
2. The front part of a vessel: "The bow of the ship was crushing through the winter ice." 3. As a verb, to bend in greeting or to submit one's self: "She had to bow to the queen's wishes." bouillon, bullion
bouillon (BOOL yahn, BOOL yuhn)
A thin, clear soup; usually of beef: "At the dinner party, the host served bouillon as the first course."
bullion (BOOL yuhn)
Gold or silver in bars or plates, but not in coin formats: "The mules hauled the miners' bullion over the mountains in a special wagon."
bourgeois, proletariat
bourgeois (boor ZHWA, BOOR zhwa")
An individual or group which is perceived socially and economically as middle class; a tendency towards material interests and respectability: "By living in town, the farmer attempted to be a bourgeois in his life style."
proletariat (pro" li TAR ee it)
Of or pertaining to the lower social or economic class in a community; such as, industrial workers or laborers: "The proletariat attempted to form a union at the linen mill in an effort to improve their living standards."
boy, buoy
boy (BOI)
A young-male child: "They brought their boy to the concert, too."
buoy (BOO ee, BOI)
1. A warning float moored on a dangerous rock or shoal or at the edge of a channel: "The buoy in the harbor was painted red and white and had a bell on the top of its head to attract the attention of the sailors."
2. A cork belt or jacket to keep a person from sinking: "All ships and boats should carry one buoy or life jacket for each passenger and crew member." 3. As a verb, To hold up; to encourage: "The good news will buoy up our hopes for the results of the elections." braid, brayed
braid (BRAYD)
To create a hair style or a decorative band by the interweaving of three strands of (hair, narrow ribbon, etc.): "Her hair style was very simple; that is, just a braid tied with a colored ribbon."
brayed (BRAYD)
Past tense of the verb bray; the loud, harsh call or noise uttered by a donkey: "At day break, as the farmer went out to feed the horses, the donkey brayed for attention in the pasture."
braise, brays, braze
braise (BRAYZ)
To cook (meat) by searing it until it is brown, then simmering it in a covered pan: "The hostess said she would braise the short ribs before putting them in the oven."
brays (BRAYZ)
1. To make the loud harsh cry of a donkey: "The farmer could hear the brays of the donkeys which were in the pasture."
2. To utter or sound loudly and harshly: "His voice was harsh and reminded her of the brays of a donkey." braze (BRAYZ)
To solder with a hard solder like brass: "The blacksmith attempted to braze the decorative piece for the saddle which had been broken."
brake, break
brake (BRAYK)
1. A device for slowing or stopping a vehicle or wheel; especially, by friction: "The hand brake failed to stop the car."
2. An instrument for separating the fiber of flax, hemp, etc. by bruising or crushing it: "The museum had a fine example of a brake for flax in the weaving house." break (BRAYK)
1. To separate into parts or fragments; to shatter: "Such a strong vibration will break the glasses."
2. To crack without separating something into parts: "He knocked the glass over and it had a slight break on one side." braking, breaking, breaking
braking (BRAY king)
Using a device for slowing or stopping something; such as, a vehicle: "The vehicle in front of us was braking suddenly when a cat ran across the street in front of him."
breaking (BRAY king)
Separating something into parts or pieces often in a sudden and forceful or violent way: "She was so upset that she was throwing and breaking dishes on the floor out of frustration."
breaking (BRAY king)
To make something; such as, news publicly known for the first time: "The television station often presents Breaking News; sometimes excessively." brazen, brazen, brazen
brazen (BRAY zuhn)
Acting or done in a very open and shocking way without shame or embarrassment; impudent: "A lawyer was shot and killed Monday in a brazen daylight assassination in central Moscow, officials said."
brazen (BRAY zuhn)
Harsh sounding; such as, if someone were hitting something made of brass: "A person who is brazen is described as being overly loud, harsh, and offensive."
brazen (BRAY zuhn)
Something made of brass, or resembling it, especially in color or hardness: "A brazen statue of the soldier was seen in the city square."
breach, breech
breach (BREECH)
1. An opening made by breaking down something solid; such as, a gap made in a wall or fortification: "There was a breach in several places of the wall so the soldiers could get into the fortress."
2. A breaking or the neglect (of a law, a trust, etc.); an infraction or infringement: "For the guard to leave now would be a breach of duty." 3. A breaking of friendly relations; a quarrel: "A misunderstanding caused a breach between me and my friend." breech (BREECH)
1. The lower rear portion of the human trunk; the behind, posterior; hind part: "A breech is an old-fashioned word for the 'backside' of the body."
2. The part of a firearm (gun) to the rear of the bore: "Flame flew out of the breech of the gun because of the defective bullets he was using." bread, bred
bread (BRED)
A baked food made of flour or meal: "I just took a loaf of pumpernickel bread from the oven."
bred (BRED)
1. To bring forth offspring or babies: "The horticulturalist bred a new strain of flowers in her garden and took them to the fair."
2. The past tense and past participle form of the verb "to breed": "The farmer took his cow to the neighbors to be bred by the bull in hopes that a new calf would be born in the spring." 3. To train or to inspire good manners: "The teacher worked hard and her students indicated that they had been properly bred by using good manners when they went to the concert." breadth, breath, breathe
breadth (BREDTH)
Width: "The breadth of the prairies is incredible."
breath (BRETH)
Air which is inhaled and exhaled during breathing: "The loss of breath can be a dangerous symptom."
breathe (BREETH)
To inhale and to exhale air into one's lungs: "He rose quickly to the surface of the water and then he could breathe again."
Breton, Britain, Briton
Breton (BRET'n)
Relating to Brittany or its people, language (Celtic), or culture: "He emphasized that he was a Breton from Brittany not a Briton from Great Britain."
Britain (BRIT'n)
Great Britain: England, Scotland, and Wales. It is separated from the mainland of Europe by the English Channel and from Ireland by the Irish Sea: "We had a very interesting trip to Great Britain last summer."
Briton (BRIT'n)
A native or inhabitant of Great Britain: "Winston Churchill is considered to have been a noble Briton."
brewed, brood
brewed (BROOD)
1. To make ale or beer from malt and hops: "We went to the place where they brewed the beer for our store."
2. To instigate or to incite: "He brewed discontent and trouble with the audience." brood (BROOD)
1. The young of certain animals; especially, a group of young birds or fowl hatched at one time and cared for together: "The mother hen had a colourful brood of chicks."
2. The children of a family: "The new neighbor has quite a brood of five children." brews, bruise
brews (BROOZ)
1. To create a beverage by steeping or soaking (tea) or by fermentation (beer): "She brews her tea for exactly ten minutes."
"The company brews several different types of beer for the consumer." 2. To bring about or to plot, to contrive: "Trouble brews when the union members are unhappy with their contract."bruise (BROOZ)
Discoloration on the skin caused by the breaking of blood vessels as the result of an injury: "After the boxer won the round, he had a big bruise over his right eye."
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