2009 UIL Spelling Study Manual/B

Word List

131. bacteriology*

(biology) The scientific study of bacteria, especially in relation to disease and agriculture.

132. baedeker, Baedeker

Proprietary name of a longtime series of travel guidebooks.;(by extension from the proprietary name) Any travel guide, advice for travelers, or guide pertaining to other subjects (Example: "His middle-of-the-road guidebook to the Georgians (Henry James to T. S. Eliot) will be a useful Baedeker for literary sightseers." [1934, "Literary Guide: Review of The Georgian Scene by Frank Swinnerton," Time, 3 Dec])

133. bain-marie

in cooking, a large pan containing hot water, into which other smaller pans are set in order to cook food slowly, or to keep food warm [French, from Medieval Latin balneum Mariae Maria’s bath]

134. balletomane

/bæˈlɛt.əˌmeɪn/, /bəˈlɛt.əˌmeɪn/ An enthusiastic ballet fan

135. ballonet*

one of several small balloons, inside a dirigible, that can be inflated or deflated to control buoyancy during flight

136. balsamic*

/ˌbɔːlˈsæmɪk/ Having the pleasant odour of balsam; balmy, fragrant (Example: "he stood in the road, fragrant with the odor of the azaleas in the undergrowth and the balsamic breath of the low-hanging firs, which were all fibrously a-glitter wherever the moon touched the dew in the dense midst of their shadows." [1891, Mary Noailles Murfree, In the "Stranger People's" Country, Nebraska 2005, p. 14]

137. banderilla

(bullfighting) A stick with a sharp end and a decorated end, which a bullfighter stick into the bull's back.

138. bandoneon

(music) A small Latin American accordion played with buttons.

139. bangalore torpedo

pipe bomb

140. Barbary Coast

141. bariatrician

doctor of bariatrics [bariatrics - (medicine) The branch of medicine dealing with obesity and weight problems.]

142. barramunda

Any of several Australian fish of the genus Ceratodus; the lungfish

143. basil*

A plant (Ocimum basilicum), OR the leaves of this plant used as an herb

144. basilisk

/ˈbæz.ə.lɪsk/ A mythical (and heraldic) snake-like dragon type, reputed to be so venomous that its gaze was deadly; (zoology) A treedwelling type of lizard, of genus Basiliscus. [From Middle English < Old French basilisc < Latin basiliscus < Ancient Greek βασιλίσκος (basiliskos), “‘royal, imperial’”) < βασιλεύς (basileus), “‘king’”).]

145. bassoon

/bəˈsuːn/ A musical instrument in the woodwind family, having a double reed and, playing in the tenor and bass ranges [From French basson, from Italian bassone, from basso (“‘bass’”) + augmentative suffix -one.]

146. batophobia

fear of something tall

147. bayou*

a slow-moving creek [From American French bayou, from Choctaw bayuk (“‘creek’”).]

148. beatific

blessed, blissful, heavenly [From beatify, from Latin beatificare, make blessed, from beatus, blessed + ficare, make, variant form of facere, make]

149. beef stroganoff

A dish of sautéed pieces of beef (or a substitute) served in a sauce with sour cream [Named after the Stroganov family, a distinguished Russian family involved in the settlement of Siberia; however, keep in mind that the 'stroganoff' in the word is not capitalized like a name would be]

150. beefalo*

A cross between a domestic cow and an American buffalo or bison, or the meat of such a hybrid.

151. Bella Coola

small community in British Columbia

152. belletrist*

one who writes belles-lettres (belles-letteres - literary works valued more for their aesthetic qualities than for any informative or educational content)

153. bellicose*

Warlike in nature; aggressive; hostile

154. bellwether

anything that indicates future trends [from bell + wether, originally a sheep with a bell around its neck that led a flock]

155. Bengalese

Bangladeshi

156. besom

A broom made from a bundle of twigs tied onto a shaft. [Old English besma, from West Germanic *besmon.]

157. bestowal

the act of bestowing

158. bête noire

An anathema; someone or something which is particularly disliked or avoided; an

object of aversion, the bane of one’s existence. [French, literally ‘black beast’.] 159. bêtise

silliness, folly, stupidity

160. bibliofilm*

"A bibliofilm is a series of still images on 35 mm. standard safety photographic film."

161. bibliopole

a bookseller, especially of secondhand or rare books

162. bilirubin

pigment in bile

163. bioaccumulation

The process by which substances accumulate in the tissues of living organisms

164. bioenvironmental

165. bipedal

166. bivouacked

167. blandisher

168. blepharoplasty

169. bolster

170. bonbonnière

171. bonsai

172. bookmobile

173. bordure*

(heraldry) A contrasting border round a shield

174. Botswana*

A country in Southern Africa (formerly Bechuanaland). Official name: Republic of Botswana

175. bouillon

176. bouldering

177. braceros

178. brachydactylic

179. brainstorming

180. bravissimo*

181. breathtaking

182. brevet*

A military document entitling a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but without an increase in pay

183. bric-a-brac

184. brigand

185. brinksmanship

186. brochette

187. broncobuster*

A person who breaks horses so that they can be ridden with a saddle (Example: Over in the large corral a bronco buster, assisted by two of the cowboys, was engaged in roping and throwing some wild mustangs.)

188. brownout

189. buckram*

A coarse cloth of linen or hemp, stiffened with size or glue, used in garments to keep them in the form intended, and for wrappers to cover merchandise. (Example: 1882: Buckram was probably from the first a stiffened material employed for lining, often dyed. — James Edwin Thorold Rogers, A History of Agriculture and Prices in England, Volume 4, p. 557)

190. builddown, build-down

191. Bunsen burner*

192. Bunyanesque

193. burgage

194. bush leaguer

195. Bushido, bushido