Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary полностью

ba l|ance of tra de (balances of trade ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] A country's balance of trade is the difference in value, over a period of time, between the goods it imports and the goods it exports. [BUSINESS ] □  The deficit in Britain's balance of trade in March rose to more than 2100 million pounds.

ba l|ance sheet (balance sheets ) N‑COUNT A balance sheet is a written statement of the amount of money and property that a company or person has, including amounts of money that are owed or are owing. Balance sheet is also used to refer to the general financial state of a company. [BUSINESS ] □  Rolls-Royce needed a strong balance sheet.

ba l|anc|ing act (balancing acts ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you perform a balancing act , you try to deal successfully with two or more people, groups, or situations that are in opposition to each other. □  …a delicate balancing act between a career, a home, and motherhood.

bal|co|ny /bæ lkəni/ (balconies )

1 N‑COUNT A balcony is a platform on the outside of a building, above ground level, with a wall or railing around it.

2 N‑SING The balcony in a theatre or cinema is an area of seats above the main seating area.

bald /bɔː ld/ (balder , baldest )

1 ADJ Someone who is bald has little or no hair on the top of their head. □  The man's bald head was beaded with sweat. ●  bald|ness N‑UNCOUNT □  He wears a cap to cover a spot of baldness.

2 ADJ If a tyre is bald , its surface has worn down and it is no longer safe to use.

3 ADJ [ADJ n] A bald statement is in plain language and contains no extra explanation or information. □  The announcement came in a bald statement from the official news agency. □  The bald truth is he's just not happy. ●  bald|ly ADV [ADV with v] □  'The leaders are outdated,' he stated baldly. 'They don't relate to young people.'

ba ld ea gle (bald eagles ) N‑COUNT A bald eagle is a large eagle with a white head that lives in North America. It is the national bird of the United States of America.

bal|der|dash /bɔː ldə ^r dæʃ/ N‑UNCOUNT If you say that something that has been said or written is balderdash , you think it is completely untrue or very stupid. [OLD-FASHIONED , DISAPPROVAL ]

bald|ing /bɔː ld I ŋ/ ADJ Someone who is balding is beginning to lose the hair on the top of their head. □  He wore a straw hat to keep his balding head from getting sunburned.

baldy /bɔː ldi/ (baldies ) N‑COUNT People sometimes refer to a bald person as a baldy , especially if they are talking about them or to them in a friendly or humorous way. Some people might find this offensive. [INFORMAL ] □  More than three-quarters of baldies and redheads had been teased.

bale /be I l/ (bales , baling , baled )

1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] A bale is a large quantity of something such as hay, cloth, or paper, tied together tightly. □  …bales of hay.

2 VERB If something such as hay, cloth, or paper is baled , it is tied together tightly. □ [be V -ed] Once hay has been cut and baled it has to go through some chemical processes. [Also V n]

3 → see also bail

bale|ful /be I lfʊl/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Baleful means harmful, or expressing harmful intentions. [LITERARY ] □  …a baleful look. ●  bale|ful|ly ADV [ADV with v] □  He watched her balefully.

balk /bɔː lk, [AM ] bɔː k/ (balks , balking , balked ) also baulk VERB If you balk at something, you definitely do not want to do it or to let it happen. □ [V + at ] Even biology undergraduates may balk at animal experiments. □ [V ] Last October the bank balked, alarmed that a $24m profit had turned into a $20m deficit.